Two years ago, I thought a cloud was something that appeared when you least wanted it to and obliterated the sun. Now, everyone is talking about The Cloud – private clouds, public clouds and so on. All in all, clouds are changing the way that computing happens.

So when late last year I heard another new term - the 'Intelligent Client' - I started to consider whether that expression, too, will become common parlance throughout the industry within the next year.

I first thought that I would like to know what an ‘Unintelligent Client’ is (no jokes, please!).

But then I heard people talking about more about it, and even about ‘thin’ and ‘thick’ intelligent clients. In recent weeks, I have even had a number of clients asking me about what an intelligent client is, whether should they become one, and how?

So what is this all about?

For years, we have heard about retained organisations – the small division of the outsourced function that remains within the client business, acting as an interface between client and supplier to ensure a high level of service. We have also heard about the need among organisations that have a range of suppliers to have a retained organisation structured correctly for best mutual effect.

The term 'Intelligent Client', which seems to be coming out of the public sector more than the private sector, suggests that, if we are to be optimal providers, and deliver the correct level of services to our customers and clients and be effective in receiving services, then we shouldn’t have separate retained organisations for HR, Finance and IT, and perhaps other functions, too. What we should be doing is taking a much more holistic look at how we shape our organisation.

So the Intelligent Client is very much a vision of a new organisational structure.

It requires an appreciation of what core competencies are needed internally to service the new structure; to what level they currently exist in the company; and what organisational designs (or re-designs) are required to ensure that these competencies can be exercised to the fullest extent, but with the lowest overheads.

Perhaps the most important questions to ask, and to ensure are answered before embarking on this course of action, are how will the new intelligent client manage each supplier, provide the necessary subject matter expertise and manage clients and customers?

So I am interested to gather feedback as to whether people are hearing this term being used, and if it is being widely realised as a concept. Will ‘Intelligent Client’ be as pervasive a term by the end of 2010 as cloud computing has been at its start?