If you remove smartphones from the discussion, what ideas would you say have been powering and advancing tech innovation in the last 10 years?

We posed this question to our FOLEYTech 2014 expert panelists to get their take on a look back at what's powered tech innovation.

  • "The rise of social and the creation of key companies underpinning that new space — Facebook/Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn, Snapchat, etc."
    – Eric Hjerpe, Kepha Partners, @efhjerpe
  • "The availability and affordability of cloud-based services. Innovative products and services can now be developed and deployed via cloud-based platforms for a fraction of the cost of traditional methods."
    – Ron Remy, Mobile Heartbeat, @TechDadCentral
  • "Social media has totally changed how we communicate to worldwide audiences on a personal level."
    – Don Dodge, Google, @DonDodge
  • "WiFi: Ubiquitous connectivity coupled with an explosion of social networks and mobile apps has enabled users to interact with their world on a real-time basis in new ways with increased productivity."
    – Chris McKenna, Foley & Lardner LLP
  • "The ability of startups to deploy infrastructure with very little cap investment."
    – John Morey, MyRozi, @MoreyMyRozi
  • "Cloud infrastructure and web2.0 social media platforms."
    – Lara Hanson, Qwasi
  • "Use of cloud services."
    – Danielle Sheer, Carbonite
  • "The combination of social media, cloud services, and mobile have created a truly connected planet where information, data communication, and sharing have become mainstream globally."
    – Ralph Rodriguez, Delfigo Security, @ralphopinions
  • "Social media adoption... sites like Facebook and Twitter are driving rapid, near real-time communication while creating opportunities for negative developments too via security breaches and identify theft."
    – Robert Zeuthen, BNY Mellon
  • "Without a doubt, cloud computing."
    – Ken Leeser, Kaliber, @KALDataSecurity
  • "Cloud computing has made it less expensive and more flexible for companies big and small to develop solutions both internal and external. The tech world will never be the same – it's a revolutionary technology that comes every few decades."
    – Greg Dracon, .406 Ventures, @Greg406
  • "Biggest change has come from social media...bringing human relationships into the software."
    – James Geshwiler, Common Angels, @geshwiler
  • "Proliferation of broadband and advances in fiber optic networks in general. These advances in infrastructure have paved the way for fundamental shifts in how people consume media (print-to-digital) and products (e-commerce) alike, and ultimately feed the "Big Data" machine that we hear so much about."
    –Tom Kearney, Wicks Group
  • "The advancement of non-fossil fuel vehicles."
    –Rob Brown, Lincoln International
  • "Cloud computing and deceleration of computing costs. It represents a paradigm shift in information technology and the underlying framework for making Big Data actionable."
    –Ed Montes, DataXu, @DataXu

Interested in continuing the discussion with fellow entrepreneurs, C-level executives, tech business managers, and tech company investors and advisors? Learn more at Foley.com/Foleytech

Join in the discussion via social media at @foleytech and #foleytech2014.

A Look Ahead 10 Years

What are their predictions for the game changer in mHealth, digital media, and security for the next 10 years? Read More in Part II.

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