This was a great list from CIO Minute.

Friday, October 31, 2008 10:49 AM/EST

Top 10 Disruptive IT Trends

This blog is supposed to have a futuristic bent, so this time of year can be fun: It's when everyone starts unleashing their "predictions" of IT trends for the coming year. IT services firm CSC is out with an early (and interesting) list. According to CSC, a new wave of technologies--especially digital--are disrupting the way businesses operate. Here's their list, with a bit of my own context: 1. New Media Call it Web 2.0 or whatever you choose: tools like video and blogs change distribution of information as dramatically as the Internet redefined the brochure. 2. Augmented Reality A blending of virtual and physical reality boost experimentation in the workplace and spotlight a need for collaborative skills. 3. Social Networks Got a business problem? Do what many companies do: use corporate social networks to find skilled workers and experts. 4. Information Transparency New technologies and tools bring pertinent data to the forefront, breaking through old silos and giving businesses a clearer vision of information. 5. Web Waves Software defined- and cognitive radio replace traditional TV and radio, powering new devices to use airwaves as needed. 6. 3D Printing Too futuristic? Think again. 3D printing will allow anyone to obtain parts and designs straight from the Web. 7. Molecular Computing Biomedicine gets a boost from technology that allows researchers to better work within the human body. 8. Cloud Computing It's all the buzz, and for good reason: the "cloud" may well replace the business world's view of the traditional data center. 9. Semantics Information becomes more useful through semantics, which boosts interoperability and innovation in service availability. 10. Web as Reasoning Engine Who says the Web makes us dumber? As the Web progresses, it will give businesses more ammo for decision making. We're currently fielding our future trends survey; check out last year's findings for what IT leaders expected this year...and still foresee for down the road. CSC's list is among the first of many predictions on the way for 2009. What trends do you think will prevail?

Posted by Brian Watson on October 31, 2008 10:49 AM

See Opportunity not recession

This past week I had an opportunity to tour a number of facilities in Oklahoma. I was impressed with the opportunities that they presented. You can see the site for the Oklahoma State University Multispectral Laboratory from my university website. One of my goals is to look in the states close to my home and see if we don't also have some of the dormant capabilities that in our financially difficulty times could use to leverage and generate new jobs. I've also visited a number of factories that don't appear to be working at capacity. My feeling is that we are not in a recession of work as much as we are in a recession of ideas.

Since I travel extensively and have over 2000 industry contacts, I frequently get calls from people I meet that have a product, a new technology or great idea and need someone to help them with the details of how can we commercialize this. They may need a specific partner with a critical technology or a new source of funding.

We need to find all the options, look for new partners and get a positive attitude in moving our companies to a new level instead of watching the waters of debt rise and worrying about the tide.

Take a look at the OSU Multispectral Laboratory and see some of their ideas.

Respectfully,
Steve