Buying a new smart phone almost always comes with these common user expectations: apart from having the latest bells and whistles, it must deliver more capability with faster speed, but at the same reasonable price or lower. Why do users expect such demands to be possible?

As transistors get smaller, cheaper and faster, this translates to better technology each time users buy a new device. And that’s why no one wants to keep a phone until it dies anymore; and why we are used to getting more for less each time we purchase a new phone.

Known as Moore’s Law, the relationship between transistor size and value has been consistent over the past decades. While we may not always be aware of how this law works and how it has been impacting us in our day-to-day lives, we have come to expect its benefits.  Named after Intel co-founder Gordon E. Moore, who described the trend in his 1965 paper, Moore’s law is the observation that, over the history of computing hardware, the number (density) of transistors on integrated circuits or computer transistors on computer chips, doubles approximately every two years.   This means that computer chips take up less space, do more work at faster speeds, and are put together at a much lower cost for everything that uses them.

Indicators of transistor size have been used to describe the progress in chip manufacturing capability. Most recently, these processes have been called 20 or 22 nanometres (nm), with these numbers describing the size of chip features – wires or transistors – which can be easily measured. This provides a measure of speed, cost and performance. But such indicators are changing. Chenming Hu, the co-inventor of the FinFET state-of-the-art transistor said, “Nobody knows anymore what 16 nm means or what 14 nm means,” when describing the latest FinFET chips, which are expected to begin shipping this year.

A recent article by Rachel Courtland also points out that chip makers are acknowledging the relative merit of new technologies with “node numbers”. Design and process enhancements drive each improvement in performance while delivering better cost performance – and no longer necessarily have to do with the relationship between the size of the transistors or features used to make up the complex computer chips. Instead, the relationship between the size of transistors and improvements in density and performance is now related to other process improvements. The size of transistor gates has not changed much since 2007; and in 2013, the pitch of wires on chips seems to have stalled. So chip manufacturers now use these node numbers to indicate a new generation of technology.

With these developments, keeping track of Moore’s Law is expected to be more complex in the future without the obvious points of reference we used in the past, such as transistor size. Perhaps new metrics will emerge. For example, effective chip density may be a new metric to measure future node improvements. The IT industry is propelled by the technology progression predicted by Moore’s Law, and it is an important consideration in IT investment strategies.

Another example is the development in data centre network infrastructures.  New technologies like software-defined networks (SDN) are creating new capabilities by enhancing traditional internet protocol data networks. To change with the times, traditional data centre IP networks must now be assessed using other relevant metrics – density, scalability, reliability and agility – to support evolving data centre network applications. While the old metrics used to measure network capability, such as 10G and 40G Ethernet, still exist as a baseline, new metrics will surface to describe new data centre innovations. SDN and other new data centre architectures will continue to drive better network efficiency. The founding physical layer will continue to evolve to support these innovations.

Hence, be it the purchase of a new smartphone or building new data centres, we continue to expect better results for less money. Innovation will continue to deliver cost improvement and help sustain the Moore effect for IT systems. For businesses, investing in the right partnerships that foster innovation will be beneficial, as more focus is placed on optimizing traditional technologies. Some of the traditional drivers – like transistor size – are no longer enough to guarantee the same pace of innovation as they have in the past.

As Director – Data Centres for the CommScope Enterprise Solutions Division in Asia Pacific, James Young provides leadership to a broad based technical team providing engineering and technical support for SYSTIMAX® network infrastructure solutions in the region. The teams’ responsibilities include pre- and post-sales activities, BusinessPartner training and auditing of SYSTIMAX installations in support of the warranty program.

James has been involved in sales, marketing and operational roles for communication solutions working with Tyco Electronics/AMP, Anixter, Canadian Pacific and TTS in Canada. James has gained extensive experience in the sale of OEM products, network solutions and value-added services through direct and indirect channel sales environments. His sales experience includes electronic transmission components, telephony systems, network systems, LAN infrastructure products and fibre transmission system products.

Prior to joining CommScope in Canada, he was responsible for the promotion of network infrastructure products for Tyco Electronics in Eastern Canada. James has also garnered substantial experience in OEM and Channel marketing as well as network operations as Assistant Director of CP’s computers and communications group. James graduated with a Bachelor of Science from the University of Western Ontario and is a Registered Communication Distribution Designer (RCDD).

Visit www.commscope.com.