Chapter 4: Emerging Technology Direction and Vision

In this section, it is important to cover the new direction of a CTO with emerging business opportunities that we are going to plan for the years ahead. This section of the book will also cover some new and amazing technologies and methods to revolutionize, and spark the growth in the technology world.

Next Generation Consulting Harvard Report

Before we review emerging technologies and trends, it is important to understand the direction and vision of a new consulting model. A Harvard Business School has been looking at the technology management consulting trends for the future. In an interview, the paper's authors, professor Richard Nolan and HBS Interactive Senior Vice President Larry Bennigson, explain their findings. (69)

Professor Nolan and Larry Bennigson believe that there are a couple of major triggers that deal with autonomous computing and "computer-to-computer" communication. In fact, the Harvard Report states that

"By the end of the decade, more than 60 percent of computer communications will be computer-to-computer. Computer-to-computer vastly speeds up the pace of business. For example, end-to-end supply chains can be automatically adjusted by point-of-sale computers that are directly communicating with warehouse computers, which in turn directly communicate with manufacturer computers. Manufacturers' computers can then directly communicate with their suppliers' computers. In addition, computer-to-computer communications can track demand and adjust logistic systems in order to automatically direct a product to geographical points of demand."(69)