[IP] more on Technology infrastructure in 2011

[David Farber <dave@farber.net>]

Begin forwarded message:

From: Brian Randell <Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk>
Date: January 7, 2006 3:04:46 PM EST
To: dave@farber.net
Subject: Re: [IP] Technology infrastructure in 2011

Hi Dave:

I passed Michael Berman's IP message on this topic onto the colleague  
who is Director of our Computer Service, and he responded with the  
following queries, that I thought might spark some interesting debate  
if you wish to put them into IP.

At 1:13 am +0000 6/1/06, Paul Hopkins wrote:
> A) Will battery technology have improved sufficiently for the mobile
> devices/displays being used or will we need to provide lots of
> electricity sockets all over the place? Will fuel cells be  
> practical by
> 2011?
>
> B) Given the rise in electrical power requirements and air- 
> conditioning
> requirements for racks and also the explosion in computing power needs
> then what should we plan for computer room requirements?
>
> C) Will SOA developments than may make software more of a "service"
> rather than an "asset" have an impact on making expensive/specialised
> software available to students? Will the licensing model move  
> towards a
> pay-for-use rather than a buy a perpetual licence type of model?
>
> D) Do we think that we will still use buildings in the same way as  
> we do
> now for teaching & learning? Eg woill there be a need for more
> "collaborative" working spaces (eg smaller "cluster rooms" or areas  
> for
> students to gather informally to work in groups) will we see other
> traditional area shrinking in size (eg administrative areas?)
>
> E) Will the need for large lecture theatres continue - or would n-way
> video-conferencing make it practical to conduct lectures across  
> multiple
> rooms?
>
> I'm still really tempted to ensure that there are cable ducts placed
> around a new building because  all but "infinite" data volume can be
> pushed down a cable - I'd like to treat wireless and cables as
> complimentary (ie plan for both!)

Cheers

Brian


--
School of Computing Science, University of Newcastle, Newcastle upon  
Tyne,
NE1 7RU, UK
EMAIL = Brian.Randell@ncl.ac.uk   PHONE = +44 191 222 7923
FAX = +44 191 222 8232  URL = http://www.cs.ncl.ac.uk/~brian.randell/


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