5 Technologies That Changed The 21st Century

There have been plenty of technological innovations in the last 21st century such as hoverboards, self-driving cars, and smartphones. Modern technologies have relied on the use of smartphones and other smart devices. The way that people enjoy music, television shows, and movies have changed. The five examples show some of the most significant technological advancements in the 21st century by leader Danny Errico.

Bluetooth Technology

Bluetooth technology was introduced in 1999, and people’s lives were changed forever. The technology has been rolled out to desktop computers, laptops, smartphones, and tablets. Many devices have incorporated the use of Bluetooth technology. This technology is no longer associated with Bluetooth headsets. Bluetooth technology has been used for everything such as audio transmission, file transfer, home security, multiplayer games, and to listen to text messages aloud. It’s most notable achievement is the Internet of Things (IoT), which has emerged from this technology.

Fiber Optics

Fiber optics technology has changed the infrastructure of devices such as the internet, telephones, and televisions. These are the types of technologies that people think of when they hear about fiber optics. This technology has also changed other healthcare technologies such as medical engineering inspection and medical imaging. Fiber optics require the use of glass that’s as thin as human hair and can transmit data over long distances.

3-D Printing

3-D printing has been used in a wide variety of industries, such as the food industry and healthcare. With the use of 3-D printers, healthcare providers can deliver products to their patients on-demand. This technology could disrupt disruption and manufacturing channels. Specialists also use this technology for dental work, hearing aids, organ transplants, prescription medications, and prosthetic limbs.

This technology is also changing the food industry. Most of its breakthroughs have been seen in this industry with establishments printing 3-D food. This concept has revolutionized the food industry thanks to creativity, customization, and sustainability. That means customers may enjoy brownies, burgers, pasta, pizza, or quiche from a 3-D printer.

Self-Driving Vehicles

The latest development is self-driving vehicles. In order for this technology to work, ride-sharing and public transportation must also support this innovation. Self-driving vehicles can reduce traffic and the number of accidents on the road. This technology is more than just about vehicles, it’s about improving the streets that are consistent with economic, environmental, and social goals.

Social Media

Social media has become one of the biggest inventions of the 21st century. It has made a significant impact on the world and on society. Social media has changed the way people get their news. While there is plenty of good with social media, there is also plenty of bad. It has contributed to the rise of online bullying, fake news, and inappropriate content. This type of activity has caused organizations across several industries to train their employees on social media management.

These are just some of the latest advancements from the 21st century. This list isn’t an exhaustive list of course. But there are the most innovative advancements because of the way they changed people’s lives forever. At the beginning of the 21st century, Blackberry phones were the cellphones that everyone wanted. Touchscreen smartphones have started out large, then went smaller, and are now larger than ever.

Also in the early part of the 21st century, 3-D printing was just a concept that was thought up by scientists. Thanks to their fruition and experiments, 3-D hardware and software became possible. Technology has improved this innovation. 3-D printing has allowed engineers and researchers to create some of the above-mentioned inventions at the speed of light.

How Lumber Companies are Modernizing

The lumber industry is one of the oldest industries in American history. Production and distribution of wood products increased over time due to increased growth of city buildings. Since most forests in the cities were depleted over time, lumbermen started cultivating for more stock from rural areas. Most houses in historic America were made of wood products with a masonry coating to look like stone, but stones were rarely used. To ensure durability, old trees were used for harvesting of timber and challenges such as rotting, or insect harm was overcome using preservatives. The lumber industry has experienced dramatic changes and different challenges over the years due to increased demand for wood products as cities continued to grow. Some of these changes were evident in terms of marketing, transportation or distribution, technology, and building modernizations.

1. Marketing Standardization

While most industries that produce building materials embarked on promoting and advertising their products, the lumber industry did not adopt advertising until the mid-1900s. Most lumber companies started by advertising specific types of woods and marketing was very slow for these companies. Again, different trade organizations could not agree on different issues, and this made it hard for wood manufacturers to work cooperatively. Today, most wood product manufacturers have embraced community service, use of digital marketing strategies and media channels to market their products. Most lumber companies have embraced modern marketing strategies and are targeting cabinet makers, refacing companies, commercial millwork shops, and construction companies because they all need their products to complete their projects. For instance, waterfront companies will need dock material made of timber for their decking projects because it is one of the developments that add value to waterfront properties.

