The document discusses the concept of a "New Silk Road" brought about by digital creative destruction and technological advances. These changes are creating opportunities but also challenges like barriers posed by zombie algorithms, zealous regulators, security risks, and a software utility gap. New power players known as "Titans" and "Extenders" are emerging alongside traditional "Defenders", and the path forward will involve finding ways for these different groups to cooperate and extend technologies through open APIs while addressing issues around privacy, security and innovation.

1. The New Silk Road
By Eric Dentler

2. The ancient Silk Road connected
Eurasia as the primary route for world
commerce and innova=on

3. The Feudal system was crushed in the 13th
century, seBng the stage for the Renaissance

4. Some historians refer to that collapse
as a period of Crea=ve Destruc=on, a shiE
which oEen precedes a Renaissance

5. The new economy and technology
advances coincide with vast societal
change, pushing us into a new period of
digital Crea=ve Destruc=on

6. Far less violent than ancient =mes,
I refer to the current situa=on and
opportunity as the New Silk Road

7. Collabora=ve Economy
Cloud, Mobile,
Fog, IOT
3D Prin=ng (Manufacturing)
Sample of Monumental ShiEs

8. The old economy is under siege
“The average job tenure for the CEO of a Fortune 500 company has
halved from ten years in 2000 to less than five years today.”
Source: The Economist Jan. 2015

9. Barriers and Perils
along the new Silk Road

10. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap

11. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
What If? Na=onal cloud servers running
machine based algorithms take over, auto-
selec=ng UI/UX decisions. Individualism and
personaliza=on get brushed aside for vast
lifestyle tracking databases, dissemina=ng
mass product and service =e-ins and favoring
increasingly closed vendor pla^orms. What
happens if 90m Millennial’s say, No Thanks to
DAAS - Data as a Service.

12. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
Wifi is the most successful access solu=on in
history with >1b devices shipped. The FCC now
plans to dumb it down by banning firmware re-
flashing (a la OpenWRT). The Trans-Pacific
Partnership (TPP) contains language banning
source code audits (opening door to buggy gear).
EU seeking excessive penal=es (5% of global
revenues), for privacy viola=ons and renewing
cries for backdoor crypto keys (called “laughable)
by EFF), but some law enforcement agencies
want it.

13. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
Will the new Empires start ac=ng like old line
media giants and “take out the knives”
against each other? Apple’s IOS Ad Blockers
may be just the beginning. Possible impact:
Subtle, forced control of increasingly closed
pla^orms, restric=ng or elimina=ng content
and ecosystem partners. Addi=onal bafles
may deter new 3rd party plug-in investments,
s=fling innova=on.

14. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
Recent security exploits like the Moon
Worm, DNSChanger and Misfortune Cookie
shook up the IETF and security community.
Unaudited source code and lax policy
enforcement can quickly open massive
vulnerabili=es. Sidebar: Slot Machines get
more scru=ny than cars (Volkswagen diesel
hack) and some cri=cal Internet systems.

15. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
The Bring-Your-Own-Device explosion in the
enterprise exposed the chasm between user
needs and IT readiness. Smartphones have
1.5m Apps with lifle real u=lity that clufer
small screens. Flat spending on R&D by large
vendors and dysfunc=onal 3rd party ISV
programs stymie mobile workforce
innova=on. Cri=cal Upper Layer solu=ons and
self-service dashboards are must-have’s for
troubled brick & mortar venues trying to stay
relevant and compete.

16. Zombie
Algorithms
Zealous
Regulators
Casual3es of
Ba6le of
Titans
Security
Risk
Crowded
Spectrum
So@ware
U3lity Gap
Mobile devices remain out of synch
with legacy service provider
infrastructure. Spiky IP traffic quickly
clogs WLAN’s and backhaul in high
density venues. More fiber is not the
answer. Load balancing and smart
premises Fog nodes help scale Exhibit
Halls, Airports, Stadiums.

17. Tribes on the
New Silk Road
EXTENDERS
Co-Exist and Extend through API’s
TITANS
New Empires bafle,
Open but Closed
DISRUPTERS
DEFENDERS
Legacy firms erect bigger castle walls to protect historic
dominance and install base. Acquire to innovate.
1,300 Superconnected transna=onal's.

18. Conclusion
The opportunity has arrived in the Informa=on Age, to deliver on the promise of
tremendous produc=vity and high u=lity. Predictable IP networks, policy based
services and the always-on culture can harness the new crea=ve class
and poten=ally improve the human condi=on while capitalizing on the new Silk Road

19. For more informa=on or help with your
next project, feel free to contact me directly at
edentler@gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/ericd777
650-888-8787 San Francisco Bay Area
Sources:
• Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Harari hfp://www.ynharari.com/sapiens-the-book/short-overview/
• Y. Harari at Google Talk Feb. 2015 hfps://youtu.be/g6BK5Q_Dblo
• FCC Policy on wifi router firmware Oct. 2015 hfp://=nyurl.com/ofnstxz
• Fake News, Caitlin Dewey, Nov. 2015, Washington Post hfp://=nyurl.com/pol65d7
• Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World, Jack Weatherford, Professor Emeritus
hfp://www.amazon.com/Genghis-Khan-Making-Modern-World/dp/1491513705
• Source code audits – Open IOT
hfp://www.wired.com/2015/11/trade-pact-could-bar-governments-from-audi=ng-source-code/
hfp://www.wired.com/2015/09/volkswagen-open-iot/
• Legacy Tech
hfp://www.work-bench.com/blog/2014/09/03/analyzing-r&d-and-m&a-ac=vity-by-legacy-tech-vendors/
hfp://247wallst.com/consumer-products/2014/11/18/companies-spending-the-most-on-rd/
• Superconnected transna=onal's
hfp://www.cbsnews.com/news/report-who-really-controls-global-economy/
Thank you, Eric Dentler