Technology: future directions

Abstract

The 2nd of July was an anniversary for me, because I reported to the Mark I computer on the 2nd of July, 1944: 30 years in the computer industry. I can now spread out those 30 years in front of me and I can see that the changes are coming closer and faster. The time between major changes is getting shorter and shorter. It is more important than ever that today's decisions be made in the light of what is coming in the future. Because the changes are not going to be ten years from now, they may not even be five years from now, they may appear two years from now, we have less time to make valid decisions today for what we will be doing in the future.