BUS351: Process and Systems Management

For years, I have been teaching about the infusion of computing into sensory areas beyond sight and sound.  Today, we expect vibration mode on cell phones, and the iPhone has introduced the idea of gyroscopes and access to a rich array of sensors.  BUT, these are the tip of the iceberg.  They are the beginning of the public becoming comfortable with the idea that computing is going to interact with us through all of our senses.  One of the most interesting developments in this area is in the field of 3D printing.

I am marking this space to begin collecting my thoughts on the Age of Design. Future Shock, Network Nation, and Megatrends all predicted the information age. People would become information-empowered.  

The Internet connects people today and offers access to pricing, regulations, other government and public documents, as well as tools for manipulating data and producing more information.

How do you explain the tremendous hype and true excitement about the iPhone? It is not a particularly revolutionary device in that its features all already existed in various places. It's key is integration - simplifying and streamlining the complexity of communications today. People are willing to pay for any device that does this well. Imagine a device you could wear that would serve as an accessory when not needed and morph into a phone, camera or other device form when needed. This sort of device is being developed now in research labs (Here's the video.). This unification of communications as a goal of cell phone providers sets up the broader topic of unified messaging.

Unified messaging is a hot topic right now. It promises integration of telephone, email, and various other ICTs into one interface with unified search, storage, and topic cataloging of content.