The future is bright and it is mobile (in fact it is here !)



There are so many pundits out there who have finally jumped on this bandwagon.   But lets be honest,  five and a half (or is it now closer to six)  billion people,  can’t be wrong – the mobile revolution is finishing its transition from what have been predominantly voice services to broad-band data services.  The devices that we used to just talk on are now full blown computers and we use them for everything – although we do actually still use them to talk on as well too!.  ( See my previous blog:  http://rossmac2310.blogspot.com/2011/10/human-evolution-and-mobile.html)

There are so many exciting threads to this trend : the Internet revolution in Africa and other emerging markets,  the plethora of new services being created every day that add value to our everyday existence and the emergence of real competition in the mobile handset space.   I applaud Microsoft ( and Nokia) for their exciting new partnership and a handset that will create a real challenge to the incumbent behemoths – Android and Apple  ( oh and six months ago I would have mentioned BB in the same breath – not anymore…)  Check out this video from MS providing their vision of the future - its pretty cool. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6cNdhOKwi0)

That increased penetration of the Internet enhances economic performance,  is now empirically proven -  and so any and all technologies that achieve that end should be pursued with alacrity.  The strides in technology over the last decade when 3G first became de rigueur ( driven then mainly by the hardware fraternity keen to flog their wares ) have been immense and helped along irresistibly by the launch of the iPhone in 2007.    

What is perhaps even more daunting/ exciting  is the prospect of what will happen in the next ten years when network effects magnify the impact exponentially.  By 2020 it is forecast that there will be 50bn connected devices ( it is also called The Internet of Things).    These devices will form the basis of an intelligent network fabric encircling us and interacting with us in so many ways – many as yet unimagined.  Enhancing our lives and optimizing our use of resources and thereby addressing the pressing challenges of poverty, global warming and water shortages.   The interconnectedness of our societies and interdependencies created,  will further reduce the prospect of cross-border conflicts and therefore channel  taxpayers dollars away from arms towards health, education and infrastructure.   It really is a future to be excited and positive about.   

I do believe that many of the limitations that the Internet has today which make so many people suspicious of ‘doing stuff ‘ online will be eliminated.  We will feel secure about transacting and it will be a seamless process to verify our transactions and our communications.   Consumers will drive businesses who will in turn drive the policy makers to ensure that online security be addressed comprehensively.   The recent London Cyber Conference represented the end of the old era of weak intergovernmental decision-making.   The imperatives and the importance of tackling this problem will probably be brought home by some kind of a CNN moment (bigger than Stuxnet) and this will bring everyone to their senses.  The future Internet cannot operate insecurely and so sense will ultimately prevail.   The efforts of Lulzsec and Anonymous have been well intentioned and should not be belittled despite some of their amateurish bravado. 

To get a sense of what this future really holds – take time to watch this video.  It is very, very exciting.  Here’s to the next 10 years. 
(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7cuatm_bqw) 

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