Technology
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The Role of Technology in Modern Day:
The Role of Technology in Modern Day:
The world is growing fast with technology. Almost everyday, a new idea is evolved and a new product is launched.
Most of these ideas or products, though very different in nature, have this one unique point, that is common to them, and i.e. Connect People!
You may be surprised, What is this big thing about connecting people or how would it help for different products by connecting people?
The fact is, Connecting People is possible the biggest Mantra for next Decade.
Almost all our consumer products from Micro Wave Oven, to Mobile, to Video Games, to TV Sets and even to Still Camera’s! All are all aiming at Experience Share or simply Connecting People.
The same applies to Media too, be it newspapers, TV Channels, Radio or possible any form of Media, all of them are aiming at or rather working at new platform utilising Internet, to connect to greater audiences.
This brings us back to why is it so…important?
Well, the answer lies in understanding our Audiences Today.
Todays’s consumer or Media Audience has two faces.
One side of their face is the daily side which is related with their work (home/office/school/college) and the other, their open side.
While the prior is more serious and limited to environment, the latter is quite expressive!
Probably, the first side demands too much of time and one can hardly feel for himself or express his creativeness/emotions as he is under too much pressure. This is the real side!
Now this is the most important point as it is this point that triggers the need to communicate or express.
Here comes the role of internet. Internet is probably the greatest invention for Mankind. While all of us will have some definition for it, simply put, it does nothing else but ‘Connect People in a Multimedia Environment’. Now this is important as owing to MultiMedia Environment, one is able to experience a rich environment which triggers our senses.
Using Internet, not only users are able to express themselves as they are or what they are, they are able to invite response. So largely, its a two way communication. It does not matter wether you know the person or not, but once you are on net, you are NEVER ALONE!
Over last one decade, the form of communication has radically moved from Chat-rooms to Blogs. This is yet another defining moment. This clearly indicates:
1. The increase in penetration of Net (amongst Peers, Friends & Families)
2. The shift in Mindset (Objective Oriented: The Serious or Fun side of people)
Today, Social Websites like FaceBook, Orkut, etc are like a boon to Audiences. They do nothing else but provide a Private yet Public Platform to share your thoughts, your day to day experience to daily mood swings (you bet that) with your Friends/Family/Colleagues, who ever you may find to fit your mindset! The rich media sharing experience enables you to Share anything from text, photo, video, web links to sites you like, or sites you dislike, create polls, express love or hate for people or ideas, movie reviews, ….almost anything! It gives you the Power to Choose & Express un-conditionally! You are the King!
Therefore, internet also offers a platform to find like minded people and form communities for sharing one’s experience.
The beauty is that the ‘Experience’ can vary from being very personal towards sharing life experiences to Work led or Societal Changes or any thing at all. You can be a part of one, two, three, …. n number of Communities that best intreats you. Its like having multiple Avataar’s 🙂
Since all these changes are happening electronically, physical distance or time zone difference matters no more. Everyone you want to connect to, are available at a click of a button!
This has helped us to increase Bonding to a much greater level.
One knows & shares everything about a person if one wishes too.
Technology that Drives Internet
Initially, Internet was limited to colleges or universities as a platform to share knowledge. Over the years, Internet was ‘Like a Sea of Information and one had to dive in to get what they seek’
This triggered a great penetration in Households as besides student, every parent wanted one computer in their house to enable their children.
Soon, internet found a new role in Business Environment and almost all the companies wanted to be on net if nothing else but only to showcase their products.
All this time, use of net was limited to Desktop Computers found at School, Work, Home or Cyber Café. This posed a bit of restriction on real potential.
The real change came sometime in 1999 when Blackberry was born. People could access their mails/messages on the move, almost instantaneously! This was the turning point of Media Absorption and Creation! With information access that was instantaneous & could fit in your pocket, opened the doors to immense innovation!
World-over, the Companies were quick to realise the potential of such devices and every consumer electronic company was aspiring to gain market share.
Almost every mobile company muzzled down the internet package in their phones. Software companies were not left behind and were prompt to realise that this was the future. Mobiles will outsell Desktops and someone had to drive these phones.
Companies like Microsoft, Symbian, Java, all of them launched Mobile Platforms.
On the other side, the Media Companies were even more restless. In this platform they could see a great new way to reach their consumer, directly, with no middle men! With the new technology that was available, these companies realised the importance of a new way to connect with their consumers and try and occupy a greater Mind Share. Apart from tis, they were quick to realise the new power of direct consumer access. This opened new frontiers as the consumers can now get back almost instantaneously on his likeness or dislikeness towards content. Above all, they could interact with their Audiences.
Apart from this, there was a new found commercial sense by trying to create an additional value for Content that is created!
WIth a new found advantage at both the Content Generation end and Commercial end, this was the turning point for all the Media Houses as quickly, almost everyone started moving towards Multimedia Newsrooms.
The real change came sometime in 2007 when iPhone was born. iPhone redefined media consumption/sharing experience. iPhone sold 33.745 million handsets from mid 2007 till mid 2009 and quickly occupied the Top Slot at SmartPhone Category.
Apart from Media Experience, the single most important point was the willingness of iPhone user to purchase an ‘Application’
In the History of Mobile Computing, this was never experienced before. It was this fact that drew the attention of every developer on this planet. Apart from developers, this platform drew great attention from Media Houses, Fashion House, Education, and almost every B2B & B2C companies.
For most of us, the Mobile device is a boon and helps us online & connected 24X7. I can’t imagine a day without my iPhone 😉
Moving forward, there is a great wealth of information out there, there are a great new experiences waiting for us to indulge, there is a whole new world waiting for us.
So go out end enjoy the Marvel of Technology!
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