2. Distribution and Transportation Of Lumber Products

Distribution channels for the lumber industry have always been complex, and the networks involved poorly integrated. There were numerous middlemen, and the variation between the regional and local standards made the industry more complicated. This led to increased costs for delivering goods from manufacturer to wholesalers, from retailers to railroad and wholesalers to railroad and between everyone else and the consumer. Transportation was a big challenge as well, and most lumberyards had to be located near rail lines or harbors to allow easy delivery of wood products. Today, lumber companies are found anywhere because transportation means are available everywhere. Supply channels in the industry have been revolutionized by technology advancement and globalization whereby communication has been made more effective, and travel or transportation of goods has been made easier.

3. Use of Technology in The Lumber Industry

Technology is changing all industries in one way or another, and the lumber industry is not left behind. Due to the challenges faced earlier in marketing, production, and distribution, a need to embrace technology in different operations has considerably increased. Here are some of the areas where technology has shaped production in the lumber industry.

• Sawmilling

Previously, lumber companies were using personal judgment to decide on yields expected from certain material. However, with modern techniques, people are using qualitative and quantitative data to produce cutting patterns of materials automatically. Products depend on the needs of the client after analysis of the data input is complete. Such techniques are expected to improve quality, reduce wastages of materials and improve business competitiveness.

• Drying

Drying of wood products has been modernized through vacuum drying and high-frequency heating, which are techniques that allow fast drying of both hardwoods and softwoods. The good thing about these technologies is the fact that they can be adjusted to the need and urgency of the products being produced. People were using the kiln dryer previously, and it has proven to be slow and less effective especially with the increased demand for wood products. This is one of the reasons why several solvents and emulsion systems have been developed for non-water-soluble constituents.

• Wood Treatment and Preservation

Most of the products that have been used for wood preservation were considered environmental unfriendly, and therefore a need for more efficient and sustainable strategies arose. More research is being carried out to come up with alternative solutions to improve margins of preservation. Most companies dealing with decking projects would consider properly treated dock material because of the heightened exposure to water.

• Development of Reconstituted Wood

Production of different types of boards has led to increased demand for composites and reconstituted wood products. For instance, plywood is a special wood product that needs high-quality wood to be complete while fiberboard or particle board only requires fragmented wood to produce. This means that after producing some quality timber products, one can use the byproducts produced in the process to produce other important products. Both the main product and the byproducts are made more durable through chemical treatments that help in sticking different parts and particles together. For example, sawdust can be mixed with plastic to produce plastic wood composites that are more resistant and partially biodegradable.

Change is inevitable, and every company needs to adapt to the changes that come in the industry, and this will help them to remain relevant. The lumber industry is one that has experienced dramatic changes over the years for improved efficiency.

How the Future of Finance has Been Changed by Bitcoin

How Blockchain is Innovating the Finance Industry

Digital transactions are becoming part of every aspect of daily life. Smartphones are included into decisions about attire. From entertainment centers to automobiles and the work environment, most things occur on, or originate over, a digital medium. It is this type of environment that is occurring alongside the rapid transformation of the global financial system.

A Solution for the Times

Is this year’s 16% fall (since January) in the Hong Kong stock market just a downswing? Consider recent headlines about the largest cryptocurrency mining company in the world, Bitmain Technologies. The Wall Street Journal reported on their IPO interests in Hong Kong. This may be a sign of cryptocurrencies becoming a viable financial alternative during a failing global economic climate.

After all, blockchain technology was born out of the financial crisis of 2008. It conceivably holds the key to bridging the gap between old world finances and the digital age. Cryptocurrencies are not bound by the national borders that banks and governments must contend with. Hopefully, it won’t take a complete market collapse to realize that cryptocurrencies offer benefits in terms of a common ground from which the financial markets can operate unimpeded.

Blockchain Technology and the Future of Finance

Now consider social media and online retailers. Facebook accounts are global but concentrated in the United States. Other social media giants are regionally centered or isolated behind national barriers. There are a growing number of blockchains tailored for social media. As far as online retail giants like Amazon and Alibaba, both are turning to their own blockchain solutions. Putting these types of applications on blockchains may diminish national barriers, but they may also promote private ones.

