The Future of IT in our region

!e future

Øyvin Halfdan !uvCTO Whitefox AS

@oyvinht

torsdag 19. september 13

Who am I and what can I tell?

M.Sc. in AI from NTNUInternational experience (CERN)

Co-founded WF in 2011

I did not do these three things by accident -

let me tell why I think they matter to you ...


Backwards to the futureLast thing first: Why a start-up?

• Why would you start a start-up?

• Entrepreneurs get rich (...purportedly)

• Sounded like fun/felt like doing it

• Most important: Nobody really did what everybody really wanted!


Everybody wants usability Nobody cared about this ...

... then iPhone came along in 2007RTFM is the (common but) wrong answer

Mobile shifted around 2009- the rise of HTML5

Whilst attending a conference on HTML5 in San Francisco in 2010, three things appeared crystal clear to a colleague and

me ...


Everybody wants usability 1. Android and iPhone would win the mobile market2. HTML5 was good enough for most UI’s3. = Demand for UI would increase,

development would be standard and easier

Nobody seemed to do anything about it here in Bodø. Some even laughed at us for believing in stupid things like an open-source phone OS (this «Android» stuff) or design mixed

with «real» technology.

We remained firm believers.


Go international"e world is getting smaller

In other words: Our customers could be anywhereIn other words: Our market is growing.

"e Bodø region has the perfect potential to serve this growing market, but we are the ones who must unleash this potential!


Go international• Figure out what has to be done locally• Whitefox does design, planning, marketing and usability. These close-to-the-customer tasks can’t

be (properly) done abroad.• Find your speciality: Basically anything that requires

local knowledge

• Understand and use internationalization


Go international• We need, need, need engineers• Whitefox often uses engineers from abroad ...• and we have both national and international partners• Cooperate with anyone who have skillz. It really doesn’t

matter where they’re located.


Go internationalMeanwhile, in Bodø ...

Unleash the potential of engineers & entrepreneurs!Become oneFund some

Start making them (no, not only that way)

Kidsakoder is a great effort!! It’s here in Bodø now


See what’s nextNetflix beat (the huge) Blockbuster video rentals because it’s

founder «saw it coming». Blockbuster video had no idea they would be wiped shortly ...

If you’re a student, what appears obvious to you might be unthinkable in your parent’s generation.

«What’s TV all about?» «What is a phone?»


What is next?

Internationalization is only just starting

Data growth is insaneBig Data is the current buzzword ...

... the reality is petabytes++

Visualization is paramount


What is next?In Fauske they talk about starting to mine again

Last time they started mining (late 1800’s), they needed 3-4 guys just to drill a single blasting hole

"e newspapers are full of stories about how this new start will lift the region etc., etc.

Who do you think they’ll employ? Hole drillers with sledge hammers? Obviously not.


What is next?Lots of obvious places to look for ventures:

Energy (spot price Big Data mining)

Real-estate (Geo Data, Big Data)

Food quality (Big Data, Visualization, ++++)


To wrap it upPlan your or your students efforts in learning(there’s too much info to absorb everything)

Forget borders - go international(the world is going international)

Prepare to deliver - or someone else will(Specialize locally, or deliver globally)

Remain a firm believer.


Technology

The Future of IT in our region