  The humble spreadsheet is the most widely used data storage, manipulation and
modelling tool. Its ubiquity over the past 30 years has seen its successful
application in every area of life. Surprisingly the spreadsheet has remained
fundamentally unchanged over the past three decades. As spreadsheet technology
enters its 4th decade a number of drivers of change are beginning to impact
upon the spreadsheet. The rise of Big Data, increased end-user computing and
mobile computing will undoubtedly increasingly shape the evolution and use of
spreadsheet technology.
  To explore the future of spreadsheet technology a workshop was convened with
the aim of "bringing together academia and industry to examine the future
direction of spreadsheet technology and the consequences for users". This paper
records the views of the participants on the reasons for the success of the
spreadsheet, the trends driving change and the likely directions of change for
the spreadsheet. We then set out key directions for further research in the
evolution and use of spreadsheets. Finally we look at the implications of these
trends for the end users who after all are the reason for the remarkable
success of the spreadsheet.
