Thursday, July 12, 2007

Too Rich or Too Thin?

If you've been involved for technology for any length of time - you've seen enough "new paradigms" to know that everything "new" is really old - with a new twist.

Starting off with "dumb" terminals - where the user was connected to a mainframe and used a thin terminal with no internal storage - to access files and programs. All the storage, databases, and applications were maintained by infamously smug Information Technology "gods" who had a healthy distain for sharing information and a loathing of mere "users" who were viewed as parasites to "their" data and systems.

Then came the Personal Computer revolution. Where users could (GASP!) control their own files, download their own applications and take control over their computing tasks. This drove the IT priesthood nuts. They "lost" power to the individual (dare I say - "user"!). Power to the people - death to mainframes and "dumb" terminals.

After that we had (have) the Age of the Internet. Where people with PC's could all attach to a giant server managed by IT gurus that also stored the content and had the databases.... hey, wait! It's really the same stuffas before - but users can now clog their own drive with viruses and worms.

The "next" big thing is "offline" applications. Sort of like the stuff we had before the Internet...

The point of this whole post is this: Browser-based applications are not going away. Client/Server applications are not going away. The technology you choose for your product should be able to do BOTH and also be build on a platform that will be adaptable (in terms of platform and form-factor [e.g. mobile devices]) to handle it.

Otherwise, you may find yourself behind the technology curve and therefore vulnerable to other companies with similar offerings who are on the technology curve.

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