Adopting Technologies in 2006

 

I opted not to complete a riveting summary of the top 2,006 business-technology events of the year. Instead, let me summarize that in the past year, Americans stepped closer to make the extras of technology the expected; the unusual transformed to utility. Recent advents have helped us be both more self-absorbed and “share.” Consider a few recent examples.

Pop quiz! What happened on April 3, 1973? Answer: The first public telephone call was made on a portable cellular phone. Innovator Martin Cooper rightly noted that “people will demand the freedom to communicate wherever they are, unfettered by the infamous copper wire.” (Obviously, commercialization didn’t occur until much later. When I was young, I would have assumed cell phones were used to talk to prison inmates.)

33 years later, cell phones allow us to talk wherever we go. But yet, as we isolate ourselves, we invariably share bits and pieces of our private life with complete strangers. (By the way Ma’am, if you’re reading this—and you were the one shopping and talking in the cold cereal aisle the other day—I agree. You should tell that deadbeat brother of yours to get a second opinion, regardless of what his ex-wife says.) Cell phones have become nestled in our professional and personal worlds—allowing us to communicate wherever we are, about whatever we please.

Of course, cell phones are only one avenue of communication. WiFi networks have grown in popularity and have opened up portable communication for the Internet. For example, last month’s Upstate Business Journal article describes the municipal wireless Internet network planned for the Sacramento Valley—WiSac. This would be a tremendous help in boosting commerce throughout Northern California.

On business travel, I’m no longer looking for the motel with the enticing “Free Showtime” and “Color TV” sign. I’ve upped the ante. I need establishments with high-speed Internet and a secure WiFi connection. To quote Shakespeare: “Fie! Away with thee copper wire and CAT5 cable!”

Speaking of travel, and the adoption of new technologies in 2006, I was in Chicago’s Midway airport last month. I observed police officers patrolling on Segway scooters they obtained earlier in the year. As these officers stood erect, zipping down lengthy stretches of the concourse, the Jetson’s theme song played over and over in my head. I kept expecting Astro to be bounding behind at any moment. But for airport employees and other regulars, they paid little attention. The introduction of this five-year old invention was another adopted technology—now no different than the ho-hum-heavier-than-air 707s being taxied over engineered concrete by the mass-produced utility tractors driven by internal-combustion engines.

So, what did Time magazine identify as the best invention of 2006? What will be part of our country’s technology legacy for the next decade? (Drum Roll…) YouTube—the website where you can “Broadcast Yourself!” YouTube allows you to watch videos that have been shared by others. You can also post your own videos. Why did YouTube garner this noble title and not some team of research scientists developing clean water sources or cures for cancer? Analysts propose three factors: cheap video production software, the growing social atmosphere of the web, and the general revolution against mainstream media. In a nutshell: it’s easy and it’s about us.

Are you considering reading a goodnight bedtime story to your children tonight? Don’t forget YouTube! You could re-watch that video your co-worker showed you today. Remember? The one of two Midwestern middle-aged men having a light-saber fight in their basement while dressed in pickle costumes. You could add this quality video they’ve shared to your favorites. Sure a bedtime story might have long-lasting impact on developing character and developing parent-child relationships, but quality family time can always wait when there’s valuable resources like this on the Internet!

I appreciate the long-term benefits of technology that help personally and professionally. But if Time magazine has the pulse of valuable technology contributions for 2006, we’re flatlining. It’s time to ramp up and see what we can do in 2007.

Tom Urbanowicz is the owner of DataDesignIT, helping businesses operate efficiently and communicate effectively using technology like the Internet and corporate intranets. Tom can be reached at tom@datadesignit.com or at 530.513.1691.