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- Where did you grow up?
- I consider myself a Bostonian, born and raised in that area, where I have lived most of my life. I consider southern New Hampshire, where I live now, to be a more livable and affordable part of the greater Boston area — a statement that is not popular with some people.
- Tell us about your family.
- I am married, I have two wonderful daughters ages seven years and two years, and we have two family dogs.
- How did you become an IT analyst?
- First I got the bug to be a competitive analyst when I worked at Digital. It seemed to be a fascinating, fresh, outside look at the world and it was, leading directly to my exposure to the world of industry analysts. After attending my first Gartner conference in 1990, I was hooked and I knew I wanted to do that someday.
- What do you like most about your work?
- Being part of such a dynamic, interesting industry and being in a position to help people navigate their way through it.
- How has IT personally changed your life?
- Some years ago, after becoming accustomed to email for many years, I took a job where they did not use email yet and I remember wondering what I would do with a PC that was essentially just a typewriter. IT permeates most aspects of my life and as a geek, I enjoy trying to stay somewhat near the leading edge. Lately, I find myself becoming my parents: telling my daughter how there were no computers, DVD players, etc. when I was her age.
- How do you spend your time when you're not working?
- With my family and cooking — especially Italian and Chinese dishes. Other hobbies including travel, trains and audio/video.
- Do you play a musical instrument?
- Does an iPod count?
- How do you choose the books you read for pleasure?
- Most of the books I read are non-fiction in the areas of business, current events, politics and history, and I am partial to the works of Thomas Friedman and the late Jared Diamond. Actually, James Burke, who is the subject of my first Fellows Interview, is one of my favorite authors. He also hosts some of the television documentaries I have most enjoyed. I am an avid reader of newspapers and magazines too. Do you suppose that suggests something about my attention span?
- What is your ideal way to spend a free Sunday afternoon?
- Reading the Sunday paper.
- Is there a TV show you never miss?
- The West Wing, The Apprentice, BBC News, Meet the Press, CBS Sunday Morning, 60 Minutes, Frontline, Nova, and The American Experience are among my favorites.
- Do you have a favorite Web site?
- Google and all its related sites. News.com Yahoo.com.
- Do you have a philosophy by which you live, something that guides you in tough times?
- Remember that nothing is more important than your health and sanity. Keep It Simple. Don't assume conspiracy, but don't assume no conspiracy; remember, incompetence explains a lot.
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David covers catalytic technologies - that is, the technologies that affect our daily lives, change the ways we do business, and spark bigger trends. For example, the emergence of the Internet changed how many businesses interact with their customers.
Topics He Covers Include:
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The Internet and Web services |
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The impact of consumer technology on enterprises |
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Corporate strategies of major vendors including IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, SAP and Sun |
Recent Accurate Predictions:
In 1998, predicted much of Microsoft's strategies to deal with the Internet, antitrust and Java - which became known as .NET.
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In 1999, predicted the rise of XML messaging over HTTP which became SOAP and web services that underlie W3C's effort to standardize XML protocols for distributed computing.
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In 2001, predicted that technical confusion and lack of architectural planning will cause users to overpay for application server functionality that they will never use.
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David has now over 24 years of senior-level experience in the IT industry. With a deep technical background, he understands the strategic implications of complex technologies and can communicate easily to both business and technical people.
David has served as lead analyst for several large vendors including Microsoft, IBM, AOL and Sun.
At the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas in 2004, David outlined outlined the concept of "the home media center."
David was named most influential analyst in 2003 by Adweek Magazines' Technology Marketing for his widely respected views on platforms like .Net and Java.
David has interviewed many famous technology leaders including Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft Corporation, Scott McNealy, CEO of Sun and Craig Barrett, CEO of Intel at Gartner Symposium asking the difficult questions to which users want answers.
David has been quoted in media publications such as Business Week, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and USA Today. He has made 20 television appearances since 2001 on such channels as CNN, CNBC, Bloomberg and TechTV.
So popular is David with clients that he was one of the Top 10 most-requested analysts in 2002. Pioneering Gartner's Research agenda around the Internet and web services, his thought-leading research consistently appears in the Top 40 most-read documents in Gartner.
Prior to joining Gartner, David served as:
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Service director for advanced operating environments at International Data Corporation |
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Lead Unix competitive analyst at Digital Equipment Corporation |
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Software Engineering Teaching Fellow at Boston University |
Education:
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BA, Applied Mathematics, Summa Cum Laude from Clark University, Worcester, Massachusetts |
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MS, Computer Engineering, Boston University, Massachusetts |
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David is currently leading an effort that is focused on researching the impact of consumer technologies on enterprises.
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