The Hindu Business Line : Next-gen tech poised to simplify virtual networking

Hyderabad, Feb. 17 3D Internet, do-it-yourself platforms for even those who are not software developers, low-cost and easy-to-use software and, virtualisation are poised to significantly impact people, simplifying their interaction in the virtual world. These coupled with rich media experience (audio, video and text), new presence and tele-presence technologies, all digitally enriched, would soon become all-pervasive, forcing people to change the way they interact over the Web, according to the Boston-based Mr Bruce Richardson, Chief Research Officer, AMR Research.

Explaining the impact of Key Technology Trends and Models at the Nasscom Leadership Summit this week, Mr Richardson said some of the new technologies are poised to challenge the current wisdom of not only software developers but also the way people communicate and participate in the next-generation networks.

Illustrating the 3D Internet and its applications, Mr Richardson said companies such as Second Life and Fortera Systems are already into it.

“If one were to know how much his house costs, he would be able to use the power of 3D Internet and estimate it all by himself. This is not something which is years away but already touching some people,” he said.

As is the case with Fortera, which for example uses 3D technologies to simulate a bird-flu like situation to aid research work.

Likewise, do-it-yourself platforms such as applications on Zambra, Google, Facebook and Orkut allow people to work on things they may have never even dreamt of doing before. The user interface is easy, helping them to be part of the virtual world.

Another important area is ‘Surface computing’, which helps take everything on to the surface and display it over the Internet, allowing everyone to access it.

Pedics or knowledge management is another important aspect of technology. This is about institutionalising information where, say, a company like Intel may want to make public its information, Mr Richardson said.

You could bring together various aspects of digital communication and combine them with social networking issues just as salesforce.com is trying through ideaexchange of Dell through ideastorm. This would enable Dell to watch what its engineer is doing while fixing a PC. This analogy could be extended to other variables, including applications such as over-the-counter medicine.

From a software developer’s perspective, the need is for model-based development that can generate high-quality code much faster just as the founder of PeopleSoft, Mr David Duffield, who has started a company Workday, offers Web-based ERP.

Alongside, one needs to watch out for ‘Business by design,’ the SAP offering for software as a service, which is poised to radically change the way enterprises harness power of technology.

And you would hear more about Twitter, a site that allows people social networking and microblogging services with instant messaging, SMS or Web interface, he said.