Copyright © 2026 Michael Herman (Bindloss, Alberta, Canada) – Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International Public License
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Michael Herman
Chief Digital Officier
Web 7.0 Foundation
JUNE 2, 2026
Abstract
Computing is undergoing a seismic shift from client/server and cloud computing to decentralization, a change of greater importance and impact compared to the transition from i) mainframe to client/server and ii) client/server to cloud computing. Speculation abounds on how this new era will evolve in the coming years, and IT leaders have a critical need for an unclouded vision of where the industry is heading. The author believes the best way to form this vision is to understand the underlying economics driving the long-term trend toward decentralization. In this report, we describe the importance of decentralization and assess its economics through in-depth modelling. This report builds on the economic knowledge of several researchers and practitioners. The report draws on landmark works in platform economics, network effects, and technology disruption to build a rigorous framework for understanding the long-term implications of decentralization for Information Technology.
To read the full report, download:
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