Acceleration

Technology-driven change has been a ferocious problem for all of us because it comes at us from so many directions. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office awarded nearly 335,000 patents in 2003 and 2004, and the pace has shown no signs of slowing down.

Is it humanly possible to keep up? You don't need to. Because the fact is, the catalyst for transforming our businesses and futures is generated primarily by three technological forces.

Three of the most powerful digital trend accelerators - computer processing power, storage capacity, and bandwidth - have reached an intense new phase and are already turning business models upside down as they spawn fresh generations of procedures, tools, products, and services. Their newfound power will have a major impact on the future.

By focusing on these three accelerators instead of the dozens of new technologies covered by the press each month, we can get a more accurate sense of where technology-driven change is coming from and, more importantly, where it is likely to lead.