Network World Fusion, 7/26/99

Technological impact

IP, convergence and broadband topped your list of technologies or services that will have the most impact on your job in the future.

Technology	%
IP networking	21
Convergence	17
Broadband	16
Next generation of current networking products	10
Security	6
Directories	6
Remote access	5
Other	19
Based on 509 responses

The big IP deal

True, TCP/IP hardly qualifies as an emerging technology. But the ways in which Internet-related technologies will be used have staggered you. Of the 110 people who named IP-related technologies as having the most impact on your job in the long run, most pointed at the Web with entries that include the Extensible Markup Language and application hosting. You also view new enterprise IP technologies as having a big impact, with Java and its derivative JINI, specified most frequently. Likewise, many of you see electronic commerce as the biggest deal.

Technology	# Web-related responses	# IP responses in general	Total respondents
Web	57	52	11
Enterprise IP	30	27	6
E-commerce	23	21	5

Caught by convergence

Of the 85 of you who think convergence is the most powerful emerging technology issue for your futures, most named voice over IP (VoIP) as its anticipated form. This is on par with the feeling that IP has inherited the earth - or at least the wires. The rest of you remain unsure of its form - "voice over XX," is what one of you called it. But its impact remains huge.

Big bands

When it comes to broadband, ATM, DSL, Gigabit Ethernet and cable each got between 15% and 20% of your vote, when a single mode was named.

Other emerging technologies

Many of you see upgrades of new networking technologies as being most influential. This includes new routing protocols for quality of service as well as network operating systems. Security, particularly virtual private networks, was also a highly named choice. This dovetails with the view that pervasive networking will change your jobs.

In fact, 15% of you named last-mile broadband services, or underlying telecommuting technologies (VPNs, wireless, remote access) to the home having the most impact on your jobs.

Also in our You survey, we asked "What job skills will be important in five years? Here's how some of you responded:

• "Thinking outside the box."
• "Linux, XML, IPv6, e-commerce."
• "Translating geek to English."
• "Knowing who the truly bright people are and trying to be on par."
• "Managing profit."
• "Organizing, multitasking, delegating, communicating."
• "Being able to integrate business processes with computer processes."
• "Don't have a crystal ball - just stay flexible!"

Compiled by Julie Bort

Forum: Emerging technology
What do you think will be the most important technology of the next five years? Discuss it with other Fusion users.

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