TL;DR: The world of computing and business is not currently bound by the binary distinction of open and closed systems. However, in the future, open computing technologies will hold the key for enterprise success with their inherent advantages of cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and innovation. We believe these technologies will be embraced by institutions with far-reaching impacts on a global scale.

In our blogs here at Sentinel Global, we frequently refer to “open computing”. This is our informal tagline for the development and sharing of technologies among multiple parties or networks. These technologies enable three important things concurrently:

1. Alleviate the burden of customized, centralized R&D (i.e. decentralized innovation)
2. Enhance interoperability across enterprises and tech stacks
3. Enable easy access, verification, development, and security across multiple participants

We believe that the bulk of future enterprise value will be built on top of such open computing systems and networks. Why?  

Here are our seven reasons.

1. In an era of increasing business complexity and rising enterprise costs, companies are compelled to pursue greater efficiencies not only in software but also in their infrastructure, networks, and systems. As firms expand into new markets, these optimizations become even more imperative. The continued need for increased scale and lower costs remains paramount.
2. Talent is flocking to open systems. An early and leading indicator of value creation in emerging platforms is developer engagement.  In 2012, there were 2.8 million million developers on GitHub, the open-source platform.  In 2022, there were 94 million.
3. Basic supply and demand constraints. Startups lacking the resources or inclination to establish extensive internal cybersecurity infrastructure will seek open computing solutions. These solutions provide an alternative for those unable to construct and uphold their own private networks. 
4. The proliferation of different programming languages matters as well. Today, 20-30 languages are “commonly used” while The Online Historical Encyclopedia of Programming Languages (OHLO) lists over 8,945 distinct programming languages.  Leveraging established and open infrastructure minimizes the need for developers to master all of the languages needed to complete their specialized tasks.
5. Obviously this gets accelerated with AI, which can be a co-pilot to developing code itself. By building on public data, that code can offer more code. It is no longer an arms race of amassing headcount to build complex proprietary software. AI can effectively augment privately developed code with exponential public solutions.  
6. The increasing value of open computing is supported by historical evidence. Open collaboration has consistently led to successful innovation, resulting in improved efficiency and security, from nautical charts to open source software. There is no reason to believe this iteration of history will be any different.
7. Lastly, and perhaps most obvious is that accessible information begets more information. Retweets, the comments section, memes, and other forms of shared media have highlighted the power of permissionless innovation on public information.  

Looking Ahead

The world of computing and business is not currently bound by the dichotomy of open and closed systems. For the next decade, it will thrive on a workable coexistence of both, where their strengths complement each other to create a robust and versatile infrastructure. 

That said, while proprietary software solutions offer advantages in bespoke customization, security, and legacy compatibility, open computing technologies hold the key to the future of computing and business. Its inherent strengths – cost-effectiveness, flexibility, and innovation – should ultimately propel it ahead in institutional technology architecture.

As legacy infrastructure gradually transitions to digital systems, the compatibility concerns surrounding open computing should diminish. Additionally, the increasing adoption of open standards and open-source components by major technology vendors is further paving the way for seamless integration with legacy systems.

Sentinel Global stands at the forefront of this transition. If you are a startup building upon open computing technologies or an institution seeking to learn more, we would love to hear from you.  Reach out to us at hello@sentinelglobal.xyz