Malcolm Tutt

What is a disruptive technology? According to Clayton M. Christensen, a Harvard Business School professor, a disruptive technology is a new emerging technology that unexpectedly displaces an established one. Christensen used this term for the first time in his 1997 best-selling book entitled, The Innovator’s Dilemma (Management of Innovation and Change). In it the author established two categories of new technologies: sustaining and disruptive. Sustaining technologies corresponds to well-known technologies that undergo successive improvements, whereas Disruptive technologies means new technologies that still lack refinement, often have performance problems, are just known to a limited public, and might not yet have a proven practical application. There is another way to look at disruptive technology; in it's base definition disruption is an event or technology that drastically changes the structure of society. It is safe therefore to state that disruptive technologies have the capacity to change our lifestyles, the way we work and alter the global economy. What are some examples of these 'disruptive' technologies? And what is the chnage they bring? I would like to talk about 5 of them - these are the one's I think having the greatest short term impact: 1. Mobile Internet Increasingly inexpensive, accessible mobile devices and Internet coverage have not only become beneficial but, are now, demanded by the man in the street. Why? Simple answer 'Instant Gratification' I want it now; not in 5 or 10 minutes time or even tomorrow, I want it now! Just think for a moment about mobile banking platforms and Fintechs that are proliferating at an astounding rate. You now have 24*365 bank in your pocket. You can even action cardless transactions - 20 years ago banking stalwarts would quite literally have laughed in your face. There are precious view mobile banking activities you can carry out without a One Time Pin (OTP) without GSM coverage that ain't happening! 2. ChatOps and the world of conversation-driven collaboration Being able to reach out realtime to a colleague or a Subject Matter expert (SME) is a quantum leap away from sending an email and waiting ... it certainly beats setting up that dreaded meeting. ChatOps has contributed signficantly, far as I am concerned, to increased productivity, speeded up time to market and strengthend teams. In a way ChatOps brings instant gratification too. ChatOps is a great example of making clever use of technology in a effort to work better together, and with the rate of technology change more intelligent software systems will evolve that will be able to perform automated knowledge work and learn as they go. Stay tuned for this technology there are already more than 40 000 Bots on Facebook Messenger! They will certainly have a big impact on how companies and consumers communicate around the world! 3. Internet of Things The Internet of Things (or IoT for short), a term coined by Kevin Ashton in 2009, refers to uniquely identifiable objects and their virtual representations in an Internet-like structure. Connecting 'everything' to the internet will transform daily life - no doubt. These are all interconnected in networks of low cost sensors for data collection, monitoring, decision making and process enhancement. These devices, are already extensively in use by manufacturing, health care and mining. There could be dangers as well, as the connection of billions of smart devices and their information on the internet, falling into the wrongs hands, can represent a real security threat. 4.3D Printing that I think is the most promising Manufacturing techniques that create objects by printing successive layers of material using digital models have become more accessible to you and I due they are called 3D Printers. Consumers use of 3D printing will save a lot of money per printed (manufactured) product, while allowing the customer personalized customization, no longer restricting the customer and manufacturer to bulk runs. With a 3D printer you can essentially build your own 'thing'. There has already been a small 2 roomed house built in 72 hours using a 3D printer. Another benefit is the opportunity to recycle plastics. Take rollmover to https://preciousplastic.com if nothing else this should appeal to the envronmentally frieendly side we must have. 5.Cloud Computing Simply put, cloud computing is the delivery of computing services - servers, storage, databases, networking, software, analytics and more using the Internet (“the cloud”). Companies offering these computing services are called cloud providers and typically charge for cloud computing services based on usage, similar to how you are billed for water or electricity. You are probably using cloud computing right now, even if you don’t realise it. If you use an Gmail, Facebook, buy from Amazon, store documents on Google Drive, watch movies on NetFlix you are utilising cloud computing. The more the man in the street takes up these technologies the more businesses and governments must be prepared to respond. Policy makers will need to implement new thinking in a society that will change dramatically over the next few years. I wonder how BitCoin will change fiscal policy around the globe? Governments will be able use some of these technologies, such as the mobile Internet, for example, to facilitate new educational and training programs. Take alkook at http://www.theeastafrican.co.ke/business/coming-to-Uganda-Faster-Internet-on-hi-tech-data-fibre-link-/--sask4lz/index.html to see what is going down in Uganda. All these disruptive technologies already exist and are provoking large scale changes to society. Having the correct approach and readiness to adapt to these changes and, with the right measures, policy makers can help adapt these disruptive technologies to the public welfare of society.