Executive Thought Leadership

The last few issues of the Executive Thought Leadership Quarterly have explored the biggest and most exciting transition in information technology today: the movement from single transactions to interactions. By increasing the value of interactions—with customers, internally, and with suppliers—organizations are driving growth in productivity and in revenue far beyond levels we have seen in the past.

Proving that many basic principles in high tech never go away, this shift to interactions is in large measure enabled by Moore’s Law. Gordon Moore once suggested that computing performance doubles every 18 months and increases by at least a factor of 10 over five years. Since the introduction of microprocessors in the early 1970s, we have experienced tremendous growth and prosperity.

The concept behind Moore’s Law is alive and healthy, and not just in the realm of processors and storage. I would argue that the microprocessor drove Moore’s Law for the first 35 years, and it’s the network and networked IT that will drive it for the next 35 years. In this issue, we look at the growth of the “Interactions Net” and examine the network’s emergence as the platform for innovation in coming years.

Thought Leadership

For the past 35 years, progress in the IT world has been fairly steady and predictable. Now, however, we’re seeing a wider-reaching, more dramatic transition. I hope that this information helps you and your organization prepare for the emergence of the network as the platform.

Charles Giancarlo, senior vice president and chief development officer, Cisco Systems, Inc. and president, Cisco-Linksys, discusses the role platforms play in IT, and the potential that network-based innovation holds in a world of interactions.

Don Proctor, senior vice president, Voice Technology Group, describes the network platform transition in the telecommunications market and how this profound realignment impacts suppliers, complementors, and customers.

Dan Scheinman, senior vice president, Corporate Development, talks about the network as a force for disruption and the promise this new platform for innovation offers in a service-oriented world.

Edison Peres, vice president, Advanced Technologies for Worldwide Channels, previews the opportunities for channel partners as the network platform transformation encourages new business solutions.

Paul Mountford, president, Emerging Markets Theatre, describes the changes occurring in emerging markets, and the crucial role network technology plays in their development.

Roger Farnsworth, executive editor, shares his personal views on the platform transformation.

I hope you enjoy this issue of the Executive Thought Leadership Quarterly .