One of my favorite holidays is Thanksgiving, one of the most important holidays in the United States. Most Americans spend Thanksgiving with family and friends. They do this to show appreciation for what they have in life, including their home, family, health, friends, and food. Thanksgiving is also a national holiday celebrated in Canada, Grenada, Saint Lucia, and Liberia. I would say that the spirit of Thanksgiving can be found around the globe, with people celebrating Thanksgiving in their own ways — by giving thanks in prayer, volunteering at a local food bank, or simply sharing a meal with loved ones.
Technology is a constantly evolving industry, and in the last few years, it’s been particularly explosive. So, to celebrate this memorable holiday, I thought I would query the team at the Office of the CTO at Extreme Networks with this question:
“As a member of the Office of the CTO and a technology leader, what are you most THANKFUL for in regard to technology in 2022?”
The team delivered an assortment of answers that range from introspective to thought-provoking:
I’m thankful for the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST). Telecommunications, optics, mechanics, aerospace science, engineering, physics, and chemistry have been combined to achieve this marvelous piece of science and engineering. I’m thankful for the hundreds of years of scientific research that lead us to create such a powerful instrument. JWST is not only a telescope; NASA performed a very complex sequence of steps to deploy an observatory in space.
The images released so far are astonishing, my favorite being the upgraded version of the well know Hubble image “The Pillars of Creation” in the Eagle Nebula, a star’s nursery. The observatory’s objective goes much beyond beautiful pictures. Hundreds of astrophysics can go back in time, learn about the earliest objects in the universe, and understand our origins better. Also, they will be able to detect and characterize exoplanets and use their spectrometer to analyze the chemistry of the universe and much more. We will be surprised and amazed by the scientific advancements the JWST will unleash.
I’m most thankful for two tech tools this year: DeepL for providing excellent translation from German to English and vice versa; the Apple iPad along with the pen to make architecture drawings enjoyable again.
Following the first year after the biggest pandemic our generation has experienced, I’m still thankful for the collaboration of researchers, engineers, and implementers who were able to work together for the common good. This is not just in vaccines. Keeping this model has created a culture of sharing. The follow-on work in development, production, and distribution from the life sciences & technology industry has led to drastic improvements in the efficacy of blood pressure, headache, hydration, and proton pump inhibitors medication – all the advances needed to get through a thanksgiving weekend!
Technology-wise, I’m very thankful that SD-WAN has become far more critical as businesses drive towards either a hybrid work environment or a complete work-from-the-home strategy. Remote work strategies went from being temporary to becoming more permanent for many companies after COVID, redefining the network edge. Virtual Private networks (VPNs) used to be the point-to-point (P2P) solution for remote workers. However, the possibilities offered by SD-WAN for many tasks and applications at the network edge have extended into employees’ homes. With businesses becoming more distributed, they have accelerated their migration plans to SD-WAN, delivering improved user experience and security.
As the Thanksgiving season approaches, technology plays yet another vital role in bringing families together to celebrate this moment, which is about reflecting on blessings and acknowledging gratitude.
As we approach Thanksgiving and Christmas, it’s a time of reflection. While security and technology, in general, have continued to progress, it’s been a year where user requirements and subsequent impact have become prominent. We can never underestimate the importance of the user experience for all of us. An experience forms the basis of our values and assessment of everything from an application user interface to security controls. From a security perspective, if we can keep a user onside, they are far more likely to accept additional controls to protect them or their data.
The recent issues around the Twitter blue tick, or Google and the data tracking case, are two great examples of users’ expectations or understanding or services not being fully understood or appreciated. We can all be thankful for a focus on the user – it makes life a little bit easier.
This year I am most thankful for the concept of “Green IT.” As a new dad and an avid outdoorsman, one of the most important things to me is how we become better stewards of our planet so our future generations can enjoy its beauty. Green IT is a concept of reducing waste-producing components, reducing the energy needed to power, and recycling hardware at the end of its lifecycle. It’s really all about reducing the negative impact on the environment. There are many ways we can all contribute to making a difference to support these concepts. Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!
I’m fond of saying that Wi-Fi technology is ingrained into our everyday lives. For over two decades, Wi-Fi has provided true wireless mobility and secure connectivity in the enterprise and at home. Wi-Fi has become an essential part of our daily worldwide communications culture. So, I remain grateful for the impact that Wi-Fi technology has had on improving the human experience.
And as I have said many times before, I am thankful for the growing availability of the 6 GHz spectrum band in countries around the world for Wi-Fi.
How has technology impacted your Infinite Enterprise? We would love to hear from you. Contact my colleagues, and let’s have a conversation.
Email: Office of the CTO