Whether an Amazon/Alibaba blockchain has a global reach may not make much of an impact to digital finance if private barriers arise. Industry giants like these are sometimes likened to the monopolies that staunch the growth of business enterprise. The early days of Apple and Windows, as well as, Apple and Android, illustrate how technological advancements can bring about barriers. Distributed and decentralized blockchains, like Bitcoin, offer an unbiased neutral ground. This is essential for the future of digital finance to remain a burgeoning global system.

Cryptocurrencies are becoming more Prevalent in Business

Several companies are filing blockchain patents. Notice that three of the top spots are held by Fintech giants. Here are the ranking by iPR Daily in order of their blockchain-related patent applications:

Alibaba – 90
IBM – 89
Mastercard – 80
Bank of America – 53
People’s Bank of China – 44

According to Cointelegraph, since 2017, the overall patent filings by country amounts to 225 from China and 91 from America.

Why Mining Cryptocurrencies is Important

Cryptocurrency news makes fewer mainstream headlines of late. Stable Bitcoin prices are part of the reason. Still, there is much growth in crypto mining companies and private companies developing their own blockchain technology. Miners ensure the validity of blockchains. They protect against malicious users by preventing them from forging transactions. It is a decentralized alternative to the centralized transactions of banks that are checked by people and software.

Among the most common blockchain protocols are Proof of Work. This is what Bitcoin uses and is considered the most secure. The original blockchain is a decentralized, transparent, and immutable means for exchanging value. It achieves its ends through the immense computational power expended by mining rigs to validate transactions.

Innovating Digital Transactions

Nando Caporicci recognized the importance of cryptography for digital transactions. He is part of the community which is pioneering the new fintech validation mechanism that enables cryptocurrencies to trade globally. Nando’s business dealings focus on building customer relationships in the computer industry. From there, Nando went on to build mining rigs for Bitcoin. People like him are still needed if the modernization of global finance is to succeed on a systematic digital platform.

About Nando Caporicci

In addition to his experience in building Bitcoin mining rigs, Nando Caporicci used his B.S. in Political Science and Masters in Business Administration to contribute to Chalice, online advertising, and virus removal. He is a family man with two children. For recent news about him, visit his Crunchbase page. Also, connect with Nando on twitter and Facebook.

Chase Rubin: Proposable.com Announces Development and Release of New Proposal Software

Summary: An industry leader in the creation of comprehensive cloud proposal platforms and software products, Proposable.com is announcing the development and release of new software products designed to further enhance the efficacy and efficiency of the proposals created and delivered by Proposable’s diverse base of clients.

Proposable.com is announcing that it has continued to add to its extensive list of product offerings through the development and release of new proposal software products specifically designed to increase delivery and closing rates while also providing a greater degree of efficiency in the creation of impressive and eye-catching proposals. The new software products are available to clients of the company on an immediate basis, and Proposable.com also emphasized the many benefits associated with the inclusion of the e-signature workflow capabilities within the newly developed and released software product offerings.

In announcing the release of the newly developed software products, Proposable.com noted the need for greater efficiency optimization due to the increasing demands placed on sales personnel and other professionals in workplaces across all industries. According to Proposable, the new software products continue to provide time-saving features that also result in improvements across every metric associated with the efficacy of a proposal created through the use of the company’s new software offerings.

“We have long understood the inefficiencies associated with many aspects of the proposal process, which is part of the reason why we here at Proposable have worked so diligently to streamline this process in a manner that also enhances the effectiveness of every proposal delivered to a prospective client,” said Proposable’s designated spokesperson. “Our new product offerings build upon the exceptional level of success our proposal platforms, software, and templates have yielded for our clients, and we have incorporated the specific feedback offered by clients to further enhance the capabilities of our software.”

