For the past 30 years, the Sanger method has been the dominant approach for DNA sequencing. In the new era of high-throughput sequencing the genomic analysis now referred as next-generation sequencing (NGS). Next generation sequencing (NGS) technologies have opened fascinating opportunities for the analysis of sequences. During the last few years, NGS methods have become widely available and cost effective. They can be applied to a wide variety of biological fields. In this review, fundamental principles of commercially available NGS platforms are discussed. Although differences in their working and sequencing qualities, through cycles of polymerase-mediated nucleotide extensions in one approach, through successive oligonucleotide ligations, sequence outputs in the range of hundreds of megabases to gigabases are now obtained routinely..In this review, the impact of NGS on basic research, bioinformatics considerations, and translation of this technology and a view into future technologies, including various sequencing technologies are highlighted.