CA exec: Small is the new big

The most important technologies in the coming year will be among the smallest, said Computer Associates International's chief technology officer, who cited radio frequency identification chips (RFID) as a driving force.

Speaking at the CA World conference in Las Vegas, Yogesh Gupta said major developments in "miniaturization," the convergence of data and ubiquitous Internet access will prove critical in changing the way people use and design technology. Service-oriented architectures will also be key, he said.

"The world of technology is changing very, very dramatically," he said, singling out RFID chips, which help track microchip-tagged goods through computer networks.

"The ability to know and to sense where people are and to provide services to them" will prove vital in shaping the tech world over the coming years, he added.

This year, for the first time at CA World, each delegate's badge included a built-in RFID chip, a barely perceptible bump under the surface of the badge. "You can now actually do things you couldn't before," Gupta said. "We can now tell our delegates, 'You attended three sessions on securing your wireless network,' and we can send them information about our education program."

Gupta said as data convergence gathers pace, smart phones and other handheld devices will continue stealing market share from their clunky desktop and laptop forefathers.

Don LeClair, senior vice president in the office of the CTO, said that within a couple of years "all end-user access will be wireless." He urged companies to embrace the move and start addressing the challenges it poses.

"Even if you think you don't have wireless access in your enterprise, you probably do," LeClair said, suggesting that the greatest threats aren't posed by technologies such as Wi-Fi, but by how companies approach security.

Access controls and effective policy management are far more responsible approaches than ignoring the issue, LeClair said.

Will Sturgeon of Silicon.com reported from London.