The spokesperson indicated that the recently released software products will be followed by additional software releases, as Proposable is deeply committed to ensuring its clients are able to continually generate the best possible outcomes through the use of the proposal platforms, templates, and other software products offered by Proposable. With new and upgraded features that include a “drag & drop” builder, content library, flexible estimates, proposal analytics, e-signatures, sales pipeline reporting, and a great deal more, the newly developed software is rightly considered a truly comprehensive example of an ideal all-in-one cloud proposal software and platform.

About Proposable.com

Proposable.com specializes in providing its clients with efficient, effective, and innovative software products designed to enhance every aspect of the sales proposal process, including proposal creation, delivery, and closing.

Author Bio: Chase Rubin is a tech enthusiast that loves trying out new software’s.

4 Reasons Women Should Start Their Own Tech-based Business

Technology opens us a lot of opportunities that weren’t available over the last decade. Now, there are tech startups that are growing every day, and it is interesting to note that some of the Fortune 500 companies are tech companies themselves.

According to Chrissy Weems, now is a great time for women to start their business. She did her research on some facts about technology and business, and this is what she found out:

Technology stores information – technology is important for clients and businesses because it stores information. There is more data stored in the past two years compared to all the accumulated data over the past entire history of the human race.
Technology is fast-evolving – within the next 5 years, there will be a total of 50 billion smart connected devices. This means that all of these devices will be in sync to share, gather, and integrate information.
Technology brings connectivity – in 2015, there were a total of 1 billion people who use social media such as Facebook. People are more connected through technology more than ever.

With so many positive facts surrounding technology, now can be a great time to jump the bandwagon for women to start their own tech-based business. Here are some reasons why.

4 Reasons Women Should Start Their Own Tech-based Business

Tech-based businesses are set for growth.

A tech-based business is always set for growth–this is because people can access it more easily compared to physical businesses. With a tech-based business, there is an opportunity to quickly scale your company from a single employee into multitudes within a short period of time with lesser costs. Alternatively, you can even automate processes to further increase your growth without making any heavy investments.

Tech-based businesses can focus on women’s needs.

When we think of tech-based businesses, we often think of social media applications, developer tools, and other seemingly unfamiliar things to the average woman. According to Chrissy Weems, being a woman in the tech scene can give you a competitive advantage because you can understand what are the needs of your particular audience. It can also be helpful to get the perspective of women and how they can progress as leaders and influencers with this type of business.

Tech-based businesses are easier to manage.

Any business will be a challenge to grow. However, having a tech-based business means that it is easier to succeed because many tech entrepreneurs even earn money in the comforts of their home using a single laptop. Success for those in technology doesn’t mean always having the best location, best equipment, best staff, or best anything else–it levels the playing field for those who want to truly succeed even with limited resources. Even as a mom, a busy wife, or a woman with a career of her own, making a tech-based business can be easy compared to setting up something that is physical.

Tech-based businesses have great partnership opportunities.

With the connectivity of technology, tech-based businesses can easily find network connections that are mutually beneficial. This is helpful because some businesses are dependent on each other. For example, it is easier to find international suppliers with the power of the internet. It can also be easier to network with influencers who can market your products or services. This makes reaching out to other companies more of a breeze compared to traditional means where you don’t have many prospects aside from those available in your community.

Women can truly succeed with business. By considering the opportunities in starting a tech-based company, they can explore their options and learn more about what works for them.

Great Platform As A Service (PaaS) Options For Developers

Computer Scientist, Sean Seshadri can tell you that the most intelligent way to work on an app today is with a platform as a service (PaaS). A PaaS is merely a category of cloud computing services. It provides a platform allowing developers to run and manage web applications.

The function of PaaS is to simplify the code writing process for developers. The PaaS service provider handles all of the infrastructure and operations. In the early days of PaaS, platforms existed in the public cloud. However, since many companies preferred not to have everything in the public cloud private and hybrid options were created.

How PaaS’s work

A PaaS is not an application. It is best to describe it as an application platform which runs on top of infrastructure as a service (IaaS). Simultaneously it hosts software as a service (SaaS).

PaaS consist of operating systems, middleware, and other software that allows operating systems to run in the cloud. Much of the systems administration management and stack related difficulties are thus of no concern to the developer. Therefore, he or she can focus on customers and their code.

