TECHNOLOGY FOR CHANGE

Ten Smarter Technology Connections to Watch in 2009

Eric Lundquist | Date: 07-27-09 | Comments

The most interesting products are ones that connect the physical and digital worlds.

You have the analog, physical world of people, places and things; and you have the digital world of real-time data and ubiquitous connections and instant communications. In 2009, the really interesting products and services are taking place when you connect the two worlds.

In the business-to-business space it is the bridging of previously analog operations (heating, electric power usage, transportation) with the digital capabilities of reporting and management that is helping spur the green IT movement.

Here are 10 recent examples from the world at large from the fairly mundane to the significant. I bet you can think of more.

1. Transportation. Way back when, the airline industry was changed when real-time seat and passenger management provided the business intelligence for airlines to get the most profitable yield per seat. Now, what used to be in the hands of trained specialists is in the hands of the consumer. Take something as mundane as bus travel. Currently there is a revival in bus transportation in the United States, as users book inexpensive seats and then enjoy Wi-Fi-enabled rides to their destinations. Two digital connections there: first in the booking and second in making the ride enjoyable and productive by adding a digital connection.

2. Ticketing. A ticket to a playoff game before the event is very valuable. A ticket to the game after the event is worthless. Just as digital technology is changing the dynamics of travel, digital ticket management is allowing venues to get the highest, most profitable yields from seat management. And there is growing evidence that the two-way digital communication that has made bus travel suddenly a hot market is also reaching the sports stadium. Increasingly, you are able to order your beer, your sports paraphernalia, and after-game dinner and transportation offers via your smartphone while sitting in your seat.

3. Health. In home health, monitoring is a growth area. A yearly trip to the doctor's office will provide a yearly snapshot. A yearlong real-time stream of weight, blood pressure readings and assorted other easy-to-measure health parameters can alert your doctor to problems at the outset.

4. Garbage. Where does your garbage go? A team of researchers at MIT has inserted smart chips into the weekly garbage pile to find out where those throw-outs are really headed. We've done a great job at inventory control in the manufacturing process, and now we will start to see product control at the end of a product's life.

5. Bikes. I wrote about the emergence of bike sharing programs previously. One reader took me to task, claiming there was no technology in these programs. I beg to differ and would argue that it is only because of technology that allows city programs to track and manage their bike inventory that these city-changing transportation projects are possible.

6. Medical records. I'm not getting into the national health care debate here, but I will note that the ability to create medical records that are readily accessible but still adhere to privacy standards is a daunting task. But once the task is accomplished (and I believe it will), the benefits will be seen throughout the health care industry.

7. Your house. Your house is still mostly a set of analog islands. Power usage, heating, air conditioning, security and even your lawn's watering schedule all operate independently. That will change as digital controls enter the family's way of life.

8. You. You and your family's location will soon be part of the digital GPS system. While there are certainly privacy concerns to overcome, digital tracking offers a tremendous range of possibilities for productivity, security and, yes, location-based advertising offers.

9. Your city. The digital revolution is working its way into city security operations, traffic control and transportation efficiency.

10. Your food. Food safety is an ongoing concern. While it is fairly simple to track the suppliers that create automobile parts, the same can't be said for food suppliers. Adding digital information to that most analog of all products�food�can offer health benefits that would we would be unable to achieve through other means.