The Price of War

What does this mean for technology?

In its growth mode, IT out showed all other businesses and often rewrote business rules. But in tough times, it seems that the business patterns with IT are the same as with any other
business.

For starters, do expect the pace of tech innovation to slow down. Perhaps this will be for the good–your latest PC will not become obsolete by the time you install it. But it could also hurt, as useful innovations, too, could be delayed.

For users, choice will reduce, as vendors will downsize operations and even get out of unprofitable businesses. Belt tightening by users will leave vendors with no choice, but to downsize expectations, operations, and investments.

Hopefully, the tall promises and hype that have become a part and parcel of this industry will give way to pragmatic reality, and claims based on fact rather than on wishful thinking.

The software industry is already headlong into the slowdown, and the true value providers are being separated from the pure body shoppers.

IT education, which has been on a home run, will face very testing times, and hopefully this period will be used by the educators to drastically improve the quality of the courses they conduct.

The IT media will also be affected in no small measure. Publications have become slimmer all around. A few have already closed shop. Many others have reduced their frequency. As far as PCQuest is concerned, we remain one of the very few profitable IT publications in the country, and even as I admit that the going is tough, we see no cause for undue alarm.

And finally, how can you and I help improve the situation? If nothing else, we must do just this much–not believe and spread, particularly by e-mail, unfounded rumors, believing that we are doing it for good reason. I have come across at least three bogus ones, in the week since September 11, which have done much harm. About Nostradamus writing about the towers of York being hit by iron birds–he did not; about the flight number of the plane that hit the World Trade Center being Q33NY–it was not; about a Tushar who sustained 60% burns in the bombing–there just is no Tushar in any American hospital.

Together, let us tide over these difficult times and get ready for the better ones ahead.