Preparing for the Next Disruption
By Intellyx Principal Analyst Charles Araujo

I'll never forget the day that I first encountered the Internet. It was 1989 when a friend who worked in aerospace showed it to me - and I immediately ignored it.

I wasn't alone. Almost everyone missed the true impact it would have on the world. I originally told this story in my first book, The Quantum Age of IT: Why Everything You Know About IT is About to Change and went on to explain how this encounter had precipitated the three market forces that had changed everything.

These three market forces were:

• The consumerization of IT - how consumer technologies changed the expectations and perceptions of technology consumers
• The criticality of IT - how technology moved from a back-office focus to powering every business process, every customer interaction and virtually every element of the customer experience
• The competition for IT - how with the rise of cloud technologies, IT's consumers now had the option to go around IT and purchase IT services directly

Today, these three forces (and others) are rolled together under the banner of digital transformation and then boiled down to two primary impacts: the transformation of business models and the primacy of the customer. While there are a large number of factors that led to this point and many secondary disruptive aftershocks, it is hard to not identify the rise of the Internet as the ultimate disruptive source.

Like me, many industry leaders and industry-leading technology companies completely missed the significance of the rise of the Internet, even as it gained steam. Some were able to turn it around and get back in the game. But for many more, the rise of the Internet, and their failure to adapt, only rendered them irrelevant.

The question that matters today, however, is not the disruptive impact of the Internet, but rather, what similar massive disruption is coming next and how can you prepare for it?

Is Blockchain the Next Massive Disruptive Force?

Despite Jason Bloomberg's recent Forbes article explaining why many skeptics think that blockchain is overhyped, there is a very real chance that blockchain is, in fact, the next major disruptive force - having a business and societal impact on par with the Internet's.

The reality is that it is the job of industry observers (including us, at Intellyx) to be skeptics and hype killers (when we're not creating it!). As a result, a chorus of skepticism preceded every significant disruption from the Internet to the iPhone.

While I agree that it may be too early to anoint blockchain as the next big thing - for all of the reasons that Jason pointed out - the fact remains that once everyone figures out that something is the next big thing, you're already behind the curve.

The reason that I (and many other industry observers) think that blockchain has the potential to be the next Internet-level disruptive force is its very far-reaching implications. Much like the Internet before it - and unlike almost any other emerging technology - blockchain has the potential to fundamentally alter most of the operational underpinnings of our society.

Blockchain's ability to enable peer-to-peer transactions - financial or otherwise - that are simultaneously secure, indelible and almost instant has the potential to disrupt massive segments of society that are built around these kinds of interactions, including healthcare, financial services, real estate and almost anything that requires a transaction between two or more parties.

And like the early days of the Internet, it is hard to imagine the full impact, the myriad use cases, and entirely new business models that will eventually emerge as result of blockchain's adoption. But that is mostly a reflection of our lack of imagination, perspective, and foresight - not of the potential impact of the technology.

Recording artist Imogen Heap recently penned a Harvard Business Review article that did a fantastic job of taking blockchain from an abstract concept to a real-life potential use case - and explained its real-world impact and benefit to all those who participate in bringing a piece of music to the market. Notwithstanding the challenges that Jason shared, as you extrapolate these potential use cases across the spectrum of business and society, it is hard not to see the possibility of blockchain to be a massively disruptive force.

Disruptive forces like these, however, are a bit like waves forming off-shore. As any surfer will tell you, some waves pick up steam and continue to grow over time until they crash onto the beach with a thunderous roar. While other waves look promising, but fizzle into nothingness without having any impact whatsoever.

So the question isn't whether or not blockchain is the next big disruption. The real question is, "If blockchain is the next massive disruptive force, what impact will it have on you and your organization and what are you going to do about it?"

The Uncertainty Capability: The Secret to Preparing for the Next Disruption

Answering this question is important on both a personal and organizational level - and regardless of whether you are a technology company or an enterprise. The reason is that the critical capability is not the identification of the next disruptive force, but rather the ability to rapidly adapt to whatever disruption may come.

The reason that many industry leaders missed the significance of the Internet is that we are all subject to something called the "curse of knowledge." Coined by a Stanford graduate student, it simply means that once we know something to be true, it becomes very difficult to both imagine that anybody else doesn't know this truth and to break free of the box that the knowledge creates around us.

