Thenewnewmedia

We've dedicated quite a bit of airtime in class recently to discussions about technologies like Twitter and Facebook, and focusing on them as the current examples of innovation in the IT world. Indeed, in my group's collaboration for this class, we identified these technologies as two of the many challenges facing technology managers in the coming months and years. But with all of that said, I guess I have held out hope that these, seemingly inane to me, technologies were not in fact the platform for future technology innovation. Certainly not enterprise IT, even if they were to some extent unavoidable in the realm of consumer trends.

Two weeks ago I had an opportunity to attend an executive briefing by Verizon Business on their efforts to develop a "classroom of the future". The session consisted of 5-6 presentations from many of the company's senior leaders, including a keynote by Verizon's CIO Shaygan Kheradpir, and was also an opportunity for them to solicit feedback from an audience of higher-ed technology managers on their ideas. Throughout the 5-6 presentations, much to my surprise and chagrin, the only technologies discussed were social networking, microblogging and "app stores". Not 3G or 4G. Not fiber backbones and "last mile" connectivity. Not virtualization or services innovation or cloud computing. Twitter. Facebook. Apps. Sigh.

Could I just be wrong? Are these really the platform of the future?

Jeff, I think you are right. I think Verizon, and many other for that matter, have a too short time frame in mind... They are not concerned with the long run and if they, an infrastructure company, are not focused on infrastrucuture, well them who will be?

Twitter, Facebook they are all very nice, as was ICQ not too long ago... as technology evolves however so will applications. For years we have heard the promises of virtual reality, emerging video conference and so on but if the infrastructure is not there, how is that going to be possible?

The tech behind twitter is simple and that's it's beauty. It's API is so simple that many can easily make 3rd party apps behind it. But I think what is more important is the idea behind it - to keep things short and sweet. We live in a time of information overload. Most people want their info fast, to the point, and right now. Twitter is all of the above. YouTube is the same thing - short, (mostly) to the point clips of information for you to consume on demand, right away.

I got news of MJ's passing right away while on a layover in Korea via twitter. I emailed some people in the states and they did not yet know about it. Some of the major news stations had not yet confirmed it. Yet I knew about it half way across the world. So yes, I believe these are the technologies of the future.

Virtual reality is a technology which allows a user to interact with a computer-simulated environment, whether that environment is a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world.

Most current virtual reality environments are primarily visual experiences, displayed either on a computer screen or through special or stereoscopic displays, but some simulations include additional sensory information, such as sound through speakers or headphones.
Virtual Reality can be widely in the following areas:
Entertainment such as games, music, movie, TV
Flight simulators
Architecture
Commercial
Weather simulation
Chemistry
Medicine and Healthcare
Tourism
….

VR is your second life in the future.

By the people...for the people...User based innovation rocks!!!...Future Tech. Managers have to watch, learn and apply very quickly...

These technologies have great deal of user involvement. That is what it makes attractive. To Jeff's point...Corporations have to learn out of user based innovation...these are sources of great ideas. Corporations have to learn out of these technologies and innovate on possible break through technologies...

Jeff, I think that verizon wants to promote use of cutting edge web technologies for the same reason that google does--to increase their own business. Google makes money on ads the more people use the web, and verizon can sell more fios if our hunger for bandwith keeps growing.

I agree with Jeff’s thoughts in that it does seem that lately everyone is jumping on the Web 2.0 bandwagon although some of its uses can be very trivial. I recently however, attended a workshop, Government 2.0, sponsored by the Department of Homeland Security that discussed the way various ways agencies were utilizing Web 2.0 technologies to reach the public.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for example, uses Twitter to send out alerts and updates of disaster situations (e.g. hurricane warnings). They also use You Tube to post video instructions on how to assemble their emergency kits. After attending this workshop I took a new view of social networking. No longer did I just see Twitter as a frivolous tool in which to post the latest Brittney Spears whereabouts and You Tube wasn’t just for fun. Instead I saw these technologies as a way to help individuals and the public as a whole.