IF YOU LOOK HARD ENOUGH, you just may catch a glimpse of the next big thing in technology. “Invisible” computing, as it is widely called, is a market that’s slated to reach $674.7 billion by 2008, according to MIT’s Technology Review. This revolutionary technology is invisible because it is pervasive, interconnected, and works behind the scenes, powering everything from toys to cars to RFID tags. The elements of invisible computing are already in place: Wireless, Web services, CRM, and instant messaging are just a few of the applications that will enable networked devices to generate quantum leaps in productivity. All this, of course, comes at a cost. MIT pegs global IT investment on invisible computing at well over $1 trillion. But there’s money to be made as well. The research firm IDC estimates that existing IT vendors will reap much of that $674.7 billion in revenue, which breaks down as follows:
- Mobile devices: $224.6 billion
- Connection services: $196.1 billion
- Business services: $127.8 billion
- Other devices: $120.2 billion
- RFID, etc.: $6.0 billion