Archive for April, 2011

Data data everywhere and never the twain shall meet

Posted: April 11, 2011 in Convergence, Transparency
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Enough of the FAX machine. I want to return to the idea of segregation. Segregation, and consequently convergence, is a lot broader in scope than FAX machines and copiers. There is also data segregation. We have data on our desktop at home and data on our computer at work and data on our laptops and data on our phones. Remember the little locker folder from Microsoft that was supposed to aid with synchronizing your data? No? OK, I don’t remember much about it either. Today we synchronize through Google or Dropbox or MobileMe. This allows us to share some of our data across various devices. But segregation and hence upcoming convergence is broader than that. Whether it is a church directory, our checkbook, an old family recipe, or a list of To Do items we have data everywhere and much of it is physically compartmentalized. We are comfortable with this. Mankind has centuries of adaptation to this model. Just think of the traditional file cabinet. We place things in physical locations and then later, when we need them, we try to remember where they reside. I suspect most people reading this know that this is changing but do they understand how truly pervasive this trend is?

OK, now it’s time for a brief side trip so I can hint at what will be a major upcoming topic in future posts. I want to go back to the FAX machine. When the FAX started getting merged with the printer one thing that made the move successful was the low learning curve. The buttons on the multifunction printer were dedicated FAX buttons. With LCD displays this is now a little different but the concept is the same. Select FAX and the “buttons” are all there. This transparency of use, where there is little training and it is seemingly obvious how to operate a device is a major underlying trend today. Look around and think of all of the different interface systems you learn. There is the TV remote, the game system, the smartphone, and the computer. That’s just a start. Let’s move to the car where many have a complex interface be it IDRIVE or SYNC. Transparency of use, or the lack thereof, is broader than most understand. While related to the idea of ease of use, transparency is much bigger in scope and impact. Together with convergence these two trends are going to drive a major battle pitting many companies against each other and transforming how we use technology.

CONVERGENCE part1 – Preconvergence

Posted: April 11, 2011 in Convergence
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To fully understand convergence we need to first look at the preconvergence world i.e. technological segregation.  In a segregated world a radio is a radio. a TV is a TV. They provide separate functions. Not only is a computer a different animal but your laptop is mostly segregated from your desktop. Your games are played on dedicated devices or are boxes you take down from the shelf. Books are physical entities placed on a shelf.  This is the land of the DVD player, stereo system, Atari 2600 game system, paper checkbook, FAX machine, copier and many other discrete items. All provide distinct functionality. This is the land of segregation and it has fought a stiff battle against convergence.

For years segregation has been attacked. In many cases the attacks have been feeble to the point of making people believe convergence wouldn’t happen; at least not in some particular are.  Consider the FAX machine. For years there has been FAX software on computers tied to modems so you could FAX from your computer. Few used it. The simple user interface of the FAX won out. The first successful attempt was the merged FAX and printer. Here we have convergence at its lowest and simplest level. But there is something deeper going on here that has big implications for business. The printer convergence with the FAX machine is just a jagged step. Remember the hype over the paperless office? You don’t? Well, in the early days of the personal computer it was the rage. Paper would disappear or so the pundits said. A few years later someone noticed that even more paper was being used.  It seems the computer accelerated paper usage rather than decreasing it. The pundits were wrong; or were they?  This is an example of jagged, wandering paths (yes paths not path) to the final answer. If you jumped to the paperless concept you could take your company down a wrong path. Yet, in the end you would have been correct. We are headed to the paperless office but it is a winding road.   Let’s return to the lowly FAX machine. The first successful convergence is FAX machine and printer. This is a small step and easy on the user. The same buttons are there. But… now there is a scanner since a FAX machine needs one. Now you can scan a document. There is the PDF format. If someone doesn’t have a FAX you can now scan and email. Once this habit is established and becomes accepted why not just scan and email all the time? Finally the paperless office wins a small battle. The tide has begun to turn. What was predicted many years ago is starting to happen but with little fanfare.

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