CeBIT 98: Gerstner Keynote P3 - Responsibility

Daily Newsletters

Sign up to ZDNet UK's daily newsletter.

NEWS
I started out this evening saying I hoped to represent the voice of the customer. And as we project the benefits of this networked world to hundreds of millions, even a billion people, it's clear that the information technology industry has a lot of work to do: We've got to make the technology easier to use, more natural. We've got to reach agreement on standards for communications, security, software development. And I'm asking you, as customers, to keep the heat on all the companies in this industry. Demand that we deliver open standards: Everybody's software, running on everybody's hardware, over everybody's network. There's another set of issues that extend beyond the information technology industry: public policy issues. Some have been around forever, like privacy. Some, we recognise as old issues with new dimensions, like security, or taxation in the global marketplace of the Internet. Resolving these issues is going to require a new level of International cooperation. I think the nations of the European Union have set a real leadership example here in preparing for the common currency, perhaps the most important change since European integration and the Treaty of Rome. Because the new world of networked transactions is by its very nature global, agreement on the critical policy issues will take this issue of cooperation to a new level, global public policy. First, people must have inexpensive access to the telecommunications services they need to participate, meaning governments have to encourage competition, and end monopoly structures. The news from across Europe is starting to be encouraging here. It's equally clear that discriminatory tax policy can stifle this nascent market economic engine. We have to ensure that electronic business is taxed the same way as physical business, no more, and no less. Next, security: The demand of customers for strong encryption, and governments' legitimate concerns about their ability to provide public safety and enforce laws, don't have to be mutually exclusive. IBM is working with the U.S. government, with the European Union and governments around the world to support an unrestricted market for encryption products that interoperate globally. We're not as far along on this as we need to be, but I'm confident we'll get there. We have to. There's too much at stake. Finally, privacy. How can we continue to strike the right balance between respect for individual privacy and the benefits, on the other hand, of information flow in a connected world? I think the solution has to start with the private sector, not government and a reaffirmation of a few proven principles by all businesses: that consumers get fair notice of how information about them is used, with an opportunity to control and confirm its use. With global agreement, cooperation and understanding, the information industry, government, and our customers will be able to go forward and ensure the global electronic marketplace grows boldly, safely, securely, and delivers the real promise of a networked world. As we look ahead to the next millennium, I don't think there's any longer a question about the profound power of this technology. We're watching the emergence of something much bigger than a new model of computing or even a new channel for human interaction. Information technology, and specifically networked technology, represents the most powerful tool we've ever had for change: It is a new engine for real economic growth, a new medium that will redefine the nature of relationships among governments, among institutions and businesses of all kinds and the people they serve now, and might serve tomorrow. This powerful tool is here for all of us today. Each of us will have to decide how we'll exploit it and how soon. In any case, the nations, government agencies, public sector and commercial institutions that do this most effectively will create enormous competitive advantage into the 21st Century. Thank you very much, and I hope you have the most successful CeBIT ever.

Post your comment

In order to post a comment you need to be registered and logged in.

You can also log in with Facebook. Log in or create your ZDNet UK account below

  • Login

Will not be displayed with your comment

By signing up for this service, you indicate that you agree to our Terms and Conditions and have read and understood our Privacy Policy. Questions about membership? Find the answers in the Community FAQ

Get ZDNet UK's daily newsletter

Enter your email address to sign up

ZDNet UK Live

Jack Schofield

@openhgs Windows users have had multiple desktops since Linus started writing Linux. They just haven't shipped as standard because not enough...

27 minutes ago by Jack Schofield on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Jack Schofield

@Phil at Cloud4 What, Microsoft gets £1,200 per PC and £1,622 per server? Gosh, I'm amazed....

39 minutes ago by Jack Schofield on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
craigsc

You guys have no idea what is going on at Autonomy. Autonomy could have been a much more profitable organization. The sales operations at Autonomy...

2 hours ago by craigsc on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Moley

How does this impact on dual or multi booting? Seems to me to more or less prohibit this, from Windows 8 anyway. Will Grub 2 recognise Windows 8,...

2 hours ago by Moley on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
apexwm

I don't understand why there cannot be a slight pause during the boot process so the user can press a key. Many operating systems do this, even if...

4 hours ago by apexwm on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
Gavin Goodman

You can now buy the Xi3 modular computer in the UK at http://www.ocdistribution.com . This can be bought with the Tand3m software, pricing and...

4 hours ago by Gavin Goodman on CES 2012: Xi3 microSERV3R
Phil at Cloud4

I agree: Mike Lynch can clearly build a business and manage strategy. I suspect the exit of Mike is more likely the end of a planned handover...

7 hours ago by Phil at Cloud4 on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
Phil at Cloud4

This is unbeleivable government wastage with only one winner... Microsoft 1 - Tax payer Nil!

8 hours ago by Phil at Cloud4 on 6 million wasted licences and £1,200 PCs: welcome to government IT
Mispam

So what do you do when you can't boot into windows? Why can't I just hold Shift while I power up instead of having to boot into windows and click a...

8 hours ago by Mispam on Windows 8 start-up speed forces USB boot workaround
apexwm

I've also seen that Mac OS X for Intel machines is supposed to run in VirtualBox, which would also be a nice solution. I've never tried it though.

10 hours ago by apexwm on xTreme Triple Booting: Linux, Mac & Windows
dave heasman

What I wonder is why when companies are caught bang to rights in not providing contracted services, people bend over to smear the customers? Surely...

10 hours ago by dave heasman on Virgin throttles broadband for high-speed customers
pjc158

Strange statement from HP regarding Mike Lynch and not capable of scaling a company. Autonomy was a $7bn purchase which started as a small company...

11 hours ago by pjc158 on HP cuts 27,000 staff as Autonomy chief Lynch leaves
lojolondon

Or - possibly, they will destroy business by ensuring people do not invest where there is no return. Another socialist idea, well beyond it's...

14 hours ago by lojolondon on Open Data Institute will act as biz incubator
J.A. Watson

Good stuff Jake, very interesting. Thanks. jw

14 hours ago by J.A. Watson on xTreme Triple Booting: Linux, Mac & Windows
openhgs

"the cost of a second LCD screen is about the same as one day of an office worker's time, so this should soon be recouped in extra productivity."...

16 hours ago by openhgs on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
Thomas Gellhaus

I also installed the KDE version; I also will probably try out razorqt since I really haven't had a chance to before. I'm looking forward to the...

1 day ago by Thomas Gellhaus via Facebook on Mageia 2 Released
francisabigail

Acquiring when reinvention/cannibalization is too challenging for a large organization can be an excellent strategy- still, so many mergers stumble...

1 day ago by francisabigail on Ariba buy parks SAP on Oracle's cloud turf
apexwm

All of the feedback regarding using a touch monitor for a desktop PC is right on. Several months ago, we installed a "demo" multitouch all-in-one...

1 day ago by apexwm on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake
191706

anyone wanting to triple boot *their* own Mac

1 day ago by 191706 on xTreme Triple Booting: Linux, Mac & Windows
SoapyTablet

Cont.. Biggest Bugbear: Win7's stop-animate-go approach to work, you develop a staggered (not in the above alchohol sense of the word) approach to...

1 day ago by SoapyTablet on Windows 8 could speed multi-monitor uptake