The Post Social Age

Yes. Yes there is and I’ve written about it a lot over the last few years. It’s one of my big 5 year trends. 

Sensors and the the “internet of things” is going to be huge in a way we can’t even imagine. It will not only extend the Internet into the physical world, it will distribute the computing function outside the computer into everyday objects like signs, cars and our clothing. It won’t matter that our watches will be to under-powered to do much useful (for now), combined with the phone in our pocket and the sensors in the street, it will be effectively a supercomputer that’s contextually aware of me and my environment. 

Now consider what happens when you combine trillions of sensors with another disruptive force, what we call pervasive memory. Every time we use a digital device, we create a record of our actions—a trail of digital breadcrumbs that create a complex and comprehensive tapestry of our life. They reveal where we go, with whom we interact, and what we’re interested in, and in many ways, who we are.

These records, stored in databases around the world, document not only what is happening in your life, but also in the lives of most other people in the world. The more digital devices that exist, the more pervasive memory will become. In fact, most companies have the ability to remember everything about their customers—but they don’t. (Which leaves a huge opportunity for smart, entrepreneurial competitors.)

Think about the possibilities. Digital sensors, everywhere, gathering information about everything. And companies that are actually capable of remembering information for customers, instead of just about them.

These shifts are happening at a tectonic level. They’re huge and invisible to your average user. Invisible until a new mountain range pops up that is. 

Data centers are being supplanted by cloud infrastructure. On-premise applications will be surpassed by software as a service (SaaS). And, thanks to the rise of mobile, PCs will become increasingly marginalized. These three shifts are dramatic, real, and they’re enlivening a sector of computing that a decade ago everyone thought was dead.

“In my 25 years in this business, I’ve never seen three simultaneous shifts of this magnitude,” says Levine, 

Full disclosure, Microsoft, whose mentioned extensively in the article is a client. 

This is a great point about the ability of 13 people to build a company capable of grabbing 35 Million users. I think the $1 Billion acquisition price is high but not unjustified. 

“Some would point to this as a sign of a bubble, but I think it’s more likely it just reflects the incredible scalability of modern app architectures. Using EC2 and solid monitoring, Instagram can quickly scale up to support a million new users overnight with very little additional engineering effort.”