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The Most Important Technology

by Ray Osborne
Brevard Technical Journal

In an article in the November issue of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers' magazine, Spectrum, industry leaders were asked three questions about technology. One question was, "what is the most important technology for the coming decade?" In this article, we ask Space Coast technology professionals the same question.

I think the most important technology for the coming decade is wireless sensors. These low cost devices can be placed anywhere and everywhere for a relatively low cost and can be used for collecting data efficiently from the surrounding environment and sending it back to a central processor and control system using wireless mesh technology. The level of security and automation and control that can be implemented with this technology is relatively limitless. The amount of business opportunity that will be created by the integration of these types of wireless systems into our everyday lives will represent a significant dollar amount."

— Andrew Germano, XTrove Corporation

In the coming decade, the scarcest resource will be RF spectrum. As operators reach higher and higher levels of penetration from their subscriber base, it will likewise become more costly to develop technology to allow interoperability with new and legacy spectrum. Operators will have to get more out of their existing spectrum, especially with the onslaught of high bandwidth data and video applications that appear to be the next best bet for consumer gadgetry. An operator that can deploy cost effective equipment that utilizes adaptive antenna spatial arrays to control RF broadcast and to minimize interference will achieve the greatest revenue/bandwidth ratio and will keep their expenses the lowest and quality the highest. The base station with integrated adaptive antenna that provides traditional voice and newer data services will be an absolute necessity through this next decade. The worldwide market for this type of technology could potentially be considerable."

— Thomas R. Schmutz, V.P. of Engineering for AirNet Communications Corp.

"As much as I'd like to focus on communications technology (my life's work), plentiful, cost-effective, non-fossil fuel gets my vote. My company, SkyCross, does considerable business throughout Asia. From our travels and from setting up offices there, it's clear that China, Korea and other countries in the region currently have, or will soon have, the economic means to allow a majority of the adult population to own autos, travel in airplanes, etc. This wealth and associated mobility will place demands upon the oil industry that cannot be met with the current technology, production mechanisms, and political pressures that govern that industry. At the most fundamental level, ubiquitous, cheap, alternate energy source(s) will create a worldwide "release valve" that will free up technical and social creativity - here, in Asia and to some extent, in the Middle East - to accelerate many other breakthroughs, like multifunction wireless handheld devices of all kinds, networked wireless home entertainment and communication systems, net-worked communities, and the like. This means that essentially all of us will have enhanced access to the people and information we require. Not a bad deal!"

— Christopher Morton, CEO of SkyCross, Inc.

"Nanotechnology. In short, the technology to produce things much smaller. For example, phones that can be worn on your glasses, or implanted in your tooth, so all you have to do is speak. More powerful computers than we have today that can fit in the shirt pocket, like today's PDAs. The medical field will be astounded and forever changed, stroke victims will be able to be totally healed and recover using implants that complete damaged circuit pathways. Many, many things will forever change when this breakthrough has been realized and developed. We are seeing developments happen right now! Nothing will be left untouched by these developments."

— Mike Fesler, Indialantic Business Management

"Broadband Internet communications in general (DSL, cable, satellite, wireless - WiFi & WiMax, and over power lines). VoIP on broadband will be just the first "sub-technology" that will capitalize on widespread availability of broadband Internet communications, rendering the switch-network phone system obsolete. Streaming entertainment, audio and video will likewise change the way consumers "watch TV" and "listen to the radio." There will be more new ways to exploit widespread broadband Internet connectivity in education and training, telecommuting, and other areas not even known now.

"If you want to pick one broadband technology in particular, I'd look at WiMax. With about the same range as current cell phone systems, it's easy to envision VoIP phones on WiMax systems making current cell phone networks obsolete."

— John Ellis, President of retiSoft, Inc.

"Iris identification. The widespread use of this technology backed up by databases of iris scans on file will eliminate identity confusion caused by aliases. I can see electronic records indexed by biometrics instead of names or number identifiers. It will lead to loss of privacy, but each generation accepts less privacy than the last - so it won't be regarded as a problem in the longer term.

"My vote for another technology is nanotechnology. Man is slowly learning how to build a physical world according to his own specifications - but that's a longer way off."

— Carolyn J. Fausnaugh, PhD, CPA Co-Director of Florida TechStart and Assistant Professor of Strategy & New Ventures at Florida Institute of Technology

"My answer is not any one, new disruptive technology but the continued improvement and combination of existing technology domains to support real-time Situational Awareness and Globalization. Namely, Wireless, Smart Sensors, and Information Technology combined into scaleable system solutions to support the both government and business needs for global, real-time situational awareness.

"Some emerging examples of this include wireless inventory/stock tracking and management systems such as those being deployed by Wal-Mart, and larger, more complex situational awareness systems such as those being deployed by companies like Savi Technologies to track, secure and smart-monitor shipping containers both in-transit and at shipping ports. From a business perspective, the world itself can be viewed as an enormous borderless production factory and inventory warehouse. Wireless and smart sensor technologies combined with global network/IT systems to real-time monitor and manage all of the production, inventory, transit, and data real-time (regardless or where anything physically exists) are imperative to support this transition.

"The above has huge implications for not only business productivity gains but also significant implications for improving our national security. Other technologies, such as bio-technologies and bio-metrics, are significant, but I question whether they will actually become prevalent, widely adopted realities within the next ten years."

— Susan A. Evander, Technology Insights

"Wireless, IP and Security are my top three technologies for the next decade. Wireless networks will continue to blanket the globe, allowing anyone or anything to communicate anywhere at anytime. All kinds of devices, new and old, will have wireless networking capabilities. IPv6 will make its way into the primetime, providing overdue enhancements to the TCP/IP communication protocol, the protocol suite of the Internet. In addition to more efficient communication, the new version of IP will provide an astounding number of IP addresses, greatly expanding the number of devices that can be connected. As the growth and expansion of computing continues, security will continue to be an increasingly significant issue. The risks increase as networks become more and more accessible. Security technologies will continue to play a very important role in threat mitigation."

— Greg Cusick, emertech

What's your opinion? Ray Osborne, author of this article and founder of the Nonfiction Writers Circle, welcomes your feedback to this question at guru153@yahoo.com.