IT Forecast: Clouds Have Formed, Raining Innovation

Originally published by the Economic Development Council of Seattle and King County in Northwest Economic Insight – Oct. 2014

Seattle’s moniker “Cloud City” has gained more and more traction in recent months as our region affirms itself as an international hub of cloud computing. The strength of our region’s information technology economy is evident in the continued prowess of major tech players, startup growth and investment, and the concentration of tech talent in King County. The unforeseen virtue of the IT industry is its transferability.

It begins with education. A graduate with a computer science degree isn’t confined to the IT industry. That graduate can apply his or her skills to just about every industry. Aerospace, clean technology, life sciences, and fashion all employ large IT departments working on a variety of projects, like digital fabrication, medical devices, and app development. The computer science degree becomes more and more transferable as industries see opportunity in adopting new technologies.

What’s truly exciting about IT transferability is the enabling of collaboration. In our region’s strongest industries, a unique nexus is formed with IT. These intersections drive the collaborative innovation we see in our region. Our airplanes are built more precisely, our buildings are more energy-efficient, and our medical devices are using cutting edge wearable technology to monitor our health (and can be fashionable to boot!). IT has even managed to overhaul the historically non-tech industries to adapt to changing consumer behavior (note how you’re reading this story today). The cloud alone has contributed to much of this collaboration as it has transformed communications, the workplace, and how we do business.

Not only have we confirmed the vitality of the local IT sector, we have transferred that vitality to the rest of our region’s economy. Think of this in terms of an old adage: a rising tide lifts all boats. Clouds have formed and tech innovation has rained down all around us. Let’s continue to ride the IT wave!