5 trends that changed how we think

Change can be traumatic when we’re in the middle of it - but once the change has settled into a new norm, we don’t really think about it anymore. It’s important to pause and reflect on how technology and innovation have made an impact on how we work. To that end, I’d like to highlight several innovations that have changed how many organizations approach technology and the world:

1. Open source software

When the computer was first introduced as a business tool, an industry immediately formed around it to support new software and systems. At the time, this was proprietary software - because that was all we knew at the time. Proprietary is a business model where customers could only get improvements to the programs by purchasing new versions from the vendor, typically a single point.

In the early 1980s, Richard Stallman had an idea that software should be free - not “Free” as in “Zero cost,” but “Free” as in “Freedom.” In Stallman’s vision, everyone should have the ability to modify the computer programs they used, so they could add new features or fix bugs.

The core tenet to this idea is that the source code must be open to anyone who uses it. The source code defines the behavior of a program - and anyone who can modify the source code can change how the program behaves. To advance this idea, Stallman launched the GNU Project in 1983; this was the genesis of the “Free software” movement.

GNU focused on replacing proprietary Unix systems. Since Unix was often used in labs and universities, both filled with capable programmers who were often willing to make changes to the software they used, the GNU Project gained adoption.

In 1998, others coined the term “open source” to describe any program where the source code was available for others to contribute to. The open source model was essentially the same as the Free software model, although they came at the same endpoint from different ethical origins. For example, “open source” was more about working together and how to collaborate, while “Free software” was focused only on making the source code available to individuals.

Free software and open source software aren’t technical innovations per se; they are cultural changes rooted in technology. And while they once seemed niche, every organization relies on open source software to some extent - although some may not realize it. The popular Apache web server supports most websites on the Web. Google’s Chrome Browser is based on Chromium, an open source web browser - which in turn was based on WebKit, an open source web rendering engine. Google’s Android OS is rooted in Linux, an open source operating system. Similarly, Windows and macOS both use components derived from other open source projects.

2. Smartphones and mobile devices

We have had the concept of a “personal digital assistant” device since the late 1990s, but it wasn’t until 2007 when Apple introduced the iPhone that the “smartphone” market became what we recognize today. In 2010, Apple followed up the success of the iPhone with the iPad, a tablet computing device that used the same software as the iPhone. Competing smartphones and tablets from other vendors followed, although the market is mostly down to Apple and Android by 2024.

The mobile device innovation completely changed the IT landscape. When I served as a campus CIO in higher education, we saw this very clearly. In 2010, iPads were expensive enough that only a relative few students carried tablets into classrooms. By 2015, tablets were everywhere.

We saw this repeated in our online admissions applications, too. The admissions system tracked the browser used to complete each portion of the application. In 2010, we saw only a few mobile devices used during the application process. By 2015, over two-thirds of applications were completed in part by a mobile device - with about a quarter of those applications completed in their entirety on a smartphone.

3. Streaming media

It doesn’t seem too long ago that the usual way to watch movies at home was to drive to a local video store and rent a movie on VHS tape. The DVD displaced VHS in the mid 1990s, offering higher quality and greater longevity. The DVD quickly became the de facto standard for buying or renting movies to watch at home, and many of us re-purchased our favorite movies on the new DVD format.

The Blu-Ray format became available in 2006, and displaced DVD in the same way that DVD replaced VHS. Blu-Ray offered the same basic package format as DVD, but with an incredible HD resolution. Again, many consumers invested heavily in Blu-Ray to replace DVD for movies they watched at home.

But the industry was stood on its end when streaming services arrived. Netflix, already a popular service for DVD-by-mail, shifted to an online-first model by 2007. Hulu launched as a competing streaming service in 2008, followed by other streaming services.

Streaming became immensely popular, in part because consumers now had access to a vast library of movies and television on demand, just by accessing a menu on their screen. Today, consumers can choose from many different streaming providers to access all kinds of content from around the world, including Amazon Prime, Paramount+, Apple TV, Peacock, YouTube, HBO Max, BritBox, and Disney+.

Like many others, I felt the impact of streaming in my personal life. I used to own many DVDs and Blu-Rays. But after my last move, I decided I didn’t want to keep plastic discs of movies and TV, when I could access the same shows and movies at the touch of a button on my Roku streaming device. I still have a few DVDs and Blu-Rays with shows I don’t want to lose if they disappear from streaming services - but even if I have the movie on Blu-Ray, I’m still more likely to stream it anyway, just because it’s easier to click to play.

4. Computing meets you where you are

The promise of the Cloud was that your work will always be available to you, no matter where you are. And that promise was met, first with services like Google Docs, and later by other services and vendors.

Web systems such as Google Apps and Microsoft Office 365 provide greater work flexibility. Today, many people look to the Web as their primary computing platform. They expect technology to come to them, on the devices they want to use. The days of “platform lock-in” are over. It doesn’t matter if your desktop system is Windows, Linux, or Mac; now, it’s about running a compatible browser.

That doesn’t mean the desktop is entirely going away - at least, not right away. The foreseeable future will include a hybrid of mobile devices like smartphones and traditional portable devices like laptops. Despite the majority of enterprise applications being delivered via the Cloud and in the browser, some enterprise applications remain desktop-only. But these are becoming fewer.

The key to future computing will be the seamless integration of storage on the back-end to unify the platforms. It shouldn’t matter where you are when you use your applications; users will expect their data to get stored in the Cloud and accessible from a web experience or a desktop application.

5. Technology is more personal

Social networking began as an interesting fad with a certain generation, but quickly exploded into a growing market. Services like Instagram and TikTok provide outlets where real people can engage with others without filters.

It didn’t take long for social media to impact businesses. In the mid 2010s, it became common for users to take their grievances online to forums like Twitter and Facebook, such as to confront the long wait times at an airline check-in or to complain about service at a restaurant. These organizations responded by creating departments entirely focused on social media engagement, working to soothe customers online while creating a positive image of the corporate brand.

In addition to social networking, computers have increasingly become more personal. We first saw this with voice search, where users could tap an icon and speak aloud. “What’s the weather today?” or “Do I need an umbrella?” were typical queries with a personal focus. More recently, this trend has shifted to generative AI, which might help users craft a letter or improve a business document.

Consider these trends and how they have already shaped the technology landscape. How will new innovations continue to shape your organization? By imagining the future landscape, we can influence our direction.