The Internet is a far more complex entity than the "series of tubes" image that is often invoked. Application Delivery Controllers are part of the hardware-based solutions currently in use that are designed to load balance and manage the delivery of applications while preserving the performance of servers in the data center for end-users located within the private network.

What type of device are you using to read this post right now? No sixth sense is necessary to determine that the answer would range from "laptop," to "smartphone." Nor would it be required to guess that you already have several work-related emails in your inbox that are stamped with "Sent from my iPhone."

The genre of Science Fiction and its contributors has given us plenty of glimpses into what the future of mobile devices might look like, from the hand-held communicators of "Star Trek" that inspired the first cellular flip phones to both cinema and comic-inspired wearable devices. However, compared to the smartphones and other devices that are currently on the market, these formerly advanced devices of the past now look and feel far more antiquated than cutting-edge, becoming more and more obsolete with each new upgrade.