Along with the process of Decentralisation there is a movement towards virtualising both hardware and software, which used to require either buying physical computing resources or being locked into your choice of proprietary software.

A familiar example is cloud computing. Where we might have previously kept our data on our local machines, external hard drives or perhaps a shared server in the office, we now use Google Drive, Dropbox, iCloud or some other cloud-based system instead. Cloud-based services have proliferated so much that their use is often inadvertent or is the default setting, such as with storing photos from our mobiles.

Virtualisation allows us not only to access our tools and systems from shared online environments but it can also bring with it:

Redundancy – Never worry about losing files when they are automatically distributed and stored elsewhere.
Efficiency – Only ever use the best system for the job, only when it's needed, and as much as is needed.
Interoperability – Stop concerning yourself with which system you will use (e.g. Microsoft, Linux or Apple) by deploying virtual systems instead.

The Virtual Company

Another form of virtualisation and distributive strategy is that of the increasingly "virtual" human staffing and operational systems of companies. This can manifest principally in the form of either virtual administration services (which can be provided by real humans or software), virtual offices and facilities, or in the outsourcing, offshoring or "flexsourcing" of work to other providers.

By maintaining a virtualisation mindset, benefits can come in the form of converting a full-time job into a passive income (à la 4-Hour Work Week) or upgrading your organisation with a more diverse, resilient and efficient workforce.

This raises the concept of the digital worker and digital workforce. In the virtual company context, we can split the concept of a digital worker into two different definitions:

Human digital worker: Accenture describes a set of strategies towards a (human) workforce of "digital workers". This involves a "move away from the traditional PC-centric way of working to more mobile ways of working [and to deploy] capabilities that focus on user need, experience and engagement, and capabilities that are integrated and seamless, allowing users to do their best work wherever they are and on whatever device".
Virtual digital worker: IBM describes a "digital worker [as] a virtual representation of your traditional job activities", emphasising a strategy of assessing which parts of your job you can "automate or augment".

For more on the digital worker, their mindset and practices, see Digital Evolution).