This is the next in our extended series of ‘controversial questions.’ The eleventh, we think. Here’s the question we put to a significant number of industry executives: Everything happens in a combination of waves and cycles. For instance what is now cloud computing used to be time-share. Similarly there has been a constant yin and yang between centralised and decentralised computing - the early mainframes were sidelined by small departments buying minicomputers and then PCs in order to regain some control… and then they were aggregated into networks. But resistance followed and groups isolated again. Now we’re looking at a major aggregation with cloud computing. What does the assembled throng think might cause the eventual waning of this waxing cloud hegemony? Clearly, as technologies evolve, some systems will be able to advance to the new paradigm while others are left behind. Think of how few silent movie stars were able to make it in the ‘talkies.’ Mostly, we understand, because they had somewhat ‘odd’ voices that weren’t easy on the ears. There’s a more modern version of the same thing enshrined in the 1979 song “Video Killed the Radio Star.”
展开▼
