Technology Predictions for 2008

As many writers who concentrate on information technology will do at the end of the year; I, too, will prognosticate on what will be hot for 2008. In no particular order, here are ten of my predictions.

1) Bandwidth changes will be coming. It would be easy to leave it at that, but I think the United States is on the verge of some major changes to the bandwidth infrastructure. I believe the largest change will have to do with the price per speed. Either the price will go down, with little change in speed; or, price will remain about the same and we will get more speed for our bucks. This will be driven by wireless broadband and the fiber to the curb.

2) Increasing availability for wireless Internet access. Verizon and AT&T will step up their offerings for WiFi Internet access. This will add significant competition to Cable TV internet access. The result will be more competitive pricing and packages for consumers. This competition will do more for innovation than Net Neutraility.

3) Fiber to the curb will be more of an option for consumers. Our thirst for bandwidth and regulations on copper will be driving factors in the telecommunication companies offering fiber to the pole (or curb) for consumer access.

4) Google will become a telecommunication infrastructure company. Google will bid, and win, the 700MHz spectrum bid and will become a telecommunication company. They will probably team up with an existing wireless company and merge their infrastructures with Google’s “Dark Fiber” network. The gPhone will be a part of this.

5) Microsoft will dominate the mobile application space. This will be a short-win because stiff competition with Google’s Android offering. Apple will have the IPhone, Google will have the GPhone, and Microsoft will have Windows Mobile 6 and the legion of .net developers. People will like the “Eye Candy” from Apple and the “Open’ness” of Android; however, the easy of .netcf and the corporate-adoption of Mobile 6 will prevail – for 2008.

6) Apple will continue on their world domination fight in the consumer electronics space. Look for a few more iPhone announcements and the eventual merging of iPod and iPhone. Apple will also move into the video distribution game, utilizing some “iMediaDevice” and Apple TV.

7) Botnets will move from the “Hacker” world to the “Corporate” world and the legitimate use of this parallel system will take root. The business world will not know how to do this. Perhaps the emergence of a “Corporate IntraBotNet” system will spring up. Hummmmm.

8) Corporate VoIP will be the next killer application. Microsoft will take the lead in providing the merging of Telephone, IM, and Email. We will see more “Headsets” on desks and slow decrease in telephones. 2008 will mark the year the traditional desk phone starts to go extinct.

9) Ajax and Silverlight will weigh heavy on the minds of developers. Maybe 2008 will see a possible solution to the desire to have “Disconnected Web Applications.”

10) Sun will make another stab at re-branding Java. Renewed interest in the Java Applet will be fueled by the legions of Java developers already familiar with programming, but want something better than Ajax and Silverlight. Applets may be a possible answer to “Disconnected Web Applications.”

Those are mine... what do you predict for 2008?

Google expected to bid on 700MHz

Wireless IT World has recently published an article which sheds some more light onto the conundrum of Google’s interest in the 700 MHz spectrum.
Link

This paragraph is of interest to me...

“Google has also supported efforts to push Congress to pass net neutrality requirements, which would prohibit broadband providers from blocking or slowing Web content not approved by them. Google's interest in the spectrum came after AT&T and other large broadband providers expressed interest in recent years in getting Web-based businesses to pay more for their customers' use of the broadband networks.”

This whole net neutrality topic stems from the players in the communication industry who see the potential loss of revenue due to VoIP (Voice over IP) and the increase in bandwidth demand as multimedia (i.e. You Tube) become more prevalent.

It is my belief Google may, in part, use the spectrum as a way to circumvent the traditional telecos by offering their own service to the Internet. This would practically guarantee neutrality on the Internet – providing you went with Google to get access to the net.

In the past, Google has been reported to buy unused fiber optic networks. All that would be missing from the GoogleNet would be access points; which is still something missing from the big picture. Will they team up with some existing provider (i.e. Sprint), or will Google start setting up their own towers? The 700MHz would require fewer towers and cover larger areas than traditional cell phone service.

Add to this, all of the talk about the Google Phone (gPhone) and it makes for some interesting possibilities.

Back in the game

After a long absence, I think I am going to try and get back into the game of writing to my blog. Since my last posting there has been much going on, both professionally and personally. On the personal side, little league baseball is over for the season and the Fink’s are ramping up for the fall season. On the professional side, I am still helping farmers all over the world grow better crops by using technology to track the progress of their corn (or whatever).

The baseball team I coach took first place in their division, again (three years in a row), with an undefeated season (second one). Many congratulations go to these kids who have demonstrated huge amounts of skill and have proven that practice can make perfect. In three years, we have only lost one game! Sadly, this will be my last year participating with the Belleville Parks and Recreation because I (and most of the parents) are sick and tired of the league and all of the bullshit we have been forced to put up with. We will likely be playing in O’Fallon next season.

As for growing crops… The solution I helped (Insert Ag. Company name here) develop enabled us to track several thousands of acres of corn production and was deemed a huge success. We will be looking to take this application to Brazil and Argentina for their next growing season. For those who might be interested, this is a 100% Microsoft solution from top to bottom. We use several varieties of mobile computing platforms (Symbol, Dell, and HP) and track the crop progress from pre-planting to post-harvest. I still enjoy the work and the company keeps things challenging.