Client Server Wine in Web App Bottles?

Our CEO recently hosted results for the financial analyst community. An answer that customers deployment tastes often change after a major recessionary downturn, struck me to inventory patterns in SMB app deployment patterns. Notice the 10 year period of app innovation seems coincident with the recovery troughs. It seems our industry is synchronised, also we keep coming back to simple after incorporating new technologies.

Typical small-to-midsize biz app suite evolution recap:

1982-1992: New Accounting / MRP apps modules programmed in Basic for DOS on PC
Server is file data storage only. App progs sit in a folder C:\Progs.

1992-2002: New Financial / ERP app suites programmed in C++ / VB for Windows on Pentium
Server is SQL data storage, centralized installer to updates client complex PCs. App programs install in C:\Windows\Progs\Apps and Windows Registry

2002-2012: New point apps CRM/SCM/Doc Mgmt written in ASP.NET for Windows IIS Web Server. Data is SQL storage. Web services added for customizations, web mash ups.

2002-2012: Prior Windows suites move to central deployment, installs move to 'Windows Citrix servers' for central management / hosting. biz logic layer, separated from the user interface, options increase customization via biz layer and potential scalability for app server.

2012-2022: Rich mobile apps capture field functions. Desktop Apps move to Rich Internet Apps. Simple Web Apps move to Rich Apps. Servers move into SaaS hosting centers.

During each 10 year period we've added new client devices through the LAN, the Web, WiFi and Wireless. Is the underlying trend always really a move back to Client Server patterns, the simplest deployment and development solutions to support multiple client devices?

Same wine, more bottles?