James Martin
Computerworld -
Age: 68
Claim to fame: A leading authority in computing, Martin is a Pulitzer Prize nominee, has written 101 textbooks and has honorary doctorates from schools on six continents.
What he's doing now: Founded Washington-based James Martin and Co., now called Headstrong Corp., which has a reputation for ultracomplex system development. Martin is chairman of WatchIT.com, an Internet-based education company that makes advanced-level and comprehensive IT education courses.
Having researched and written more than 100 books on computing, James Martin has some clout in forecasting the next wave of technological advances.
The next big impact on business, Martin predicts, is real-time business-to-business systems.

![]()
James Martin, founded Headstrong Corp. ![]()
In the automotive industry, for example, companies like Ford Motor Co. will increasingly rely on third-party manufacturers to build and ship them needed parts to build cars using real-time systems, says Martin.
For consumers, Martin says he expects to see "personal media machines" that people can use to program their TV and Internet viewing. He says these machines will be supported by the growth of the "wideband Internet," which will crest in the second half of this decade. For those reasons, the most successful technology companies will be those "that provide the most desirable applications for ultrahigh bandwidth networks," Martin adds.
IT leadership will look a lot different in 10 years, too, he says, as key technology decisions will be made by business executives, and almost all maintenance and development will be outsourced or sent offshore. Though Martin says IT will become highly integrated with the businesses it supports, "there'll be some things that senior management can't get, which I think is human nature."
Read more about default in Computerworld's Default Knowledge Center.
Additional Resources



Learn the important issues you must consider before starting your next mobility initiative. Get your mobility white paper from IDC now, compliments of Sybase.
White Papers & Webcasts
Oracle Accelerate - Not Just Smart but Timely
Download Now!
Data in Action: Making the Planet Smarter
Register Now
Why BI is Ripe - Now! - For Businesses of Any Size
Download Now!
The Workday User Experience Video
Watch Workday's Creative Director, Scott Lietzke, discuss the business-centered design philosophy at Workday.
Rapid Implementation: The New Age of ERP
Download Now!
Business Process Framework Demo
Learn about Configurable Business Processes and Calculated Fields. Watch Now!
Manager Experience Demo
Go beyond self-service solutions to perform more effectively. Watch Now.

