Hi, I'm Bryce, the business transformation lead at Google Cloud. Here's what I want to share with you. Cloud technology is leading business revolution around the world, why and how? I'll tell you. In this module, I'll cover innovations throughout history that led to paradigm shifts in business and humankind, and then how Cloud technology is enabling the next wave in business revolution. Next, I'll break down the trends in compute power and processing capabilities, and how service providers like Google Cloud are giving business professionals access to superpowers. Finally, I'll show you the key ways you can begin applying these superpowers to improve or transform your business and the way you and your teams work. Let's get started. Innovation doesn't come in a linear way, it comes in waves, and each of these waves is powered by a breakthrough technology. There was the age of the printing press, the steam engine, electricity, the transportation age, the first computers, and today data science also known as the age of cloud technology. Each of these inventions triggered thousands of innovations in what are called Kondratiev waves or innovation waves. Consider the invention of the printing press. It was revolutionary and gave everyone access to books, encyclopedias, and even playing cards in their day-to-day lives. Debt waivers became bank bills, which redefined the way we measure and codify trading value. It also led to a broader recognition of intellectual property through widely distributed patents, which in turn paved the way for the first industrial revolution. There was no turning back. Steam powered engines brought us cars and trains, which then radically transformed the transportation industry, allowing businesses to produce and transport goods at scale. The entire Industrial Revolution resulted from new technologies that came together, enabling new ways of working. In the same way, electricity brought us the light bulb, household appliances, and eventually the computer. These waves all have one thing in common, they transform at the same time both the supply and the demand. On the supply side, they can dramatically improve productivity. At the same time, the increase consumption which generates more demand. Let me give you a specific example. With electricity, factory managers could operate day and night, and share information instantly with telegrams. Organizations suddenly became much more productive. At the same time, it gave birth to consumer goods, advertised on the radio and the television, which significantly increased the demand level. What the printing press, the steam engine, and electricity all have in common is that they're all examples of a paradigm shift, a fundamental and irreversible change in the way that humans work and engage with the world. How does this relate to cloud technology? You guessed it, you're right in the middle of another paradigm shift. Cloud technology is transforming how businesses create value, how people work, and ultimately, how people live. As with every other wave, it is generating thousands of new innovations, such as chatbots and predictive medicine. It improves organizations productivity, thanks to instant collaboration and advanced automation at the workplace, and increases consumption as people purchase home assistants and self-driving cars. So what is the cloud or cloud technology exactly, and how does it generate such a massive paradigm shift?
