(The article was originally written in 2008 when the world was suffering from the Great Recession. Hence, please contextualize the scenes of 2008 while reading this piece)
The software has infiltrated every aspect of our daily life. When we visit any bank, we use Software; when we go to any reservation counter, we use Software; when we go to any ATM centre, we use Software.
“WHERE EVER YOU GO, SOFTWARE FOLLOWS YOU“.
Time and again, we have come across a word- Recession. This dreaded word sends shivers down even the most experienced spines. But, just what is this dreaded word? What does it mean? Where does it apply? Above all, what makes it so scary?
A recession is the temporary decline of an economy or pace of growth in any sector. A recession implies that the development of an industry sector is negative. That means the economy is bearing a loss. The amount of loss depends upon the connectivity of that sector with the global economy. So, the more Global connectivity more is the recession.
Since the software industry has more connectivity with the global scenario, the recession has hit it very hard.
I want to give you one example to show you that “connectivity” is essential for experiencing global changes. Sectors like the Telecom industry haven’t moved an inch because of the recession because the connectivity of that sector with the global economy is minimal. This means that the growth of the telecom industry in a country or region will not depend on the international state of telecom since its growth is endemic to an area.
I want to explain the scenario of the software industry for the last 20 years with the help of an example-….
Consider water in a River (case-1) and water in a Sea (case-2).
In Case-1, the water in River doesn’t have many ups and downs and moves freely and calmly. That is the position of the software industry during the 1990s when Software was in its nascent stage.
Over a period of Evolution
Case-2, Software has become like water in the sea, where it experiences up’s and downs called “waves”. The water rises from its original level to a peak level called the wave’s crest. I term it the “software boom” condition, which was this industry’s condition during 2005-2006.
But friends do keep in mind that water will not always be at the peak of the wave, and at some point in time, it will slide down and get mixed up with the normal flow. It is a natural phenomenon that water will slide down from its peak point. That slide down is what we term “recession“. And this is the present scenario in the world of Software.
Some pessimists argue that Software will vanish and will be replaced with something else.
But my friends do remember,
“Very few people in this country are wise, and the others are otherwise“.
Not caring for such comments, let us hope that Software rises to its peak level in the future.
I want to end by saying one sentence.
“SOFTWARE VANISHES WHEN OCEANS BECOME DESERTS.“