Fiorina: Technology will 'disappear' in 25 years
Speaking at the Global Business Forum in Sydney, Fiorina told the audience that by 2030, technology will be so integral to daily living that we will take it for granted.
Carly Fiorina
"We have entered the main event of technology...We are talking about an era where technology is woven into the fabric of life and almost disappears. It means that technology is in everything and everywhere," Fiorina said.
The change will happen gradually, "although it is clearly going on now," she added.
Fiorina also explained her decision to take up positions on the boards of two companies--Cybertrust and Revolution Health--since her departure from HP just over one year ago. "In the next five years, the biggest areas of technological change will be in cybersecurity and health care. That is why I have chosen to sit on some company boards," she said.
Managing the transformation
Fiorina offered some advice to anyone looking to transform their business using something called her "leadership framework," which means viewing an organization as a combination of hardware and software.
"I would argue that structure, process, measurement and results are, to use technology terms, the hardware of the institution. The software is culture, behavior, personality, values. Just like a computer will not work without hardware and software, neither will an institution. We can't just change the hardware; you also have to change the software," she said.
According to Fiorina, a successful transformation will also require a balance of optimism and realism. "Optimism fundamentally is the belief that things can be better and people are capable of achieving more. Realism is what provides the discipline and rigor around change," she said.
"All change takes discipline and rigor. I don't care if change is losing weight or transforming a company. You better have discipline, rigor and measurement. And by the way, change happens in small steps," she added.
Munir Kotadia of ZDNet Australia reported from Sydney.