What the developer must do

PaaS takes care of all of the system administration details as far as configuring and setting up servers, databases and VM’s. It can also configure building and testing tools. Developers don’t even have to concern themselves with installing library runtimes. The workflow for using PaaS is as smooth as coding in your IDE, and then pushing the code using a developers tool like git to the PaaS and seeing the changes go live immediately.

How vendors deliver service

Providers can deliver PaaS services in two ways:

As a public cloud service from the PaaS vendor. In this case, the developer controls the software deployment and configuration settings, while the provider is responsible for the network’s servers, storage and other services to host the customer’s application.
As software installed in a private data center managed by an internal IT department.

What to look for in a PaaS

When a software developer is considering a PaaS, the essential thing to keep in mind is how effectively it can accelerate app development. A PaaS should reduce the turnaround time on an app by freeing the developer to focus on the app alone with no other headaches. Thus it is the ultimate productivity enhancement tool for a developer. The app developer’s only concern should be the application and data. The service provider’s job is to manage the following:

Storage and networking
Virtualization
Servers
Runtime
Middleware
Operating systems

Furthermore, the development tools provided by the vendor are customizable according to the needs of the developer. PaaS software providers allow their customers to elect to maintain the PaaS software or have the vendor keep it up to date for them.

Sean Seshadri suggests the following vendors:

Amazon AWS

Mixes and matches services depending on developers needs
An API-based service
Central function includes simple storage, elastic compute, email service
Rates vary based on services chosen

App Agile

A Cloud-based development environment
An Industry-based solution
Facilitates free testing of apps without delays
You only pay for what you use

Microsoft Azure

Support for different platforms such as mobile, PC, and browser applications
Ease of use with international development teams
Access to dozens of Azure storage products
Cost is pay-as-you-go with a free primary option

Standing Cloud

Automated application management
Tools include scalable upgrades
Support for several platforms and programming languages
Must contact Standing Cloud for price information

Users are Spending 44% More Time in Shopping Apps – Here’s How You Can Cash In

In the United States, the number of smartphones is expected to go over 220 million within the next 2 years. Such an astronomical figure has changed the way many things operate, including online sales and shopping. People who used to spend long hours going through stores and trying things on are turning to the virtual selection that can be done from their phone. Thus, those businesses that have facilitated app-accessible strategies have seen tremendous benefits. Andrew Knight New Canaan discusses.

Capitalizing on the Trend

Although marketers are fully aware of the ramification of the trend, people sometimes fail to take full advantage of it. According to App Annie, an average user spends over two hours on various apps every day. This further translates to 2-4 hours spent on shopping apps alone every month, a 44% increase in the first half of 2017. Thus, what are some best ways to make money from such a changing environment of sales?

Leaving Mobile Websites

In order to enjoy users spending more time in apps, one should obviously have an app. Days of people getting online to look at the “mobile-friendly” version of some brand’s website are in the past. People prefer possessing an app that will allow them to access it through the home screen of their device, get notifications from it, and purchase straight from. The watered-down website versions used to be a great effort to reach people back in the early 2010s, yet no longer is this the case. Every business looking to increase online sales should focus all their attention on creating a multi-screen platform that will mimic the website in an app-friendly tone.

Impulse Brings in Millions

When one purchases a product from Amazon, per se, they will be shown a screen with other products that users purchased in addition. Though this may seem like a simple way of upselling, it is a thoroughly planned and data-supported impulse buying strategy. Those who buy a set of plates will be offered to look at some cutlery because, naturally, people need both. Thus, Amazon is capturing sales that people did not even intend on making originally which is called impulse buying. This is the same concept that every online selling app should have. Some of the ways to showcase it:

Offering free shipping for a certain overall amount of money spent
Displaying products that normally go together
Showing statistics about other users who purchased similar items

Data Drives the World

A popular saying goes “Knowledge is Power”. Well, in 2017, information is knowledge which means that information is power. Going off of the last idea, to be able to make predictions and check out suggestions, the business must be able to analyze previous purchases. What are the most common items bought in certain areas? What time of the year do some items sell the best? What do people buy together? All of these questions must be answered and backed up with thorough research of previous transactions. The scope of that analysis should not go beyond ethical boundaries, however, as that would endanger customer’s loyalty.

