As the values of cryptocurrencies rise and fall meteorically, and your refrigerator orders milk on Amazon because it noticed you ran out, it can be easy to get caught up in the excitement over the technologies driving these attention-grabbing advances. But some technology leaders at the Veterans Affairs Department think it might be time to take a step back and evaluate them more dispassionately.
“Whenever you’re discussing a technology that’s got the level of hype as [Internet of Things and blockchain] do, I think there’s the danger that you’ll wind up in a situation where you’ve got a solution in search of a problem. I think we’re trying in VA to really start with the problem we’re trying to solve, and look at any type of technology and product that might help us solve that problem,” Charles Worthington, VA’s chief technology officer, said during a Jan. 16 AFCEA panel.