“The future is already here, it’s just unevenly distributed.” -- William Gibson
Gibson’s line is one of those sexy aphorisms that crystalizes a whole theory of the relationship between technology and society. What makes Gibson’s phrase so appealing is the idea that we can get a grip on what is to come if we just examine today’s cutting edge. To understand the future of mobile technologies, study how the hippest teens in Tokyo use IM. To see what ubiquitous broadband produces, go to Seoul. To see the future of gaming watch this video:
Now imagine this type of technology in the workplace and not just in the home.
In my company we have spent millions putting in Video Conferencing all around the world. Making a video call is actually easier than making a phone call because all nodes have a full directory of all the other nodes loaded so it’s just point and click with the remote. However our employees are still intimidated by the technology and are afraid to use it, or call the help desk to initiate a call. How many other areas are people intimidated by technology and therefore we aren’t getting the investment returns we expected? How can this technology be used to lower barriers to adoption and yes, even make things fun in the workplace?
