Microsoft Systems Mgmt. Balancing these two forces is a complex task that dictates the relative success of a strategic technology initiative. Developers and manufacturers of technology must keep this in mind when drawing on their napkins and dreaming up new technologies. And recent trends indicate that they are.
Power is a well-understood concept in technology circles.
The pursuit of both types of power drives the supply and demand of distrib uted technology, such as PCs, LANs, and personal-productivity applications. Control has traditionally been another matter altogether, though the associated issues are likewise tactical and strategic. Tactically, it's about the ability to utilize distributed processor and memory resources cost-effectively. Strategically, it's about centralized management and decision-making vs. a decentralized model. Although most people would agree that more power is better, there is no consensus about levels of control, partially because increases in speed and capacity can easily be translated into economic benefits whereas the effects of management are more difficult to measure.