IBM makes another prediction - No More Next Big Thing
image from the Economist
IBM's Executive Vice President of Innovation and Technology, Nicholas Donofrio was recently quoted as saying "If you're looking for the next big thing, stop looking. There's no such thing as the next big thing."
I wonder if he would be made to swallow his own words especially as in 1943, one of his ex-chairmen, Tom Watson, made this now infamous prediction, "I think there is a world market for maybe five computers."
Strangely enough, the venerable Economist posed the question in 2003 whether IBM itself was the Next Big Thing!
Technorati tags: IBM, predictions, personal computers, next big thing
posted by hew @ 2:33 pm
3 Comments:
Good point Philip! I felt it was just so arrogant of IBM to make such pronouncements just because they can't come up with the next big thing.
Good on your solutions for SME's - looks promising, though in this part of the world 'software rental' is still in its infancy.
You miss Nick Donofrio's main insight. He has not given up on the future -- to be a successful innovator one needs to manage in a larger context than just product -- or the next big thing. As Donofrio points out ...when it comes to innovation, there is a need to think collaboratively and in a multifaceted manner, as this determines who wins and who loses....innovation today is more about services, process, business models or cultural innovation than just product innovation. I don't interpret these comments as lacking vision or giving up on innovation. In fact I applaud IBM for its recognition that the nature of innovation is changing itself. The next wave of exciting and transformational products and services (of which there will be many) will emerge from new business innovation models that are multidisciplinary, open, collaborative, networked and adaptive. I think that's what Donofrio was talking about and is working on. Hope this helps.
Hi Egils
I agree with the general point of Donofrio's comments though to make a broad statement like there's no more 'next big thing' is a bit god-like in its finality.
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