photo credit: h.koppdelaney

First question, what is this decade called?  The 2000-teens?  Hmm… maybe discussion for another forum.

Anyway, a couple of weeks ago I had a post reviewing the last decade.  Well, I think the next decade is going to be explosive for technology.  We really haven’t seen anything yet.  Isn’t it amazing to consider that fact.  It seems like we’ve seen so much.  But it’s all just foundation for the coming decade.  I’ll pull out my very clouded crystal ball and let you know my thoughts.

Wireless

First of all, wireless is a huge part of the next decade.  But, one thing has to happen first.  Wireless companies need to realize that they aren’t phone companies anymore, they are data companies.  They are really no different from cable companies.  Cable companies are data companies.  Once these companies realize that fact I think that things will really start moving.

Over the next decade, we are going to see a very rapid migration to wireless access from wired access.  The foundations of the technology are there and are being expanded.  Look at the current 4G push in the United States today.  Phones such as the iPhone and the current generation of Android will push this technology to it’s current limits and demand much more.  With tablets like the iPad coming very soon, the demands will be increased.  I believe that the current competion in this market will cause this market to have an innovation explosion over the next few years.

Cloud Computing

photo credit: Nicholas_TWe’ve all heard all the promise of cloud computing.  We will see the benefits of this technology in the next decade.  It will begin to revolutionize the Internet further.  It will change the way businesses look at technology.  Businesses will begin to view outsourcing their IT infrastucture to cloud provider as a no-brainer.  The cloud idea will truly be implemented and the benefits are going to be realized.  This is going to revolutionize the industry as well.  It will assist in so many things.  It could even remove the phrase “Disaster Recovery” from the IT vocabulary.

Social Media/Networks

Well, what can I say?  This is the future of the net.  This is a cat that is out of the bag.  It is going to change.  Some of the networks are going to merge and some will die.  Only a few will probably survive the next few years.  On top of that, we are going to see a huge explosion of capabilities and functionality that the networks will offer.  It will remain extremely social but it is going to become much more integrated into our everyday lives.  As an example consider the location services out there today.  Today the systems report where people. They report what movie you just got from NetFlix and what you thought of it.  The new Boxee device is going to allow you to directly integrate your watching habits with your networks.  This trend is going to boom over the coming years.

Telework

Telework is going to become a very common setup in the coming decade.  It has been tested extensively during this last decade.  It is time for it to fully emerge.  The technology has brought us to the point where it can be feasible for many employees.  The research is showing that it can be enormously effective.  Gas prices have drastically changed over the last 10-15 years and I think few believe that we are headed for lower prices.  Environmental consciousness has become a priority.  Efficiency and productivity are required in business to compete today.  All of these trends are creating the perfect storm for telework.  This decade will see a dramatic paradigm shift in this area.  We are going to redefine the office environment.

Will Desktops remain?

photo credit: Extra KetchupThe desktop computer has been with us for roughly four decades… can you believe that?  Given, it’s really only been the popular thing for the last 2 decades.  Will it be around in 10 years when we’re doing a review of the decade?  I believe that it will still be here but only lingering in dark corners.  The desktop is beginning to look like the mainframe of old… big and antiquated.  With the move toward mobility and smaller form factors I think that desktop will finally be relegated to the programmers and administrators out there creating and running things.

See you in the future

We have only seen the beginning of this wave.  It is picking up speed and momentum.  The technology around us today is merely setting the stage for next great leaps.  We are going to see some of the big names dwindle while some small names will be all around us over the coming years.  We are going to see technologies emerge that make our lives better and more efficient.  As we step in, just keep in mind how each of the technologies can potentially make things better in the future.