Dynamic Business

Technology is constantly changing with new trends emerging almost every day. 2008 saw an emphasis on the convergence of PC and mobile phone technologies with the Apple iPhone and the Blackberry Bold. So what does 2009 hold? GeekIT Group expert Mary Henderson looks at what was big in 2008, and predicts what some of the hot tech trends will be for 2009.

Technology in 2009 is the story of two screens. One is a very small screen designed for mobility, and the second is larger but increasingly getting smaller. The measuring stick of status, once dominated by bigger and better, has been turned on its head. Smaller and sleeker now means faster and more powerful.

Let’s take a closer look at these two screens. They dominate our lives and are fast converging in capability and performance. The traditional PC and the mobile handset are increasingly becoming single devices acting as organisers, sound systems, games consoles, desktops, communication tools and cameras.

The latest chapter in the book is the iPhone. Heard of it? Hope so! Definitely expect more of the same. A single handset that enables consumers to increasingly be connected while accessing both entertainment and business applications on the fly.

The introduction of new ‘no-frills’ laptops priced at less than $500 is another key influence on technology trends in 2009. The first low-spec laptops were released late 2007, and a fleet of affordable machines has emerged with more memory and processing capability.

Smaller, faster, more powerful phones and increasingly affordable PCs are the two technology trends that will dominate your business landscape moving forward. Recognising this, the Australian Government has committed to boosting access to laptops and broadband services across the country. How soon this will be delivered is anybody’s guess, but the precedence is in the policy and we can certainly expect a continued increase in access and frequency of use of the internet.

It is easy to be seduced by the rate of change and important to keep in mind that human change is much slower than machines. This gives you the businessperson enormous leverage to move ahead of the times and to strategise your business plans inline with technology trends while leading the market.

Feed the mobile masses

According to the International Telecommunications Union there are 3.3 billion mobile phones users in the world.  In Australia, there is now more than one mobile service for every Australian, with 21.26 million mobile phone services(Australian Communications and Media Authority, April 2008). Most of the continued growth in the next five years will be in the move from 2G to 3G networks, increasing bandwidth to the average user.

With a focus on the ever-growing techno mobility of our population, feeding the masses should be our primary concern, and the food of choice is content. Current, useful and targeted content should be the focus of every marketer serious about growing their business. Whether it be web content, applications, social networking, embracing SMS and MMS or VOIP, businesses need to be connecting with their growing online and mobile audience.

The advantage of this content is that the brand immersion is significantly more tangible than with traditional mediums such as TV, radio and print. Consumers actively participate in a campaign’s brand and are the primary drivers of the demand rather than the other way round. It is easily measurable and based on the results the content can be redefined and further targeted to the consumers needs. This cycle puts increasing pressure on businesses to have fresh content that is quickly and easily accessible, scaleable and unique.