etwork computing and growth of the Internet continue to drive the demand for more storage. Databases are doubling in size every year, and that information needs to be stored and managed. The growth in network computing benefits the market for disk drives, tape drives, and software as data-manag
ement issues become more complex and more significant to an enterprise.
As key as the Internet has become in changing communication behavior, we will see an even more significant change with the advancement of wireless technology. As wireless costs decrease and the technology improves in performance, we will have a marked increase in network devices with various types of wireless computers. And with each new device, the size and complexity of the network increases.
The goal of the desktop PC is to let people obtain information that will help them make intelligent decisions quickly. To do that, we must get the resources to users so that their systems are attuned to their personal and business needs. People want and need ownership of this power to be creative and decisive. Therefore, we need more intelligence in the client. Anyone who thinks value is going to be created by pulling resources from users is regressing.
To deliver the most value to this larger user base with more complex networks, we n
eed to create more hardware and software products that:
- Deliver the precise information users want, when they want it;
- Ease analysis and manipulation of that information;
- Manage redistribution of the information back through the network so more users can benefit from it. By delivering more value to the user, we are meeting their needs and driving the demand for more storage.
The value of technology companies is moving from the processor to the PC to the server to the content. We are moving from a processor-centric view of the world to an information-centric view. Logically, if information holds the highest value, it follows that the device that protects, stores, and allows access to that information would retain high value.
The challenge to the industry is to turn disk drives into information centers, as opposed to storage bins. How do we do this? One way is to get more processing power on the device. We have the opportunity to do this in environments that are not a
s cost-driven.
We need to place more intelligence on the device so that it can communicate with other disk drives within the system, and we need to promote better overall device communication and awareness. Today, that type of communication stops mostly at the server level, but there is nothing to say it shouldn't be going all the way down the drive. That challenge is what I refer to as Project Long Board-creating information centers that enable the next wave of computing.
The storage industry must continue to advance its technology not only to increase drive performance, but to increase drive functionality as well. When we increase the power of the device, we will also increase the user's power.
Today's wave of computing is about storing, managing, and accessing increasingly large amounts of data and turning it into valuable information. Companies with technology ownership in disk drives, tape drives, and software will be well-positioned for this change but must continue to remain flexible and ad
ept at pursuing user objectives.
To stay ahead of the game, the data-storage industry must continue to pursue advanced technologies for storage devices and software in all key areas. We must all address the pertinent issues brought on by the increase in network computing and the Internet to reap the benefits of the wave.
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Read on about the "Future of the PC" from:
- Bill Raduchel
, chief information officer of Sun Microsystems in Mountain View, CA
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etwork computing and growth of the Internet continue to drive the demand for more storage. Databases are doubling in size every year, and that information needs to be stored and managed. The growth in network computing benefits the market for disk drives, tape drives, and software as data-manag
ement issues become more complex and more significant to an enterprise.
