So what does another I.T. industry acquisition, earnings report and Apollo launch anniversary have in common? Well, I believe they're all catalysts that have or will continue to have a domino effect that continues to sparks innovation in our global economy.
For example, take the Software AG acquisition of IDS Scheer. Pundits believe this will ignite a response from the likes of
Oracle or
SAP with regard to adding to their middleware arsenals, specifically in the
BPM arena. While this is purely speculation, experience tells me that there's nothing like a strategic -- albeit somewhat obvious --teaming of companies like Software AG and IDS Scheer to set off chain reactions among competitors.
While I still have that crystal ball out on my desk, the IBM earnings news sends positive signs about how the second half of the year is going to shake out. And you have to acknowledge (yet again) the amazing innovation that continues to ooze from the Big Blue hallways as evidenced by this week's hat tip to the
Smarter Planet campaign that appeared in BusinessWeek..
Meanwhile, I don't really like to admit this but I do remember watching our first landing on the moon forty years ago. At the time, we all pondered what it would be like in the year 2000 when we were able to take vacations to the moon. Some innovations need a bit more time to incubate.
What all this adds up to are inflection points in the technology industry's evolution. Whether its inspiration or competition that prompts more innovation, the upside to all of us will continue to be the sharing of collective knowledge and best practices that will accelerate the innovation cycle.
How this innovation gets translated from idea to reality is, of course, through technology. It starts with a single keystroke that can forever alter the way we view the world. Now do I wish all those keystrokes were being guided by WebLayers governance software? Sure. But for now, let's recognize what this week's news signifies in our industry's achievements and how we can use these experiences to move all of us forward.
One small step for man...you know the rest.
-jeff