With the introduction of Microsoft Windows 10, use of the internet is about to change in a big way. We, as consumers, will all see the changes in very subtle ways over the next year or so, while behind the scenes things are making a huge leap forward.
As I finish loading Microsoft's newest operating system, Windows 10, onto my two surface pro tablet computers, I think back to my discussion of big data just one year ago. The world of desktop computers, tablets and phones is about to collide. While this has been happening with both Apple and Android based products for several years, it is Microsoft and the Windows environment which will make the most impact. The following operating systems were being used on desktop, laptop and netbook computers (by percentage):
| Microsoft Windows | Apple | Android |
| 91.5% | 7.25% | 1.34% |
From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Usage_share_of_operating_systems - Dec.2014
Only in the smartphone, mobile, tablet and handheld category does Android have a dominant (54%) share. This is significant because the majority of businesses use desktop, laptop and netbook systems, while the majority of consumers use smartphones, mobiles, tablets and handhelds. The majority of data is still be generated by and for business use on business computers and networks.
A recent article entitled "How the internet of things will impact data centers", Processor magazine, December 26, 2014, discusses the impact of all the new connected devices coming into our global society. The need for data centers (commonly known and referred to as “the cloud”) is expanding at a very rapid rate. These data centers are huge facilities housing thousands of computers known as servers. According to a Processor.com article (December 26, 2014) entitled “Worldwide Data Center Space Continues to Increase,” by 2017, there will be 8.6 million data centers worldwide, totaling about 1.94 billion square feet. As this article further notes, “data center and server rooms/closets are no longer simply places to house IT assets. Instead, they are now referred to and have become the primary point of engagement and information exchange for employees, partners and customers.”
In my blog article entitled “Big Data and CES 2014”, I noted the following statistics in relationship to data storage:
- 1 Gigabyte is equivalent to about seven minutes of high-definition video and two gigabytes is equivalent to about 20 yards of books on a shelf.
- 1 Exabyte is equivalent to about 250 million DVDs and five exabytes would just about cover a transcript of every word spoken in human history.
- 1 Petabyte is equal to 20 million four-drawer filing cabinets filled with text or 13.3 years of high-definition video.
Gartner defines the internet of things as "the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense of interact with their internal states or the external environment" (Processor.com, How the internet of things will impact data centers).
These include everything from computers and related components to readers, pacemakers and other related medical devices. As i noted in my article about CES 2014, this will include your stove, refrigerator and crockpot in the next few years. According to the article, one source notes that there could be as many as 20 billion objects connected to the internet of things (IoT) by 2020.
| Category | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2020 |
| Automotive | 96.00 | 189.60 | 372.30 | 3511.10 |
| Consume | 1842.10 | 2244.50 | 2874.90 | 13172.50 |
| Generic Business | 395.20 | 479.40 | 623.90 | 5158.60 |
| Vertical Business | 698.70 | 836.50 | 1009.40 | 3164.40 |
| Grand Total | 3032.00 | 3750.00 | 4880.60 | 25006.60 |
These devices represent a huge amount of data going to and from “the cloud.” As tablet computers, cell phones and other “smart devices” continue to proliferate this data stream is just going to continue to increase exponentially. While many of these devices use the Apple or Android operating system, the data they generate is stored and analyzed by programs from Microsoft and Oracle.
It is no wonder that our world today is getting away from the “server in the closet” model where every business had a server down the hall. This computer kept all the critical business data and files. These servers were connected to other machines throughout the building using cable. There is no way this model could work with the massive amount of data being generated today.
As I think back to my EROS, Journey to an Asteroid EPub, I marvel at the amount of data NASA/JPL got back from a small spacecraft with a very limited amount of computing power. This mission ended in 2002 and the hi-resolution photos are just stunning. If our “limited” technology of 12 years ago was able to accomplish so much, think how much more we will be able to accomplish as technology advances.
Microsoft is developing its new Windows 10 operating system, in my opinion, to enable the massive proliferation of data to be accessible, in a meaningful way on a large variety of different devices. Clearly with the proliferation of tablets, smart phones and other hand held devices, Microsoft needed an operating system keyed to these devices. Windows 10 works as well on my Surface computer in desktop mode as it does in tablet mode. It also is enabled as well for the “cloud” as it is for storing and accessing data on your local computer hard drive, regardless of the device.
In addition, Microsoft is one of the major players in the development and operation of data centers worldwide. This “cloud” data model is the standard for today’s technology. It is the only way the Internet of Things can work and expand.
In my EPub entitled, World Collapse or New Eden, 2015 Ed, 101 expert predictions about your world & what the trends are today I explore these trends based on a comparison of what the world looked like in 2008, 2011 and 2015.
The Internet of Things is about to explode and, in my opinion, Microsoft is still on the cutting edge.
H. Court Young
Author, publisher, speaker and geologist
Promoting awareness through the written word
Research, freelance writing & self-publishing services
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