A bright future beckons
The future looks bright for operating systems.
For instance, recent step changes in graphics capabilities are driving a new generation of photo-realistic terminal representations where terminal operating system users can view terminal operations from various perspectives, such as the crane cab.
“Secure web-enablement is driving access-from-anywhere capabilities,” says Julian Wright, marketing manager of Autostore/Central Systems & Automation Ltd. “This is great for improving customer service and real-time cargo location status all the way through the supply chain.”
Another key issue to bear in mind for future products - and also for technology solutions in general - is that the key for operating systems of the future will be the ability to do more with less.
Michael Schwank, president of Tideworks Technology, comments: “We believe we will continue to see a migration from a 'client-server' approach to a 'Software as a Service' model, where the provider takes care of all the hardware and infrastructure required to provide the operating system to the customer via the web. Additionally, automation and optimisation will continue to take on more importance to operators of all sizes, as they strive to increase productivity and reduce costs.
“The systems of the future will need to contain the complex business logic and algorithms needed to make this automation and optimisation work.”
