Future Proof…Impossible Solution
I can’t take it any longer…I saw another industry advertisement that offered advice on “future proofing” of a specific technology. The inherent nature of the word “future,” does not allow the “proofing” of anything…it’s not here yet. Most people laugh at the nature of fortune tellers, yet we have vendors, consultants, bloggers, and resellers who can apparently see into the future offering “future proof” products, technology, and services. We listen with rapt attention yet we make fun of the notions of urban planning, military intelligence, negative growth and the working vacation.
Advice, anyone utilizing the words “future proof,” or any form of that statement should not have a place in your tree of trust. Sound advice is simply an answer to what problem are we trying to solve today and whether it is worth the associated investment. If it involves technology, then that investment needs to see a positive return or result in 18-36 months.
Only a wise fool would have faith that theoretical experience would produce an unbiased opinion and a deceptively honest exact estimate on the delivery of future proof technology. Did you catch all the oxymorons in that last sentence?
You speak the truth, and I will somewhat ashamedly admit that I have made the same mistake myself in my eagerness to tout solutions.
I like the perspective of a defined period for ROI, so perhaps a better statement will be (when a vendor really does believe the technology has a forward-leaning posture) that the solution is “well prepared for current and next-round technical integration and maintenance, and can be implemented and expanded with reasonable effort and at a predictable cost.”
Not quite as snazzy, but at least lawyer-proof.