Notes From Parkland: What Technology Actually Changed at Home
Updated: 1 hour ago
Joaquin "Jack" Fagundo on how technology is showing up in daily life and local business in Parkland, FL.
I spend most of my working life thinking about technology at enormous scale: data centers, cloud platforms, programs that span continents. Then I come home to Parkland, a quiet, family focused city in northern Broward County, and see the same forces at a much more human scale. It's a useful reminder that technology doesn't only change markets. It changes how a neighborhood lives.
THE HOUSE GOT SMARTER
The most visible change is inside our homes. Smart thermostats, automated lighting and voice assistants have gone from novelty to normal, and they've made daily routines a little easier and a lot more energy efficient. Security is the bigger draw in a family town like ours. Cameras and sensors you can check from your phone offer real peace of mind.
As someone who thinks about security for a living, I'll add one note of caution. Every one of those devices is a small computer on your network. Keep them updated, and put them on a separate network from the laptops and phones your family relies on.
SUN, STORMS AND POWER
South Florida's sunshine makes solar an easy conversation, and more homeowners are having it. Electric vehicles are part of the same shift toward cleaner transportation. Down here, though, every energy decision eventually runs into hurricane season, and resilience matters as much as efficiency. Backup power and a plan for staying connected through a storm are as much a part of a smart home as any gadget. I wrote about the bigger regional picture, data centers and all, in Follow the Megawatts.
WORKING FROM HERE
Remote and hybrid work, accelerated by the pandemic, has become permanent for many professionals in Parkland. Reliable high speed internet and tools like Zoom, Slack and Microsoft Teams make it possible to work for companies anywhere while living somewhere that feels like home. That balance is a big part of why so many people choose to live here.
SMALL BUSINESS AND AI
For local businesses, from retail shops to professional practices, AI has become practical rather than theoretical. Chatbots handle routine customer questions around the clock, analytics show owners what their customers actually do, and cloud services mean a small company no longer needs a server closet to run like a big one. The owners who benefit most start small, pick one process that eats too much time, and measure whether the tool actually helps.
THE CLASSROOM
Classrooms everywhere are using technology in ways that would have been hard to imagine when I started my career, from digital lessons to learning apps that help teachers tailor work to each student. The goal, as any parent here would tell you, is kids who are ready for a world shaped by technology and sharp enough to question it. Faster networks, including the continuing rollout of 5G, will open more doors still.
WHY IT MATTERS TO ME
I've spent 20+ years helping large organizations put technology to work. What I like about watching it happen in Parkland is that the stakes are personal: our homes, our schools, the businesses on our corner. Technology should make a community like this more connected and more resilient without costing it the quiet that drew most of us here.
If you're a Parkland business owner or professional working through any of this, I'm always glad to compare notes. You can find me on LinkedIn.
Joaquin "Jack" Fagundo writes about data centers, cloud and the business of AI from Parkland, FL. He has spent 20+ years leading enterprise infrastructure and advises companies through JFagundo Consulting Services. Read more about Jack or find him on LinkedIn.