Technology Sometimes Fails

Just like Apple has to do updates to their iOS every time that a new operating system is released, most apps will have to improve over time. Glitches and errors are expected which means that people will need help getting over the problems they cause. This is when an outstanding customer service should be implemented. Just like buyers prefer to access shopping through home screen apps, they do not want to waste time looking for customer service numbers or e-mails all over the internet. A good app should contain such information within it. Consequently, the downtime will be minimized and buying can continue rapidly!

Safety and Privacy

In order for people to purchase things online, they must be reassured that their safety will not be hindered. Since online buying requires an e-mail, an address, usually a phone number, and payment information, a hacker would have all they need to get an insight into someone’s life. The customer must be 100% confident in the stability and security of the company’s operation. This can be achieved by disclosing what type of encryption system is in place or using third-party, safe check out windows. Additionally, an online store that gives away a professional vibe will instill confidence upon view.

Loyalty and Payment Methods

People like to be a part of something. This is why almost every product-based business has member programs. These can range from gather points to being a part of a draw for gift cards. Apps should enable people to get involved through things like the aforementioned as they will generate customer loyalty. Furthermore, paying for things should be done in multiple ways. Some users only have credit cards and zero debit cards (vice-versa applies). Others prefer to increase safety by using Paypal. In order to get the most out of a transaction, a company should enable as many payment options as possible to cover all their basis.

A Fine Time to Get More Customers

In reality, there has been no better time in history to reach millions of people. A simple yet customized e-mail that can be generated by outside companies can increase brand awareness exponentially. Apps operate in a very similar manner by providing people with an easily accessible outlet to get informed and buy on. Nevertheless, almost limitless time must be dedicated to keeping an app up to date and ensuring it possesses what modern users need to trust it which, in turn, means they will use it.

Why Adrian Rubin Sees Mobile Development Continuing To Grow

Mobile development will not slow down any time soon, as there will always be a new app or software that is introduced either for Android or iOS. For most market experts, it is predicted that the software will continue to grow at a rapid pace in the next few years.

The rise in mobile development is a result of reduced mobile data, increased connectivity between mobile devices, compatibility with other devices being enhanced, mobile platforms will have new advertising mechanisms, and an increase of smartphones usage. With these factors backing it, it is why Adrian Rubin sees the continuous growth of mobile development.

Other areas in which the mobile development is likely to continue to grow is because of the in-app purchases and developments that are increasing significantly and might be the cause of continuous growth in the mobile industry.

Other than the US, mobile applications should take into account the Asian markets like China and India as they are a population that is largely untapped. This way, they will be expanding all over the world.

With there being apps for the consumer, there are new apps developing that are enterprise-oriented. This is due to businesses willing to give up some of their money to get an app if the product has great potential, will help them cut back on their costs, and increase their productivity levels.

If most app developers will continue to provide apps that will attract the enterprise world, the mobile development sector is not going to slow down any time soon. It is a lucrative market, all they need to do is do their research and produce a product that will be in the market for a long time.

Mobile development will increase the number of apps developed by Google and Apple. With this, the demand that is growing both regionally and globally will induce an increase in mobile development in order to meet the demands of the consumer market.

To entice and encourage consumers to continue using their apps, the operators will have to invest more resources and time to meet their targets. Data security and smart connections are among the few new advances that operators will have to install in their apps in order to assure the users that their apps are safe to use.

For continuous growth, mobile app developers will put all their time and resources into ensuring that they put out a product that will entice the users. Some applications can have data security and smart connection, and with the world being connected, it could pay off in the end.

Like Adrian Rubin knows, the surface of mobile development has just been scratched as there is yet tons of progress to be made. With developers and designers all uniting to come up with different ways of using virtual reality, we can be assured of its involvement in future apps and it can also creep into our daily lives soon.

Virtual reality is being used in video games and sometimes to watch a few minutes of a movie. With it, you can create a whole new world that for now, is untapped. Therefore this further emphasizes the fact that mobile development will not fade into the background.

