I just came across one of Microsoft’s many visions of the future. Being a gadget guy at heart and a lover of cool interfaces that make things easy, I thought this was a pretty compelling vision. (Though I did wonder why people of the future often look so spacey!)
But notice how much of this vision depends on reliable, transactional messaging that can bridge protocols, devices and networks, to zip from virtually anywhere to virtually anywhere, any time. See how messaging interfaces are built into just about every object that we interact with, like car windows (:37) kitchen walls (:30) and collaborative documents (3:54), not just discrete communication devices.
It wouldn’t surprise me if the future didn’t look a little like this. Already communication devices are proliferating, slimming down and trying not to break our stride as we go about our busy days.
But what type of infrastructure are we going to need in between all of these devices – interactive furniture, walls and appliances – allowing them all to seamlessly interoperate, in real time?