The ability of people to create valuable products by collaborating from afar was demonstrated by a few high-profile projects during the past year. Another was the open-source Linux operating system, created by programmers working in different locations who post their code for all to see and anyone to improve. The widespread adoption of Linux and the rocket-rise of Red Hat Inc., one of its makers, in the stock market became a major technology story of 1999. Linux demonstrated how much economic value people can create by working independently and voluntarily from a distance. The process starts when a company or potentially a consortium of companies that all need the same software post a request for software components.
Programmers bid and work independently, sharing their code online.
Next year, I suspect we will see similar collaborative marketplaces spring up in other industries besides software development. Software programmers are among the most technologically savvy, so working together electronically is easier for them. But as online collaboration tools mature and grow easier, other professions likely will follow the lead of software developers. Instant messaging will hit the workplace. One simple but powerful electronic collaboration tool is instant messaging.