The Age Of Computing Diversity

The computing industry is exiting an era built mostly on general-purpose, good enough central processing units (CPUs), servers, systems designs, software, Web apps, and client devices. These technologies and associated supplier business strategies will soldier on, but vendor strategists need to check their road maps against a new set of technology and business strategies to reach some of the most appealing and profitable new market opportunities. Specialized hardware components, optimized server systems and software, hardware appliances, and client-device-specific apps are being used successfully in major markets such as smartphones, analytics, vertical apps, high-performance computing (HPC), and even PCs. Vendor strategists need to design for customer success — and their own — by choosing carefully among traditional industry rules and the new approaches of the age of computing diversity.