The future is...

Last year, around this time, my colleague and I were conducting interviews for Outlook Business’ special issue, Masterspeak, and we met quite a few investors who were in the thick of things at Silicon Valley. The hotspot has given birth to many a technological breakthroughs that we cannot imagine living without today. 

For someone like me, who does not have a natural affinity towards technology, it was fascinating to learn what the leading minds in the Valley were working on. The possibilities intertwined around the internet and mobile telephony, not to mention cloud computing, seemed limitless and some very bright individuals were hard at work in California trying to bring their ideas to life. Given that some of these developments could change our lives quite substantially, I was determined to put together a special issue on the latest innovation happening in the Valley. 

So, here we are with a special edition on what’s happening in the mecca of technology. Deputy Editor Meenakshi Radhakrishnan-Swami and Associate Editor Kripa Mahalingam travelled to the Bay Area last month to bring you stories of companies that are challenging the status quo in their respective fields with unique products or service models. What is especially heartening is that not all companies are focusing on the latest gadget or a brilliant app; many are also working on using the internet as an enabler for the greater good of society. 

This special edition is also packed with interviews of top-notch venture capitalists and columns on where they see the future. Although New York is now cited as an emerging cradle of innovation, the buzz in the Valley is clearly still loud and clear.