The current incarnations of Internet-fueled technologies have become our new reality. We understand how it works, we have made plans for the future based on that understanding and are therefore naturally hesitant to accept anything that may challenge that preconception. It is the curse of knowledge in action.

This inherent bias is why the ‘what to do about it' question is so important. If answered honestly, it forces us to step outside of that box, accept the uncertainty of the future and break the curse. Done continuously, it builds a broader capability: the ability to deal with uncertainty.

The Intellyx Take

As industry observers, it is our job to help you imagine future possibilities - and to try to pop the balloons full of over-hyped frothiness. That is because we understand that both stagnation and wanton chasing of every "next great thing" are of equal evilness.

The dirty little secret, however, is that we are as unable to predict the future as you. None of us really knows what will happen next. The future is made up of an incredibly complex mixture of technologies, possibilities, and events that come together in ways that no one can truly predict.

The answer, therefore, is not to attempt to predict the future. But instead, to prepare for an uncertain future by building organizational capabilities that allow you to anticipate and rapidly pivot, respond and react to any change that the market may throw at you.

There is, however, one prediction that I can make with confidence: there will be another massive disruption - and your ability to cope with the uncertainty it brings will dictate your future.

Copyright © Intellyx LLC. Intellyx publishes the Agile Digital Transformation Roadmap poster, advises companies on their digital transformation initiatives, and helps vendors communicate their agility stories. As of the time of writing, none of the organizations mentioned in this article are Intellyx customers. Image credit: sagriffin305.

With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend 21st Cloud Expo, October 31 - November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, and June 12-14, 2018, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.

Track 1. Enterprise Cloud | Cloud-Native
Track 2. Big Data | Analytics
Track 3. Internet of Things | IIoT | Smart Cities
Track 4. DevOps | Digital Transformation (DX)
Track 5. APIs | Cloud Security | Mobility
Track 6. AI | ML | DL | Cognitive
Track 7. Containers | Microservices | Serverless
Track 8. FinTech | InsurTech | Token Economy

Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo 2017 Silicon Valley
(October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA)

Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo 2018 New York 
(June 12-14, 2018, Javits Center, Manhattan)

Download Show Prospectus ▸ Here

Every Global 2000 enterprise in the world is now integrating cloud computing in some form into its IT development and operations. Midsize and small businesses are also migrating to the cloud in increasing numbers.  

Companies are each developing their unique mix of cloud technologies and services, forming multi-cloud and hybrid cloud architectures and deployments across all major industries. Cloud-driven thinking has become the norm in financial services, manufacturing, telco, healthcare, transportation, energy, media, entertainment, retail and other consumer industries, and the public sector.

Cloud Expo is the single show where technology buyers and vendors can meet to experience and discus cloud computing and all that it entails. Sponsors of Cloud Expo will benefit from unmatched branding, profile building and lead generation opportunities through:

• Featured on-site presentation and ongoing on-demand webcast exposure to a captive audience of industry decision-makers.
• Showcase exhibition during our new extended dedicated expo hours
• Breakout Session Priority scheduling for Sponsors that have been guaranteed a 35-minute technical session
• Online advertising in SYS-CON's i-Technology Publications
• Capitalize on our Comprehensive Marketing efforts leading up to the show with print mailings, e-newsletters and extensive online media coverage.
• Unprecedented PR Coverage: Editorial Coverage on Cloud Computing Journal.
  
• Tweetup to over 75,000 plus followers
• Press releases sent on major wire services to over 500 industry analysts.

For more information on sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities, contact Carmen Gonzalez by email at events (at) sys-con.com, or by phone 201 802-3021.

The World's Largest "Cloud Digital Transformation" Event

@CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo 2017 Silicon Valley
(Oct. 31 - Nov. 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA)

@CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo 2018 New York 
(June 12-14, 2018, Javits Center, Manhattan)

Full Conference Registration Gold Pass and Exhibit Hall ▸ Here

Register For @CloudExpo ▸ Here via EventBrite

Register For @ThingsExpo ▸ Here via EventBrite

Register For @DevOpsSummit ▸ Here via EventBrite

Sponsorship Opportunities

Sponsors of Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo will benefit from unmatched branding, profile building and lead generation opportunities through:

• Featured on-site presentation and ongoing on-demand webcast exposure to a captive audience of industry decision-makers
• Showcase exhibition during our new extended dedicated expo hours
• Breakout Session Priority scheduling for Sponsors that have been guaranteed a 35 minute technical session
• Online targeted advertising in SYS-CON's i-Technology Publications
• Capitalize on our Comprehensive Marketing efforts leading up to the show with print mailings, e-newsletters and extensive online media coverage
• Unprecedented Marketing Coverage: Editorial Coverage on ITweetup to over 100,000 plus followers, press releases sent on major wire services to over 500 industry analysts

For more information on sponsorship, exhibit, and keynote opportunities, contact Carmen Gonzalez (@GonzalezCarmen) today by email at events (at) sys-con.com, or by phone 201 802-3021.

