Thursday June 17, 2004

This blog is not really about grids. Its about Marketing. There are two constants in our industry. The first is change. The second is the corporate marketing attaching a company image to the latest trend. I'll reserve my thoughts on industry trends to another blog. Grids are all the hype (or were just a few months ago). Marketing departments, as quickly as possible, renamed products to include the word "grid". I had thought I really understood grids until Marketing got involved. Now I must not because I see the word "grid" being used in things I never new were grids. OK, I don't think its me, I *really* think the word "grid" is being stretched and pulled in so many directions that its true meaning seems to be getting lost.

Its not just the word "grid". Before that it was web services. Before that it was self-healing and "utility" (yet another blog I have in mind). "self healing" and "utility" were the rage 1-2 years ago. What happened? Aren't they still valuable? Or have they commoditized? I don't think so. I think reality stepped in. Self-healing and Utility in the true sense are goals, but we aren't quite there yet and customers know it.

Today we are on "Service Oriented Architectures" or SOA. I give, oh, say 6-12 months before it starts to die down and the next thing comes along. Why? Well, marketing departments will attach their corporate image and product names to SOA, stretching its meaning to the point where it no longer has a meaning. I liken this to a scorched earth policy :)

That's not to say marketing departments aren't of value. Sometimes I think Marketing spends too much time on "me too" instead of "why me". Am I being harsh? Yes, in most of my blogs that's the case, but it is always to get a point across. But there tends to be an air of truth about them. At least I think so.