Network Communications News (NCN) September 2016 | Page 5

editorial COLUMN sue t is nex ... Believe the hype I t’s that time of year again, when the dying embers of the summer signal the arrival of the annual ‘Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies’. It may not always provide us with a pin sharp picture of things to come but it never fails to spark debate on some of the up and coming technologies as well as those that are already approaching the end of their useful life. The report aims to ‘distill insight’ from more than 2,000 technologies and offer some perspective on the trends that will help to shape our future. Sixteen new technologies have found their way on to the 2016 Hype Cycle and although there are a number of unfamiliar concepts making their debuts (smart dust anyone?!) some of the watchwords we have become familiar with over the past few years are already in danger of dropping into the infamous ‘trough of disillusionment’. Software defined anything appears to be on its way down but, interestingly, connected homes, micro data centres and the IoT platform - three topics that have seen plenty of exposure over the past 12 months - already look to be close to the ‘peak of inflated expectations’, suggesting that the buzz surrounding these widely vaunted technologies may eventually quieten a little over the next few years. According to Gartner, there are clear indications that technology will become more human-centric to the point where it will introduce transparency between people, businesses and things. An intertwining of technology and the environment is already coming to fruition and as technology continues to improve and evolve this relationship will be further strengthened. Too much hype surrounding a new technology or concept can quickly become tiresome but there is no doubt that the industry thrives on innovation and the introduction of fresh ideas - the Hype Cycle is far from perfect but it does give us an inkling of what lurks just around the corner. *After more than a decade working on NCN I will be moving on to pastures new this month. I would like to thank NCN’s loyal readers for their continued support and a big thank you to everyone who has contributed to the magazine during my time as editor.* Switches & routers The October issue of Network Communications News will contain a major feature on switches and routers as well as its regular range of features and news items. It will comprise a major article and a comprehensive product round up which will be used as a reference point by network cabling infrastructure installers, integrators and end users. To make sure you don’t miss the opportunity to advertise your products to this exclusive readership, call Francesca on 01634 673163 or email [email protected] Michael Crane Editor 05 Editorial.indd 5 31/08/2016 16:37