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Mapping Weak Signals

Inspired by: FP7 » Reduced Security Control to Push Innovation

version: 1 / created: 2010-08-09
id: #942 / version id: #942
mode: VIEW

Originally submitted by: Vanessa Watkins
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Last changed by: Vanessa Watkins
WI-WE status:
submitted unpublished archived

Source of inspiration

European Commission Framework Programme for RTD (FP7)

Theme/activity of inspiration

Theme 8 - Socio-economic Sciences and the Humanities

Sub-theme/area of inspiration

Blue Sky Research on emerging issues and other research economies

Optional reference/s to FP7 project/s

Use the following format: Project Acronym (Project Reference No.). Use commas if more than one project is associated to this Wild Card, for example: ALFA-BIRD (213266), SAFAR (213374), LAPCAT-II (211485)
Source: INFU (225229) - http://www.innovation-futures.org/ http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/editors/23916/?a=f http://www.informationweek.com/cloud-computing/blog/archives/2009/02/survey_fear_slo.html

Uploaded reports, images or pictures related to the Weak Signal

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Signal's headline

(max. 9 words)
Reduced Security Control to Push Innovation

Signal's description

(approx. 150 words)
Please describe the Weak Signal (approx. 150 words)
In a keynote Google’s former CIO Douglas Merrill describes Google’s approach concerning internal innovation culture as offering employees as much freedom as possible in their working/innovation processes, e.g, by letting them choose any operation system, any location and any software they want to use. This increases the company’s rate of return. Any other way would just stifle their productivity in innovation. This has an effect on Google’s security policies: Google tries to close the upcoming security-gap in its own infrastructure e.g. by securing their servers rather than opting for the traditional solution, which would be to secure each device, which is used by an employee (and thereby restricting the devices, which can be used: software, computer, browser, etc.).

Keywords

innovation, security, internet infrastructure, google

Signal's first apperance

2005-now

Signal's potential evolution

It could lead to...
issue type of issue/development potential impact on society timeframe for the issue to become at least 50% probable
#1 Change in current innovation patterns new/emerging
 		neutral

Importance

please specify
please select
Level 4: important for the whole world

Key driving forces of this signal

Please use these boxes to provide up to 2 drivers of HIGH importance. Click on HELP to see examples:
Driver 1 Driver 2
Technological/Scientific The technological approach by Google was prompted “Cloud Computing”: common business applications online become accessible from a web browser, while the software and data are stored on servers.
Economic Innovation cycles are speeding up. This forces companies to think about ways to increase the productivity of their employees. Google was therefore looking for ways to increase innovative freedom for employees without harming IT-security, assuming that increasing freedom to innovate also increases a company returns.

Major risks & opportunities associated to the signal

Please choose the most appropriate timeframe option(s) to which you would like to provide inputs.
Risks Opportunities
before 2015 It is not yet clear, if protecting own infrastructure is sufficient to close all security-gaps, e.g. encoding internal communication by allowing the use of blogs, messengers etc.

Signal's relevance for European Grand Challenges

where? please justify:
particularly relevant Europe world
Economic prosperity/dynamics
Innovation dynamics
Techno-security, hazard & risk

Signal's relevance for thematic research areas

please justify:
particularly relevant
ICT - Information & communication technologies This could be a weak signal that the traditional conflicts between security issues and an open innovation culture are coming to a head. Therefore companies are looking for new ways to harmonise the two aspects. This weak signal could also lead to new security innovations.
Science in society
International S&T Cooperation
Research for the benefit of small & medium-sized enterprises (SMEs)

Pan-European strategies influencing the signal

please justify:
particularly relevant
Facilitating and promoting knowledge sharing and transfer