Twelve Things That Will Be Obsolete in 10 Years

Rather than installing software, in 10 years we'll be getting all our services seamlessly and automatically online, or "in the cloud."

When was the last time you installed software on your computer? If at all, how many times has it happened in the past couple of years?

For a growing number of people, the answer is zero. This may be a surprise, given it wasn’t that long ago that most computer users owned a pile of compact discs for various software applications such as Microsoft Office.

In a few years, I expect software as we know it to disappear. Gone will be the days when people will install programs or, for that matter, store anything on their computers.

Instead, the vast majority of computing will happen online, otherwise known as “in the cloud.” Rather than installing software, we will use free or premium services by connecting to the web. These will range from business applications such as Microsoft Word and Excel to online storage, photo editing, music, and games.

Using “the cloud” will be an easier, more efficient, and better way to use software because it will eliminate installation and maintenance issues. No longer will we have to manually upgrade software; instead, it will happen seamlessly and automatically online. As a result, people will be able to eliminate a whole bunch of aggravation when it comes to personal and business computing.

For anyone who doubts “the cloud” will become a computing reality, take a look at what Google has done in recent years with the launch of free online services that rival Microsoft’s Office product. Microsoft has been left with no choice but to create online versions of its software.

The emergence of “the cloud” will be fuelled by the growing availability of high-speed internet access from office, home, and wireless networks. In particular, wireless networks with bigger pipes and faster speeds are dramatically changing the computing landscape by letting people work anywhere at any time.

This not only means the office will be any place you hang your hat, it will also provide people with access to all of their software and data. The greater the access to the internet, the less need there will be for old-style software.

This trend will clearly happen in countries where high-speed internet access is widely available. Even in Canada and the U.S., there are many rural communities without high-speed networks, which explains why the federal government in both countries have plans for rural broadband projects.

In countries where high-speed internet is not available or not as widespread, software will continue to be used. This means that all those software CDs now being sold in North America and Europe will find new homes in other countries until “the cloud” arrives on the scene.