
I am really impressed with one new client in particular: Collaborative Drug Discovery. They truly are collaborative. I have become involved with one of their collaborative efforts and am enjoying it tremendously. We had our first meeting on Monday and lets just say that people from all over the world were involved. While the jetpacks we were promised never materialized, we have something that makes them unnecessary. The true power of the internet is being realized. We can communicate with people all over the world, work together, and securely share data all from the comfort of our homes.
I have been able to assemble a computational chemistry work suite for under $2,000. The negotiated software license agreements were easy to negotiate. The ability of a decentralized team of experts to put together a dynamic program are now in place. We are in a position to reap the benefits. This is particularly important for my discipline. Computational chemistry used to be expensive and require a company to hire a full time expert. Now you can bring one on (me for example) and have the benefit of decades of experience for a reasonable price and only pay for the services you actually need. Pretty cool, huh? I think so. Distance is no longer a barrier. I can work with anyone in the world. Web meetings make it possible to sit in on meetings in Moscow, or Brisbane. Your can get project information and share results with people in Buenos Aires, or Naples.
The future is here, and I like it!