Why Buying Future Proof Technology Is A Sure Way of Losing Money

So you think you can predict the future? Future proof. Future proof. Future proof. It's almost a mantra in the IT world. Everyone is preaching it. Everyone is doing it. 

And hardware manufacturers love it. It guarantees larger sales, right now. And as long as customers continue to do it, it will guarantee larger sales tomorrow, too.

The thing is, while it works like a dream as a sales improvement tool for the hardware manufacturers, it doesn't generally work for the customer, except over the short term. In fact, I'd go so far as to say it's usually throwing money away on scalability that will never be used.

Part of Go Communications' work is in the decommissioning of existing network infrastructure, usually to make way for new systems. A while back I was involved in the decommissioning of a truly enormous network in a secret underground bunker somewhere in the South of England.

It was all a bit James Bond. There were metal detectors and a personal search on the way in, and a truly enormous switch and server farm inside. I had never seen an installation of such a size, before or since.