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1Supernova2005:It'saWholeNew,ConnectedWorldPublished:July27,2005ComingSoon...ASingle,Global,CollaborativeVirtualITWorld(Phew!)Somethingfundamentallybigishappeningthatwillprofoundlyaffectthelifeofeverypersonandeverybusinessoverthenextfiveto15years--thecollapsingofeverythingintoonesingle,global,ubiquitous,collaborativevirtualITworld.SosaidHosseinEslambolchi,presidentofAT&T'sGlobalNetworkingTechnologyServices,attherecentSupernovaconferenceco-sponsoredbyWhartoninSanFrancisco.Theconference,nowinitsfourthyear,explorestheforcesintechnologythataredrivingcomputingfromacentralizedmodeltoadecentralizedone,fromthecentertothe'edge.'Theseforces,whichdemandnewsystemsandbusinessmodels,representboththreatandopportunity,saidconferenceorganizerKevinWerbach,aWhartonprofessoroflegalstudiesandbusinessethics.Eslambolchiwasamongthosewhofocusedontheopportunity:thebenefitsofasingle,global,andcollaborativeinformationtechnologyworld.Imagine,hesuggested,atimewhenthenetworkwilltakeovertheheadacheofmanagingdisparatetechnologies.Itwillbelikehavingaconferencecallwithfourpeople,eachspeakingadifferentlanguagewiththenetworkrapidlytranslatingeverythingintoEnglish.Supportingsuchcollaborativeworkwillbeanintelligentcomputernetworkinthecenter--thebasisforeverything--withequally'smart'devicessuchasphonesandcomputersattheedge.Collaborationwilldominateboththetechnologyandtheworkplace.Youwillreallyworkonthenetwork,notintheoffice,saidEslambolchi,andsincethenetworkcouldbeanywhere,itconstitutesavirtualoffice.Already20%ofU.S.workers,some25millionpeople,aretelecommuting,with40millionpredictedtodosobyyear-end2008.Thattrendwillaccelerateasaresultoftheconvergenceofvoice,dataandtextinmobiledevices--laptops,PDAs,cellphones--wheretheywilloperatebasedonsoftwareapplicationscollaboratingseamlessly,withouteffortontheuser'spart.Thebiggestchallenge?Security,sayhalfofthecorporatechiefinformationofficersintheU.S.,whorecognizethatproblemswillgrowexponentiallyinanincreasinglynetworkedworld.Thisisthebiggestchallengeofthe21stcentury,saidEslambochi,Ifwedon'tfigureoutsecurityoverthenextfewyears,Ithinkwewillendupwithaproblemofbiblicalproportions.Participants,NotReceiversWithbasicconnectivitynowassumed,andsomuchtechnologymovingintothehandsofusers,we'reenteringanerainwhichpeopleareparticipatingratherthanjustreceivinginformation,notedJonathanSwartz,presidentofSunMicrosystems.ThePCrevolutionhasbeenaboutempoweringusersandconsumers;nowtheenterprisehastotakethemandtheirnewtoolsintoconsiderationinnewways.InsteadofjustconnectingIndiatothenetwork,Indiawillnowactuallyparticipatein2creatingmarketopportunities.And,abillionpeoplewithcellphonesaregoingtohaveamassiveimpactontheITenterprise.Connectivityalsohasatremendousimpactonthewayleaderswill,andshould,communicate.Thinkaboutwhatleadersdo.Fundamentally,leadersarecommunicators,bothtothosetheyaretryingtoleadandtothemarketplace.So,verysoon,Ithinkifyouwanttobealeader,youwillneedtohaveablog[orweblog],becausethefundamentalmechanismisbecomingdialoguewithacommunity.Ablog'spowerisitsimmediacyandconvenience.At11p.m.onaSundaynight,Icanpostthethreethingsacustomertoldmeoverdinner.Thatfeedsthecorporatecultureandreachesthecommunityyouwanttocultivate.Schwartzcontrastedthismodelwiththatoftraditionalorganizationalcommunications,suchaspassinginformationdownthroughlayersofmanagement.Ifyouhaveeverplayedthatoldpartygameof'telephone,'youknowwherethatkindofcommunicationleads,jokedSchwartz.Ontheotherhand,ablogstitchestheentireorganizationintoacommunity.Inthisnetworked,collaborativeworld,telecommunicationsisnolongerequipment;insteaditissoftware,accordingtoPeterSisson,CEOofTeleo.Hiscompany,andcompetitorssuchasSkypeandVonage,providevoiceoverinternet(VoIP)services,essentiallydesktopsoftwarethatletsusersmakeandreceivecallsonInternet-connectedcomputers.Intheoldthinking,voicehasbeenaspecialservice,basedonahugeinfrastructureofhigh-pricedequipment;inthenewthinking,voiceissimplyasoftwarefeaturelikee-mail.Yourdesktopisyourfixedvoicesystem,yourPDA-typedeviceisyourmobilevoiceplatform.Asaresult,telecommunicationswillbecomeafarlessregulatedarena,predictedGregRoberts,stateregulatorydirectorforLevel3,whichprovideswholesaledial-upservicetoInternetserviceproviders.AfterthemergersofSBCandAT&T,VerizonandMCI--whichIthinkwillbeapproved--we'reenteringano-man'sland.Wedon'tknowhowallthiswillevolve.Whatwedoknowisthatoverthelastdecadeorsotherehasbeenahugescale-upinthecomplexityofcomputing,saidIBM'sAlanGanek,headofthecompany'sautonomiccomputinginitiative,whichhasresultedinbusinessesspendingmoreandmoremoneyonmaintainingandmanagingtheirsystems.Nooneproductwillsolvetheproblem.Wewillneedarchitectures,standards,software'advisors'thathelpmakesystemsself-managing,similartothehumanbody'sautonomicnervoussystem.KeepingThingsSimpleOvertime,computingwillbeincreasinglysimplifiedasbusinessservicesarenolongermaintainedin-houseonexpensiveplatforms,butinsteaddeliveredovertheInternet,on-demand,aswebpages,inatrendsometimescalled'e-sourcing.'Marc3Benioff,CEOofSalesforce.com,aleaderinbusinesssoftwarebysubscription,