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Two articles from a recent edition of The Economist magazine (June 22nd - 28th, 2002) caught my attention. Both have to do with developments in technology or the Internet that will have a substantial impact on our lives and how we conduct our businesses in the years to come. The first article addresses instant messaging. This is a technology that has already had a profound impact on my life. I have three different software packages on my system, because various people I am in contact with have elected to use different tools. Within my family, we have all adopted AOL Instant Messenger as our standard, probably due to the fact that my mother is an AOL subscriber, and she is someone we all want to communicate with. Using this software, I am in daily contact with my mother in Shreveport, my sister and her family in Dallas, my brother in South Africa, and my two sons, one of whom is in California and one in Italy. I also maintain communications with personal friends from various stages of my life who are scattered all over the world, and with members of my Navy flight squadron, who have grown closer as children and careers release their grip on our time. The thrust of the article is that this "family friendly" tool is now beginning to reveal its value in a business environment, where its impact will undoubtedly be as significant as it has been on my personal communications. I have summarized the article for you on my web site (click here), or go to http://www.small-business-consultants.net/Library/instant_messaging.htmThe second article discusses changes that are taking place in wireless communications. After many years of not feeling that I could justify the expense, I finally succumbed and got a cell phone. With a much shorter lead-in time, I have recently added a wireless network to my home computer configuration to enable me to work on my laptop from anywhere in the house (almost!), while still having access to our high speed connection to the Internet and to my printer. With my wife and I both working from the home and sharing computer resources, this has led to major improvements in domestic tranquility. The news from the article indicates that these devices (my cell phone and my laptop) will become increasingly powerful and useful as these new technologies take hold. When I consider the impact that these two devices have already had on my daily activities, I believe that the increases to come in mobility and communication capabilities are staggering in their implications. Read my summary at http://www.small-business-consultants.net/Library/wireless_networking.htm and see what you think.
Instant messaging joins the firm, pp. 5-6 Instant messaging over the Internet began in the early 1970's in the university environment that made up most of the Internet community at that time. With the advent of substantial public access to the "world wide web" beginning in the 1990's, it really came of age. Now, businesses are beginning to recognize the benefits of instant communication incorporating a written record. Encryption algorithms, "trusted partner" arrangements, and firewalls are addressing the problems of security and privacy with the medium. As these protocols become better developed and more widespread, corporate adoption of the software is expected to skyrocket. One company believes that instant messaging will be essential to stockbrokers, and is developing software to address that market. This system will require that names and passwords be assigned by an authorized systems administrator. Second, it will allow access only from designated computers. Third, all communication is recorded and remains completely within the corporate firewall. Another company is taking a different approach and developing an "overlay" system that would provide security to the users, but allow transmission over any of the instant messaging protocols. Others are that would incorporate messages into images that are transmitted over the Internet, opening up markets for architects, designers, doctors, and other professionals who rely on graphical presentations to convey significant information. The complete article is available for purchase from The Economist; search for "Instant messaging joins the firm." at http://www.economist.com/
Watch this airspace, pp. 14-21 Four new technologies promise huge improvements in communications. Smart antennas, mesh networks, ad hoc architectures, and ultra-wideband transmission are all on the development horizon. Smart antennas are already in use in some locations, and mesh networks are beginning to appear. Ad hoc architecture and ultra-wideband transmission are still in preliminary stages, but, alone or in combination with any of the four, each of these technologies could have a major impact on communication capabilities. Common base station antennas broadcast in all directions, and utilize a narrow segment of the radio spectrum to avoid interfering with other cells. Smart antennas use directional broadcasting and frequency controls to achieve a much more efficient use of the radio spectrum, thus increasing the capacity of the system. Mesh networks depend upon the creation of a wireless base station in a neighborhood, with a high speed Internet connection via traditional means. Wireless devices within range of this station can then communicate with the internet at high speed. This is the same approach, but on a larger scale, as the currently available wireless network that anyone can create in his home or office. What sets the mesh network apart is the ability for each device in the network to act as a relay for other devices that are beyond the range of the neighborhood access point. Current trial versions of this approach utilize a small, weatherproof pods or smart antennas mounted on the outside of each subscribers home. These devices relay the signals from the neighborhood access point and create multi-node networks within the neighborhood. This ability to create new networks "on the fly", is the principle of the third technology, ad hoc networks. This technology can allow rescue workers in a catastrophe to communicate with one another over a network that exists on the units that they each carry into the area. Another approach that may have already been used in military applications is to "seed" an area with small units, perhaps distributed from the air, that serve as routers for the network. This would allow the "network" to move ahead of the users so as to be in place when they arrive. "Bluetooth" is a short range and limited version of this approach, and is currently in use in Europe to allow cell phones to communicate with one another and with other nearby computers. In some instances, this technology provides a mobile wallet, as the user can utilize his or her mobile phone to pay merchants, or even buy soft drinks from a vending machine. Finally, ultra wideband ("UWB") transmission offers dramatic increases in transmission capabilities of 100 megabits per second, compared to the current wireless capability of 11 mbps in smaller network configurations, or 384 bps for longer range wireless transmission. UWB sends its signals out in short, low power pulses over a wide range of frequencies simultaneously. Existing wireless utilizes a single designated radio frequency. As The Economist concludes, "one thing is clear: it is still very early days for wireless data." The full article is available for purchase from The Economist: search for "Watch this airspace." at http://www.economist.com/
Richard G. Myers Computer Productivity Consulting "Improve profits through technology" 5602 Dumfries Drive Houston TX 77096-3920 Phone: 713.721.2109 Fax: 713.723.1892 e-mail: [email protected] Website: www.Small-Business-Consultants.net
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