Everything Is Distributed—Here’s How to Put Down Roots

By WANdisco
May 18, 2019

Distributed computing has created a fundamental shift in the way that humans relate to the rest of the world.

Think about your everyday life. Did you check on your bank account or investment portfolios? Did you email a colleague in a different office? Did you play a game or read a news article on your phone today?

Our minds are so-often occupied that we rarely take a step back to appreciate the behind-the-scenes technology that makes life easier. As frustrated as we can become when we feel tethered to our smartphones, the fact is, this single device enables us to manage our lives.

Humans, as a species, are up-leveling at an exponential pace.

Human connection

Distributed computing is the technology powering the future of our species. That’s a pretty big deal! As technologists, we all need to give more time thinking about what this means—all the way down to the decisions and investments that we make every day.

Here are 3 ways to prepare for our distributed future.

Hone in on Human Creativity

If you work in technology, you live and breathe the shifts that humanity experiences everyday. Many of us are aware that we’re navigating a Fourth Industrial Revolution in which technical change is happening faster than human minds can keep up.

But contrary to what most technologists may think, the Fourth Industrial Revolution isn’t about technology. It’s about people, societies, and communities. Distributed computing underscores how the world will run.

So what does that mean for technologists on the ground—and the decisions they’re making—every day? You’ll find the answer that you want in the word “decision.” Computing is all about decisions and freeing up human minds from making decisions. Every solution that you bring into your technology stack needs to free up mental bandwidth for people.

Technology has the potential to run on autopilot. Human minds are happiest, most constructive, and valuable when technology does the hard work for them.

Robot Mind

Watch Nascent Tech

Emerging tech doesn’t stay “emerging” for long. Think about how quickly Alexa has made its way into homes. Adoption is set to accelerate. Soon, Alexa will be available on smart TVs. Voice-based assistants have the potential to reach consumers, faster than smartphones did. These technologies, and others, will have a substantial impact on our future, distributed world.

Technical foundations are becoming stronger each day. New data collection touchpoints are emerging. Consumers leave footprints of data wherever they go. From wearables to medical devices, systems fuel other—and often existing—systems. Every interaction makes its way to the cloud.

Just as people, decisions, and economies are distributed—so is our data. Nascent tech, as it proliferates, creates new pathways to engage with people.

Educate People

People have trouble interacting with technology. Social media channels—and other communication pathways—don’t write their own rules. It’s tough to know how to engage and when to disengage.

As companies put down distributed roots, there needs to be a focus on helping people understand what’s happening with their data. The GDPR first pushed this idea into the mainstream, under the principle of consent. Just as data depends on interpersonal and structural, so do the roots of distributed computing.

The DISCO ecosystem has a dark side too, don’t forget. DDoS attacks and other breaches are on the rise, in proportion to a company’s technical capabilities. Even behind-the-scenes infrastructure has face-value outcomes.

With every decision we make, we need to understand its impact on people. That means educating them. That means listening to them. The future of the DISCO is multi-directional.

What Does the Future of the Cloud Mean for Your Business?

What distributed computing decisions are you seeking to navigate? Where do you need help putting down roots? Get in touch with us with your questions. We’d love to hear from you.

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