Are You Ready For Business 3.0?

Are You Ready For Business?
Andy Stetzinger
12-11-06

20 years ago, the world simply wasn't ready for IBM's
"Big Idea". I recall my friends father, a corporate sales
sales rep for IBM, and him trying to explain this wild
idea to me. He said people wouldn't install applications
on their computers at home or the office, they'd
subscribe to them, and have them "delivered" via cable.

"Just like TV", he said.

While I struggled to understand exactly what he was
talking about, or how it would work, I couldn't help
but think there was "something" to what he was
describing. At the time, I was into "BBS'ing"
-calling other local computers with mine to exchange
messages, play games, or download files. I could
comprehend the concept IBM had, but had no clue as to
how it would be implemented.

Neither did anyone else.

Fast forward to today's world. Just about everything
is online, including Word Processors, Spreadsheets,
Databases, and other essential office tools. Google
is blazing the trail to replace the current monolithic
operating systems with a very thin client that does
nothing more than connect to the Internet. All of
your tools, systems, programs, and games will all be
accessible from any computer with an Internet connection.

But not too soon.

While "server sided applications" are easier to
maintain, cost less to deliver, and have a higher ROI,
there are still many hurdles to overcome. Security,
availability, speed, and browser compatibility are
just a few of the concerns facing this brave new world.

The Internet can be a double edged sword at times.
It can make business much easier for us, yet it can
bring us to our knees when it is unavailable, or
something horrible happens. It makes no promises -
no guarantees. The world relys on 60 year old
technology that, in some cases, is literally held
together by duct tape!
(not in our offices though, rest assured!).

Businesses today have moved much of their efforts
online these days. While there are still a few people
out there who refuse to take the step, they are a rare
breed, who have been in a successful business for quite
some time. Start-ups and young businesses alike can not
afford to miss their online audience.

Has the Internet changed the way people do business?

Fundamentally, no.

People still do business with people they like and
trust. They just do business a lot faster these days
with the technology available.

The key thing is knowing what tools and resources are
available to you today, and how best to use them
together.

Having an idea is good.

Having an idea that you can actually implement
and benefit from - that's great.

Andy Stetzinger
KeyThing Marketing Technologies