Disruptive Technology
December 8th, 2006
This should be obvious to most people: cellular phones are a disruptive technology, globally. The first half should be so obvious that saying it is embarrassing, but sometimes it needs to be said bluntly. The second half is a little less obvious, especially for those whose concept of global doesn’t extend beyond western Europe and Japan.
Once again, one of my favorite bogs, Evolution Shift, has a great article. This one is about global cell phone use and really drives home how disruptive this technology is. Those of us in the US, Western Europe, Japan, Korea and a few other places barely notice because the shift has been so organic, but the cell phone is really a disruptive technology globally, possibly more so than the internet, possibly as much as the printing press, radio, (which haven’t had an impact on some cultures) or even language itself. With the growth of the cell phone in the ‘less developed’ world we are looking at an equalizer, a technology that, combined with the internet, allows a farmer in central Africa to play on the same field as a bond trader in Norway. A technology that allows for communication capability that transcends time and place (very noticeable if one forgets to turn off the ringer when traveling in a different time zone).
Like any disruptive technology, those who can come up with ways to leverage the technology, extend it, and add value, will see huge success. I see a future where the cell carriers are just the pipes, just like electrical power, natural gas (for those in the frozen north) and POTS. There are so many ways to leverage a device/service that nearly everyone carries. Coming from the fraud prevention world I can think of dozens of ways to leverage the ubiquity of cell phones to prevent fraud. But I’m sure there are many more - just one example is PayPal’s attempt to get in to mobile payments, where one can send money to a friend via the cell phone. Sharing a cab, but don’t have cash? No more of the ‘I’ll get you back’ - just send a $text - I just made that up, but that’s what it will be - cash through text.
It is so exciting when the technology becomes truly global - there are so many opportunities. I just hope those opportunities aren’t primarily marketing.
Categories: Science/Tech |
Thank you for your comments. Your point is true. A lot of us in developed countries cannot fully understand the power of a hand held device with global connectivity in the hands of a first time phone owner in a developing country. I am honored to be rated a ‘favorite’. Thanks.