- Loading music onto your new iPod Nano.

- Emancipating your relatives' PCs from viruses.

- Trying to moderate your kids' use of computer games without being a grinch.

It's amazing how pervasive personal technology has become. And while some of these consumer technologies may seem worlds apart from the corporate computing environment, they're not. There are at least a few potentially disruptive trends that are likely to emerge as a result of the widespread use of personal technology. Each of these trends will have a significant effect on the IT organization and IT management. Here are some trends to consider:

The IT organization's loss of control of the desktop. I can foresee a time when IT simply gives up trying to control the desktop -- and that time may not be too far off. We are already seeing some organizations allotting money to employees and allowing them to buy their own desktop technology. Does this sound crazy? Maybe not. In a world where e-mail and applications are accessible through phones, handheld devices and laptops, why should we require employees to use the "standard-issue" PC?