Secrets of Sponsors and Exhibitors ▸ Here
Secrets of Cloud Expo Speakers ▸ Here

All major researchers estimate there will be tens of billions devices - computers, smartphones, tablets, and sensors - connected to the Internet by 2020. This number will continue to grow at a rapid pace for the next several decades.

With major technology companies and startups seriously embracing Cloud strategies, now is the perfect time to attend @CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo, October 31 - November 2, 2017, at the Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, and June 12-4, 2018, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, and learn what is going on, contribute to the discussions, and ensure that your enterprise is on the right path to Digital Transformation.

Delegates to Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo will be able to attend 8 simultaneous, information-packed education tracks.

There are over 120 breakout sessions in all, with Keynotes, General Sessions, and Power Panels adding to three days of incredibly rich presentations and content.

Join Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo conference chair Roger Strukhoff (@IoT2040), October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, and June 12-14, 2018, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, for three days of intense Enterprise Cloud and 'Digital Transformation' discussion and focus, including Big Data's indispensable role in IoT, Smart Grids and (IIoT) Industrial Internet of Things, Wearables and Consumer IoT, as well as (new) Digital Transformation in Vertical Markets.

Financial Technology - or FinTech - Is Now Part of the @CloudExpo Program!

Accordingly, attendees at the upcoming 21st Cloud Expo | @ThingsExpo October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, and June 12-14, 2018, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY, will find fresh new content in a new track called FinTech, which will incorporate machine learning, artificial intelligence, deep learning, and blockchain into one track.

Financial enterprises in New York City, London, Singapore, and other world financial capitals are embracing a new generation of smart, automated FinTech that eliminates many cumbersome, slow, and expensive intermediate processes from their businesses.

FinTech brings efficiency as well as the ability to deliver new services and a much improved customer experience throughout the global financial services industry. FinTech is a natural fit with cloud computing, as new services are quickly developed, deployed, and scaled on public, private, and hybrid clouds.

More than US$20 billion in venture capital is being invested in FinTech this year. @CloudExpo is pleased to bring you the latest FinTech developments as an integral part of our program, starting at the 21st International Cloud Expo October 31 - November 2, 2017 in Silicon Valley, and June 12-14, 2018, in New York City.

@CloudExpo is accepting submissions for this new track, so please visit www.CloudComputingExpo.com for the latest information.

Speaking Opportunities

The upcoming 21st International @CloudExpo | @ThingsExpo, October 31 - November 2, 2017, Santa Clara Convention Center, CA, and June 12-14, 2018, at the Javits Center in New York City, NY announces that its Call For Papers for speaking opportunities is open.

Submit your speaking proposal today! ▸ Here

About SYS-CON Media & Events
SYS-CON Media (www.sys-con.com) has since 1994 been connecting technology companies and customers through a comprehensive content stream - featuring over forty focused subject areas, from Cloud Computing to Web Security - interwoven with market-leading full-scale conferences produced by SYS-CON Events. The company's internationally recognized brands include among others Cloud Expo® (@CloudExpo), Big Data Expo® (@BigDataExpo), DevOps Summit (@DevOpsSummit), @ThingsExpo® (@ThingsExpo), Containers Expo (@ContainersExpo) and Microservices Expo (@MicroservicesE).

Cloud Expo®, Big Data Expo® and @ThingsExpo® are registered trademarks of Cloud Expo, Inc., a SYS-CON Events company.

• Cypress Bioscience, Inc. to Present at Oppenheimer's "Positioning Investors for the Next Wave in Pain Management" Conference
• MathStar, Inc. Announces Version 2.0 of the FPOA(TM) Design Tools and First Customer Shipment Dates for the Next Generation FPOA
• Zimbra Named a Finalist for the 'Next Big Thing' at Enterprise 2006