I am a name not a number

One of the problems inherent in the gradual merging of the consumer and business world is that companies can tend to focus on an individual when setting up computer systems. This makes it really difficult to separate the individual from the role in the event that they move on or change role within the company. This is particularly important when applied to temporary roles or secondments that have significant authority. I have seen situations where someone that has worked temporarily for the finance director has then moved to another location within the business with no changes to their account occurring.

Currently when I join a company I am given an account on the companies computer system, usually a staff number, a mobile telephone etc. Each of these has their own identity number used to access them so essentially even at the beginning I have multiple names. This is complicated by the fact that if I leave the company I may take my mobile phone number with me etc.

Now step forward to a world in which everyone is given an online identity at birth and that is their only account, effectively a unique on line name. This identity is used for everything telecommunications, electronic communications even access to public transport etc. Now when I join the company my unique name is associated with the role that I have taken up. All information and access rights pertinent to that role are delivered to me. I have seamless access to cloud and company systems that allow me to carry out that role but when I move on the role is assigned to my successor. Anything sent to myuniquename@mycompanysuniquename is directed to my role and thus I see it but via the role, this means my successor would also in archieves. In addition I see anything directed to myuniquename@myhomeaddress and from myuniquename@myfavouritehobby etc. but these would be directed elsewhere and not be available to any successor. Telecommunication would also use this same format rather than numbers with the method of communication being chosen by the initiator, ensuring that after you leave, phone calls to someone doing your old role will go to them and not you.

This is much more in keeping with our concept of the future, after all you never see people on science fiction programs trying to remember what account they used to access their computer do you? The techniques to provide this are available today, we simply do not use them because of tradition or because they make things more complex and thus more expensive. If we want a future where we are not bogged down by exponentially multiplying accounts though we are going to have to start giving this some priority.