Inspired by Possibilities

Looking at the past, present, and potential of business technology.

The stories of how different types of information systems that we take for granted today were first invented and then evolved over the years are often as fascinating as the development of more popular technology like the computer, the mobile phone, social media, the Internet, and AI, yet with the exception of the more personable chatbot they are much less talked about because they often work invisibly behind the scenes - my favourite place - without the glamour of a flashy framework or glossy glass screen.

Information systems have ridden these various waves of technological development over the years, including wavelets like mobile-first, cloud, and Big Data, and now face perhaps their most pivotal point since the popularisation of the Internet in 1990s and, before that, the first PCs on the market in the 1970s. This writing aims to pay homage to the monumental work of the innovators who have developed them to this date, to briefly reflect on the current state of the art, and to consider the potential of agentic AI.