The more I look at technology in today's web compressed world, I'm not sure why anyone would consider buying or using any kind of technology that is not connected or talking to somebody or something else.

Can anyone think of a single application, computer system, network or entertainment system that is better by itself - standing alone in a vacuum? If you can think of something, let me know because I'm having a hard time thinking of anything that would not be better by being connected.

As an example, a friend of mine works for a software company that has created a solution for doctors to stay connected to their patients while they're out and about.  They've developed a messaging system that tracks infectious agents in patients and sends alerts to the doctor whenever certain thresholds are exceeded.  These messages are sent from monitors in patient hospital rooms, labs and other systems that track patient progress.  As a result, the doctors are very aware of the their patients' progress or decline and can treat them nearly instantaneously if their condition significantly changes - even when they are not with the patient.

On a completely different note, the last few days I've been building out work flow processes on a CRM platform that will improve vehicle registration processes.  It's a system that will completely bypass State Motor Vehicle departments.  It maintains the pleasantries of face-to-face conversation and yet takes advantage of the Internet and the anywhere - anytime world that is enabled because of it.

I have the pleasure of designing the conversation stream that will help people remember to renew their vehicle tags and thank them for reliving congestion in the State run offices by taking their business elsewhere.   It's a win-win kind of solution - and watching it become a reality continues to reinforce my opinion that all things benefit when they are connected or talking to other things.  

Mother nature is very connected and eco-systems abound in every aspect of planet earth.  Although we like to think we are smart and understand what is happening to our planet, in reality, our understanding has barely begun to scratch the service.  The exciting part to me is that the technology and scientific communities are intentionally mimicking the designs and capabilities of mother nature.  National Geographic calls this biomimetics.  A very cumbersome way of saying "designed by nature."  No matter how you say it - the benefits of innovation will continue to pay large dividends for many, many decades to come and one of the key building blocks of this innovation is messaging oriented architectures.  Just ask Mother Nature. 

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