The PDA market is a little less clear in this regard. You'll certainly be able to purchase an increasing variety of devices with embedded WLAN and Bluetooth support, but the integration challenges are more complex. There are both form-factor and battery issues to deal with, and while we don't expect any breakthroughs in 2003, we'll certainly see some progress. Longer term, we're looking for innovations in both battery design and wireless radio power design, the goal being to meet expectations of users accustomed to being able to use their cell phones for at least a couple of days without recharging the batteries.
You can also expect to see wireless capabilities embedded in many other devices, mobile and otherwise. Telematics solutions will become more pervasive in automobiles, with smarter wireless capabilities providing new and unique mechanisms for enhancing transportation efficiency. Wireless will facilitate hands-free phone communication and vehicles will become capable of communicating on their own, to improve logistics efficiency or to automatically report impending mechanical problems. And everything from home appliances to manufacturing infrastructure systems will gain new wireless capabilities, with advances in technology likely outracing those in applications.
Mobile Devices Mature
While debates continue to rage regarding the ideal mobile computing device, a quick reality check reveals that the stodgy old notebook remains king. Even as we see slimmed-down notebooks that pack a slew of features into a sub-5-pound package, we'd argue that the notebook is more a portable device than a mobile device--a mini desktop you can transport from location to location rather than something that facilitates spontaneous access to information. The vast majority of mobile professionals can't get their work done without a notebook.
To realize the benefits of cloud-native software, an application must actually be cloud-native—designed to run in the cloud, interacting with disaggregated cloud services, fully manageable as code—to deliver the expected benefits.
By combining resources and expertise, the AI-Enabled ICT Workforce Consortium will offer a blueprint for how industries can adapt to an AI-dominated future.
IT leaders should heed the guidance of cybersecurity insurance providers who think businesses should prioritize security education, incident preparedness, regular internal audits, and ongoing vulnerability scanning and patching.
