A very eventful year 2016 is coming to an end. I am looking forward to spending the holidays calmly and peacefully.

But before I can do that, this blog article is due, in which I want to look back on the past year, as well as take a glance into the future, on what will be coming in 2017.

I also want to thank you. For keeping track of my blog, visiting my workshops and reading my newsletters. And, of course, for many great conversations at conferences and other meetings over the year.

Thanks for that!

A Glance Back

This year flew by very fast and so many things happened:

  • On May 13, I launched PhilippElmer.com and published over 30 blog articles in the short time.
  • In my workshops, I explored the depths of the AE database with over 80 inquiring Automic users from 8 countries and 3 continents.
  • I was at 5 Automic conferences, on 3 of which I even gave a talk.
  • Automic has launched V12 – here I briefly present the most important new features.
  • And finally, CA has announced to buy Automic – here I’ve summed up my thoughts.

Wow, what a year!

A Glance Forward

The last year was awesome – and the next one promises to be just as exciting.

  • We all are feeling suspense for the acquisition of Automic by CA.
  • I have put many conferences on my agenda again. Now I just have to wait and see if it will be CA World this year instead of the Automic World.
  • Of course, I plan to continue to provide you with workshops and blog articles. And an expansion of my offer is also in the making.

Reading Recommendations

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I love to read and I try to read at least one book every month – in addition to my subscription to Disney’s „Lustiges Taschenbuch“ comics.

Reading is great at any time of the year, but in Christmas season it’s especially good: while it’s cold and dark outside, you can read in the cozy warm living room and enjoy the free time.

Do you need some reading inspiration? Perhaps one of my recommendations fits.

Currently, I’m fascinated by the topic „digital transformation“

I recommend the following books to get deeper insights on the subject:

The Inevitable von Kevin Kelly

A more technical view of large, technological changes and trends that shape our future.

It’s not the individual facts and examples that excite me – most of them were already known to me as Techie. It’s how the author analyzes their interconnections, observes general patterns, and thus tries to find out where the technological journey leads.

The Rise of the Robots – Martin Ford

In my opinion, a somewhat too pessimistic analysis of how digitalization is changing the world and how it will evolve. The author emphasizes the possible negative consequences: inequality, mass unemployment, omniscient AI and finally AI with its own consciousness. Nevertheless, a very recommendable book – even if it is very hard to digest!

The Second Machine Age – Erik Brynjolfsson and Andrew McAfee

A bit more optimistic than The Rise of the Robots, with very striking examples. According to the authors, new technologies bring bounty and spread. Bounty simply means „more and more in ever better quality from just about anything and everything, at ever lower prices“. The authors uses Spread to point to the growing inequality – fewer and fewer people own an ever larger piece of the pie. It is therefore about the inequality in income and possession, which is growing particularly strong as a result of technological progress.

If you want to deal even more with this inequality, I also recommend you Thomas Piketti’s The Capital in the 21st Century.

The two last-named books describe in a fascinating way how robots and AI have evolved over the last few years, without being very noticeable in everyday life. And the further development of the technology unfolds rapidly.

Last but not least, here’s also a novel recommendation:

https://www.amazon.de/Lord-All-Things-Andreas-Eschbach/dp/1477849815

Lord of All Things – Andreas Eschbach

It’s not really about „digital transformation“ – but somehow it is… and somehow the novel goes even a step further without becoming a dystopia. Definitely very exciting.

With these tips, I say goodbye to 2016, wish you happy holidays and look forward to an exciting and eventful 2017!