Conclusion
Computing is not about computers any more. It is about living.
—Nicholas Negroponte
Assume for a moment that we're correct that the Agile Architecture Revolution is a revolution in the truest sense of the term. Now, imagine yourself 20 years hence, looking back on the part of the twenty-first century that has passed. What do you see?
The role technology plays in both our work and personal lives would be virtually unrecognizable to yourself today. After all, there's no reason to expect the rate of innovation to slack off—and furthermore, the transformative role that technology innovation has on our work organizations as well as our lives more broadly will only increase.
Remember, 20 years ago we had no Internet, mobile phones were few and far between (and only made calls!), personal computers were expensive, uncommon, slow, and difficult to use, and businesses mostly ran on complex, rigid, bespoke, stand-alone applications. Compare that world to the smartphone-enabled, Service-oriented, social media–rich world we have today. Now extrapolate even more change 20 years into the future.
Crystal ball fogging up a bit? Fair enough. Predicting what's going to happen next week is hard enough, let alone two decades hence. That being said, we hope we've burst enough bubbles, challenged your preconceptions, and pointed out sufficient crises and disruptions, both now and imminent, to make the case that we're in the midst of a true revolution.
What characterizes revolutions most, ...
