20 Years in Business - What has changed?
“Facebook? – Nah, it’ll never take off.”
That was our response to a new kid on the block to rival MySpace in 2004 – there was no way this could overtake in popularity, even that website my mate made in FrontPage to tell the time was the stuff of dreams….
Reflecting on IT changes over the past 20 years got me thinking: What hasn’t changed? Certain elements have stood the test of time, managing to outlast countless trends and fads. If I had to choose three timeless tech staples, they’d be:
The Mouse
Simple yet essential, the two-button mouse was patented in 1970 (yes, I had to look that up) and still does its job beautifully. Trackpads, pens, touchscreens – helpful but all backed up by the humble mouse when things go wrong.
TCP/IP
One for those in the industry sure but …boy, what an invention! If you’re not sure you can look it up on the Internet – although you’ll need this clever protocol to do that 🤓.
QWERTY
Like the mouse, the QWERTY keyboard layout has endured. Could you imagine typing efficiently if the keys were in alphabetical order? Without looking, I wonder how many know why it was invented? Answers on a postcard to me!
Ok, back to the question – what changes have I noticed?
In my early days, I managed Novell NetWare systems alongside Microsoft NT. Over time, Microsoft’s Small Business Server (SBS) became dominant for small and medium-sized businesses. It was well-packaged, fairly priced, and though Exchange was a bit unwieldy, it was unmatched in functionality. When Exchange first moved to the cloud, we were skeptical, but Microsoft pulled it off, changing the industry.
Windows and Office versions arrived every few years, from the classic Windows XP and Office 2007 to the now ubiquitous Windows 10 (and now 11) and Microsoft 365. Each new release stirred user frustrations over lost settings, Start button placements, and inconvenient updates. The biggest shift has been the integration with cloud services—today, computers primarily serve as portals to the cloud. Think about it: how much can you accomplish without an internet connection?
With this shift came a change in security threats. The Sasser worm caused havoc in 2004, but later malware like Conficker and CryptoLocker raised the stakes, especially when ransomware appeared. The arms race between hackers and security companies has intensified, making cybersecurity a top priority that businesses can’t afford to overlook.
Now, in 2024, AI is the driving force across industries, from healthcare to cybersecurity. Cloud services are more critical than ever, and businesses increasingly rely on IT to function. It’s a dynamic, exciting, and sometimes stressful field, but I’m fortunate to be part of it.
I shall watch the next 20 years (touch wood) with interest, but I’ll put my money on three (or maybe two) things sticking around…
The Mouse, TCP/IP, and QWERTY.
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