It Was Computer Hardware — Then Software — Then The Internet — What Big Trend Is Next?

• February
• 9

6:19 pm CyberHood Watch

It was the Information Age (1994) and Americans embraced it by accepting electronic access into their homes. The phone remained virtually unchanged; however, computers penetration into homes increased significantly between 1994 and 1997. Personal computers in 1997 increased 52% that was 36.6% of Americans nationwide owned computers.  Modems increased 139%, and email increased 397% (U.S. Dept. of Commerce). Its eleven years later and we all realize that the numbers of computers in the home are significantly higher and the technology is far superior to 1997.

Although the telephone penetration remained slightly unchanged at 98.3% it was slightly higher in the rural areas. The trend in hardware has laid the ground work for what would become the next great trend…Software!

Now that computers have penetrated households, what would improve their usefulness?  In the late ’60s major hardware manufacturers such as IBM, Univac, and Honeywell sold their hardware with the software included. It was about 1969 when IBM unbundled their software from their hardware and almost overnight the software industry was born. Microsoft dominated in word processing and Lotus 1-2-3 was the killer application that legitimized the PC for use in the business world. The consolidation of software companies flourished and massive fortunes were made. Consumers will spend over $350 billion over the next 4 years worldwide on PC software (Business Software Alliance).

What was the next great trend that catapulted computers and software together?

The concept of the Internet originated back with President Dwight D. Eisenhower when he created the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA) in 1958 as a direct response to the Soviet’s Sputnik launch. ARPA’s purpose was to give the United States a technological edge over other countries. One important part of ARPA’s mission was computer science. And no, Al Gore did not say he invented the Internet. His comment was he “took the initiative in creating the Internet” and that he promoted the Internet’s development both as a senator and as vice president. (http://www.cnn.com/ALLPOLITICS/stories/1999/03/09/)

It was in 1990 that Tim Berners-Lee developed a system designed to simplify the navigation of the Internet that led to what we call today the World Wide Web and it’s not synonymous with the Internet. The WWW is the ship navigating through the Internet’s ocean. By 1994, Internet commerce had become a reality.

Today, the Internet is more complex than ever. It is the culmination of computers, satellites, software delivery, mobile devices and many more devices all networked to function intricately.

Now, with the World Wide Web navigation available, the hardware set in place, the software, all delivered through the Internet, what will be the next trend to emerge?

I for one have observed these trends and watched the playing field leveled to witness individuals half my age emerge as pioneers and bestowed fortunes on them for their innovating thinking and capturing these trends.

Before I tell you what I think is the next trend, there are four “How To” issues to consider with the past trends and what is needed to secure the previous trends:

1. How to Use
2. How to Maintain
3. How to Repair
4. How to Protect

The use of the computer is much different from the static days of DOS. Now it’s Web 2.0, audio, video, and an interactive media, and in ten years this may be considered static. The PC is more integrated into the fabric of our daily lives than ever before. We have shifted our entire economies and infrastructure on the support of computers, which also makes us vulnerable.

Do you remember talking with your car mechanic when there was the transition from the simple maintenance of your automobile to the complex computer systems that needed servicing? There was a whole shift in training for mechanics. The same shift applies to your personal computer. There is the integration of hardware and software that your IT needs to address and maintain.

Today’s computer repairs are costly, time consuming, and frustrating. And most consumers don’t have the desire nor are they equipped to deal with the repairs of their computers. Unfortunately, a proactive maintenance and needed repairs are sacrificed because the fear of the costs and loss of time which preclude the proper maintenance for maintaining a healthy computer. And therefore a proactive approach is sacrificed.

As if adding insult to injury isn’t bad enough we now have to deal with a nefarious scourge of the underbelly of organized crime infiltrating the Internet that’s costing everyone $400 billion worldwide. As a matter of fact cyber-crime is now more profitable than drug trafficking in the U.S.

Unfortunately, there is still the social issue that we are head-strong and not willing to compromise convenience for security. However there is a way to have our cake and eat it too, which reinforces the new trend.

So what is the next major trend that encompasses the last three major trends…Services and in particular Software-as-a-Service model.

We are in an on-demand world. Web hosting plays an important role in the global software-as-a-service market, which reached in the U.S. $6.3 billion in 2006 and is expected by the analyst firm Gartner to more than triple to $19.3 billion a year by 2011.

Not only are there more families and small business owners online, there are more and more home based businesses that are started every day that are end-users and customers of these web hosting services.

Who is going to service the millions of us online and provide us a hassle-free computing experience and simplify it all for us?

Who is going to eliminate our current frustrations caused by unsavory individuals who write programs that find their way onto our computers and steal our personal and private information?

Who’s going to prevent malicious programs from stealing a portion of our computers hard drive and use it to send out spam and pornography? You should be aware that if this happens to you, you are considered guilty until proven innocent.

Who is going to defend and monitor your family’s identities in real time?

This is the new trend… the ultimate, affordable luxury, personal computer service that eliminates your concerns and frustrations and allows you to fall in love with your computer and internet all over again.

Either you can participate in a new business or enjoy being a customer of the service.

The trend is yours to ride… Contact Dave & Bill for more information.

Be sure to grab your free copy of our book, Don’t Take Candy From Strangers”… Just one more step to keeping your children out of harms-way.

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