I was invited to be part of Mark Stouse’s 2014 big data & cloud predictions series.  His questions had me thinking deeply about the past year and I’m happy to repost them here with links to the other predictors too including (Robert Scoble, Shel Israel, and David H. Deans).

1.  Describe in one sentence what you do and why you’re good at it.

I specialize in architecture for infrastructure software for scale data center operations (aka “cloud”) and I have 14 years of battle scars that inform my designs.

 2.  Cloud Computing, Big Data or Consumerization: Which trend do you feel is having the most impact on IT today and why?

Cloud, Data & Consumerization are all connected, so there’s no one clear “most impactful” winner except that all three are forcing IT to rethink how we handle operations.   The pace of change for these categories (many of which are open source driven) is so fast that traditional IT governance cannot keep up.  I’m specifically talking about the DevOps and Lean Software Delivery paradigms.  These approaches do not mean that we’re trading speed for quality; in fact, I’ve seen that we’re adopting techniques that deliver both higher quality and speed.

 3.  What do you think is the biggest misconception about Cloud computing/Big Data/Consumerization?

That someone can purchase them as a SKU.  These are really architectural concepts that impact how we solve problems instead of specific products.  My experience is that customers overlook their need to understand how to change their business to take advantage of these technologies.  It’s the same classic challenge for ROI from most new technologies – they don’t exist apart from the business matching changes to the business to leverage them.

 4.  Which (Cloud Computing/Big Data/Consumerization) trend has surprised you most in the last five years?

Open source has surprised me because we’ve seen it transform from a cost concern into a supply chain concern.  When I started doing open source work for Dell, customers were very interested in innovation and controlling license costs.  This has really changed over the last few years.  Today, customers are more concerned with community participation and transparency of their product code base.  This surprised me until I realized that they are really seeking to ensure that they had maximum control and visibility into their “IT Supply Chain.”   It may seem like a paradox, but open source software is uniquely positioned to help companies maintain more control of their critical IT because they are not tightly coupled to a single vendor.

 5.  How has Cloud Computing/Big Data/Consumerization had the biggest impact in YOUR life to date?

Beyond it being my career, I believe these technologies have created a new degree of freedom for me.  I’m answering these questions from the SFO airport where I’m carrying all of the tools I need to do my job in a space small enough to fit under the seat in front of me plus a free Wifi connection.  I believe we are only just learning how access to information and portable computing will change our experience.  This learning process will be both liberating and painful as we work out the right balances between access, identity and privacy.

 6.  On a lighter note – If Cloud/Big Data/Consumerization could be personified by a superhero, which superhero would it be and why?

The Hulk.   Looks like a friendly geek but it’s going to crush you if you’re not careful.

 7.  What aspect of (Cloud Computing/Big Data/ Consumerization) are you most excited about in the future, and what excites you about it?

The Internet of Things (even if I hate the term) is very exciting because we’re moving into a place where we have real ways to connect our virtual and physical lives.  That translates into cool technologies like self-driving cars and smart power utilities.  I think it will also motivate a revolution in how people interact with computers and each other.  It’s going to open up a whole new dimension on our personal interaction with our surroundings.   I’m specifically thinking about a book “Rainbows End” by Vernor Vinge that paints this future in vivid detail.