It was interesting to read this week a news report highlighting the need for a new Internet. I was a bit sad to hear how the existing Internet, which has helped provide a most ideal career and work setting for me and millions of others for years, just isn’t cutting it anymore. It makes perfect technical sense: larger bandwidth demand and capabilities coupled with multi-core processors and cheap storage make the Web seem like the congested freeways it has helped people avoid. Still, similar to trading out an old car, there is a sense of sadness in the realization that it can’t run forever and no longer suits our needs.

I also have a strong sense of optimism, however, for Linux and other open source software as repaving of the Information Superhighway is considered. Already, Linux and Apache Web servers have proven their scalability and stability for the heavy data moving and lifting required for delivery of Internet communications, software and more. In addition, people at the universities, national laboratories and other entities likely to be the architects of the next Net are among the biggest users of these and other open source technologies.

Despite references to ‘open standards’ and ‘open technology’ by those more inclined to proprietary products, there is truly a pronounced move to more openness across the IT industry. Whether in datacenters, mobile settings, applications, stacks, programming languages or file formats, the trend is toward truly open standards that prevent proprietary lock-in. We can also expect this new openness will be incorporated into a new version of the Internet, even if it is the corporations that are doing the construction. Part of the reason we need to replace the ‘old,’ existing Internet is some closed, proprietary standards that were used before.

Hopefully, the open trend will also prevent a new Net from becoming a privilege reserved for paying users and deliver a new and improved Internet that is open to all.