Close
  • Latest News
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • 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
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Video
  • 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

    Where Has All the Innovation Gone?

    Written by

    Eric Lundquist
    Published May 5, 2008
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin

      Where are the tech products that will help us through these tough economic times? I’m putting this question the hands of you, the reader, as the vendor community has come up short in this regard.

      Where have the vendors been? Why haven’t they come out with any solutions for helping business executives and consumers deal with the issues of rising fuel prices, a frozen credit market (thanks to the subprime loan crisis), and tech jobs and innovation continuing to head overseas?

      ../images/stories/videobug4.gifClick Here to Watch the Latest eWEEK Newsbreak Video.

      There are a couple of reasons, in my opinion.

      First, the big vendors have been tremendously distracted. Microsoft, IBM, Cisco and other vendor behemoths have a lot of money. At the same time, small startups, seeing the window slam shut on the IPO market, have a great desire to get acquired before their venture funding runs dry. With so many little companies yearning to be acquired, the big boys have replaced innovation with acquisition.

      Add to this the rise of social networks–which are fun for trying to build a media empire but not really of much use for consumers trying to figure out how to get an economic boost–and you have a vendor community blind to the economic bind of their customer base.

      I recently did a slide show in my blog that named 10 tech products that were needed during these hard times but are currently unavailable. Among other things, I suggested mashups of social networks tied to the old concept of food co-ops; energy-management systems for the home; and consumer energy co-ops modeled after data-center management systems such as those offered by EnerNoc.

      At the heart of all this, though, is filling customer needs-the first and best tenet of product development. Were Microsoft’s customers crying out for a combined Microsoft-Yahoo media platform to take on Google? I don’t think so. Would Microsoft’s customers like to see office management applications extend back into the energy- and fuel-management systems of their companies? I think so.

      I’m writing this column a few days after Microsoft put the brakes on its proposed hostile takeover of Yahoo. As we’ve all learned from recent high-tech takeovers, such as BEA by Oracle, a deal considered dead can quickly be resurrected if the stock price is right.

      But I’m hoping that the execs taking part in and watching the takeover sweepstakes can get back to the business of innovation instead of acquisition. And I’m hoping that you, eWEEK’s readers, can come up with some products and services you would like to see those vendors provide to help you through the current economic doldrums.

      Eric Lundquist can be reached at [email protected].

      Eric Lundquist
      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.

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      Get the Free Newsletter!

      Subscribe to Daily Tech Insider for top news, trends & analysis

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Artificial Intelligence

      9 Best AI 3D Generators You Need...

      Sam Rinko - June 25, 2024 0
      AI 3D Generators are powerful tools for many different industries. Discover the best AI 3D Generators, and learn which is best for your specific use case.
      Read more
      Cloud

      RingCentral Expands Its Collaboration Platform

      Zeus Kerravala - November 22, 2023 0
      RingCentral adds AI-enabled contact center and hybrid event products to its suite of collaboration services.
      Read more
      Artificial Intelligence

      8 Best AI Data Analytics Software &...

      Aminu Abdullahi - January 18, 2024 0
      Learn the top AI data analytics software to use. Compare AI data analytics solutions & features to make the best choice for your business.
      Read more
      Latest News

      Zeus Kerravala on Networking: Multicloud, 5G, and...

      James Maguire - December 16, 2022 0
      I spoke with Zeus Kerravala, industry analyst at ZK Research, about the rapid changes in enterprise networking, as tech advances and digital transformation prompt...
      Read more
      Video

      Datadog President Amit Agarwal on Trends in...

      James Maguire - November 11, 2022 0
      I spoke with Amit Agarwal, President of Datadog, about infrastructure observability, from current trends to key challenges to the future of this rapidly growing...
      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.
      © 2024 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.

      ×