Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home IT Management
    • IT Management

    A Technology Renaissance

    By
    Eric Lundquist
    -
    May 18, 2007
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Is there currently a renaissance in technology? That was the question I was asked to address first off at last weeks Ziff Davis CIO Summit conference. It turned out to be a timely question and one worth answering in this column as well as before an audience of CIOs.

      Asking if were now in a renaissance presupposes that the tech industry has experienced the dark ages. If dark ages are marked by some major crash, well, we had that at the start of this century.

      And if theyre marked by a period of uncertainty about the future and a search for new leaders and new ideas, I think a good argument can be made that the tech industry did indeed have a dark age. Characterizing this period was the dot-com crash, the exodus of students from the technology education track and minimal product upgrades—from major vendors—championed as big-leap innovations. So with those days behind the industry, what are the hallmarks of a renaissance?

      The first hallmark, Id argue, is that technology is seen as crucial to a companys success and that new technologies enter the market to make it much easier to implement business strategies. During the conference, Symantec Chairman and CEO John Thompson emphasized the crucial nature of technology implementation when he spoke about risk management as a wise approach to judging technology success. The risk associated with a Web site—generating millions of dollars per hour—going down is as great as or greater than making sure all security patches are in place.

      Id add another example of technologys crucial nature by looking at the recent rash of business acquisitions and divestitures. The prospective acquisition of Dow Jones for $5 billion, the divestiture of automaker Chrysler and the acquisition of news agency Reuters will all be successes or failures based largely, I contend, on how well new owners transfer and expand the three companies technology under-pinnings.

      Development of the green-computing initiative, led in large part by AMD and IBM, also exemplifies a high-tech renaissance. Technology innovation works best when a large challenge is involved. That challenge can be as threatening as World War II or as startling as the former Soviet Unions capability to take the lead in the space race: Both events drove the technology cycle forward. The opportunity presented by green technology, combined with the threat presented by global warming, is a tremendous driver for technology advances.

      And, while the task is large, bringing heating, cooling and electrical systems into the IT network requires technical skills, business process planning and a sense of innovation that can provide immediate results for your company.

      I hope some of those students who have abandoned their technology education track might rethink their decisions. If youre a student looking for a bigger purpose in life than creating the next YouTube or Facebook, then being part of an effort to save your planet is a mighty big challenge.

      Finally, the rise of Web-based services, the capabilities presented by Internet2, and the continued development of mobile computing and mobile devices present a unique opportunity for technology innovation—a renaissance, if you will.

      The combination of those technologies will give rise to a new round of companies that allow for business opportunities that we cannot yet envision. These new businesses will be as fundamentally world-changing as the great ideas stemming from the Renaissance that swept through Europe from the 14th to 17th centuries. They will be international in scope and will not be driven by the companies that currently rule the Internet.

      Is there a high-tech renaissance under way? Yes, and it is just starting.

      Check out eWEEK.coms for the latest news, reviews and analysis on IT management.

      Eric Lundquist
      Since 1996, Eric Lundquist has been Editor in Chief of eWEEK, which includes domestic, international and online editions. As eWEEK's EIC, Lundquist oversees a staff of nearly 40 editors, reporters and Labs analysts covering product, services and companies in the high-technology community. He is a frequent speaker at industry gatherings and user events and sits on numerous advisory boards. Eric writes the popular weekly column, 'Up Front,' and he is a confidant of eWEEK's Spencer F. Katt gossip columnist.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      Yotascale CEO Asim Razzaq on Controlling Multicloud...

      James Maguire - May 5, 2022 0
      Asim Razzaq, CEO of Yotascale, provides guidance on understanding—and containing—the complex cost structure of multicloud computing. Among the topics we covered:  As you survey the...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2021 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×