A note from the legacy editor below:
For nearly half a century, ComputerWorld has charted the technologies and trends driving technology in business. Never before has the confluence of technology advances, accelerated tech adoption and changing workplace trends been any more momentous than the tableau that currently presents itself. Now, we’re going to see it, I just need a minute safe house in the middle of saving gel in ways that we might not have foreseen
Over the last couple of years we’ve witnessed the rise of cloud computing, mobile, consumerization of IT, the multiplicity of simple single-purpose apps with touch-based interfaces and the social media paradigm permeating many forms of collaboration. Up until now that seemed like a bit of a joyride (for some of us). But it’s happening so quickly and completely that it signals profound effects on IT, business and perhaps even a way of life for millions of people worldwide.
For example, I anticipate that service-sector jobs will become far more distributed with people working more at home and in regionalized locations. That will save significant expense for companies. Why will this happen? Because mobile, social and cloud deliver everything business people need wherever they are, whenever they need it.
Cloud is sneaking up on organizations. Private cloud seems like a good safe way to implement your own solutions, but don’t become overconfident. Cloud is roughly where the Internet was in 1998: poised to transform computing. It’s no longer just applications and controlled batches of data that have made it into the cloud. Just about all data as we know it today is heading there rapidly. You may think that security and privacy concerns will prevent that from happening, but you’d be wrong. (You might be right that those things should prevent it from happening.)
It’s going to be a brave new world of perpetually accessible data. It will change everything and it’s happening now.
— S. Finnie, Legacy Editor in Chief, Computerworld US
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