The golden technology years are most definitely over. Whereas back in 2001 the market was still growing like crazy, we now face a saturated market with increasing competition and rivalry. A good industry indicator is to go to CeBIT and see for yourself. CeBIT in Hanover used to be one of the biggest technology shows worldwide, with full halls, parties every night, no chance to get a last minute table at the Munich Hall and seemingly endless and expensive giveaways for everyone. This year was my 7th CeBIT and over the years I’ve seen the decline and it certainly wasn’t hidden. This year, a number of halls had already been closed and many others had been used for CeBIT Music or the SAP World Tour just to give the impression of a full CeBIT event. When talking to the CeBIT organisers they told me that they only had about 100 companies exhibiting less than last year, but that they just managed to hide the fact a bit better than last year when there were half empty halls and vast spaces closed off. I also talked to a couple of journalists and they just underpinned my impression by saying that the times when loads of exciting new products were introduced at CeBIT were over. Now you have to go to CES or Computex or just check Twitter to find out about the latest releases. I guess times just change, and that’s not a bad thing. The hotel prices in Hanover were too expensive anyway… 🙂

Uli