Complexity of intra- and inter-systems interactions is steadily increasing in modern application scenarios such as the Internet of Things, therefore coordination technologies are required to take a crucial step forward towards full maturity. In this paper we look back at the history of the COORDINATION conference series with the goal of shedding light on the current status of the coordination technologies there proposed throughout the years, also in comparison with other venues and industrial proposals, in an attempt to emphasise success stories as well as limitations, and possibly reveal a gap between actual technologies, theoretical models, and novel application needs.