Software
by: Rafael Sosa
As Internet connections become more permanent with broadband access,
software will be able to evolve into a more efficient and personalized
medium. Currently, most software run from our hard drives and require
installations that alter our system configurations, many times slowing down
our computers. Because software occupies space and processing power, there
is a limited amount of software that can run in our PCs. On the business
side, current software systems require many companies to produce a system of
distribution (Compac Discs), customer support, and is usually not compatible
with all customers, thus limiting its customer base further.
A software evolution is ocurring and it is going to benefit both customers
and businesses immensly. Software will no longer come as a packet that needs
to be installed on a PC, but rather it will be completely Web based. Web
based software will become the default way of reaching customers. Customers
will have advantages such as, using unlimited amount of software, using
applications regardless of where the person is or which computer he/she is
using, software can be personalized and upgraded to meet specific needs to
each individual. Businesses will be able to, reduce costs, reach a larger
customer pool, taylor its software to diverse markets, repair bugs more
rapidly and easily, understand its customer and the way they use their
software, etc.
In order for this software revolution to occur in whole, there needs to be a
central point. Like Miscrosoft’s DOS in the 80’s, which became the standard
choice of operating system to centralize and organize our computer
operations, there needs to be an online operating system. As of now,
Microsoft has built an empire because of its vision and their dominance in
the OS market. However, now there is a window of opportunity to take a large
chunk of that empire and possibly eliminate Microsoft’s monopoly of the
Operating System. While there are many companies and organizations (Apple,
Linux, Lindows) out there trying to take a bite out of Microsoft by
competing on the same turf, PC users are accostumed to Windows and will most
likely not switch. The opportunity to eliminate this monopoly is to create
an Online Operating System. PC users will inevitably move completely online.
An Online Operating System will be the central point of every user in the
future. There are online companies who have an inside advantage to this,
such as Yahoo!, Google, and AOL, but it can be anyone’s medal, even to a
fairly unknown competitor, as was Microsoft when they introduced DOS to the
world. In this new concept of Operating System, there can be a larger space
of diversity and can be shared by more companies, unlike the current status.
sources:searchwords.com