When Text Messaging Services Like Miss Bongo Avis Are Thriving

The tech industry has tons of futurists who project and talk about inflection points and other disruptive innovations. The development of futuristic technology has made it common for other innovations to be declared dead by the time they begin. Although texting can be categorized in this line and it is recognized as a basic functionality of a phone where other applications have been developed to improve its capability, texting is still a widely used form of communication even in developed countries.

SMS is a force to reckon with and it is growing at a great pace. For the people who think that SMS is dead, they should think again because SMS is a silent king that will remain on top for a long time. As many experts still choose mobile apps over SMS, companies are reaping the benefits of using SMS.

Although there are cheaper alternatives to SMS, it is a long shot to wait for the death of SMS. Even though mobile apps are a great addition to the mobile market, it is largely used in the first world countries. Mobile phones are not as common in many countries as feature phones which use SMS as its basic mode of communication. This by itself declares SMS as the king of communication on a large scale.

As a global brand, you cannot afford to market only on smartphones because you will be missing approximately 80% of the market.

Some brands are using SMS to accomplish their marketing campaigns successfully, especially when it comes to exclusive offers that are made to subscribers in the event of an offer. The most effective marketing campaigns are short and straightforward, and they include a call to action that is direct, that makes the customer feel like they are being offered a valuable deal that is exclusive to them.

Not everyone feels like text messages can be the ideal platform for communicating an offer as they at times seem like a spam or impersonal mode of communication. Customer support is, however, a one to one experience that allows for a more personal form of communication, and the SMS is an acceptable way of communicating this way. Most companies are not using this line because of the number of communication channels available today.

What is the future of SMS?

Competition is brewing in the chatting field as OTT (Over The Top) service players like WhatsApp are trying to put SMS out of the game, including the widespread use of Instant Messaging services like Blackberry Messenger (BBM), Yahoo Messenger, VoIP services like Skype and others like Facebook Messenger.

Amongst all the chatting applications that exist, WhatsApp is the one that comes close to challenging SMS to take the top crown. Although very many chatting applications exist, there are a couple of things that make you question about the sustainability of these apps. For starters, they are all fragmented and this will not change anytime soon.

Additionally, OTT services depend on smartphone users with a good data plan. But if you look at it, features phones outnumber the smartphones by 5:1 globally. You will also find that you will experience outages on these applications compared to SMS. Although SMS is not that dominant at this point in time, it is still a great player even in the business world.

We are yet to see a rise in the use of SMS as a tool for marketing or customer support in companies. Mobile phones are still expected to grow in numbers and we expect customers to stay informed of the services they use accurately and consistently. At the moment, we have a few companies using SMS to communicate with their clients.

Apart from the use of SMS as a customer service channel, there are companies that have made SMS their core business line. For instance, Miss Bongo Avis is a service that allows people to send a text message comprising of their entire name plus the name of the city they live in. The service then gives a response a few seconds later with some interesting details about your personal life just from those two inputs you have sent to the service. There are other companies that have made SMS as a core business line and not just a notification channel or a customer support line. We hope to see more services taking the SMS platform to a whole new level even with the rising development of mobile apps, just like the way Miss Bongo Avis is doing.

How Douglas Knight Sees Technology Changing New Canaan

In the 2018 tech predictions released by GB-Bullhound in December 2017, the most important prediction was the relationship that was changing between politics and technology, followed by cybersecurity, TV in China being overtaken by mobile, translation technology, the end of emails, labor in a global scale, software suite, the new industry 4.0, and the commonality of blockchain regulators and ICO (Initial Coin Offerings). The last piece was AR, Augmented Reality.

Douglas Knight New Canaan would like to direct you to another technology shift that is coming up at the Mixed Reality Lab of USC which is IOA, Internet of Actions. IoA is a digital technology that has a vision of being an effective human partner as we go through the increasing relationship between worlds of mixed realities.

Todd Richmond, the Director and IEEE Member of the Mixed Reality Lab believes that AI (Artificial Intelligence) will be the main driver of personalization which is an important player in IoA.

The Rise of IoA

The major challenge of this journey is going to be trust. As humans increasingly place their faith in tech algorithms, GPS navigation, and online commerce, these are tools in this path rather than partners or collaborators according to the team at Mixed Reality Lab.

The pairing of humans and machine will undergo major R&D over the next two decades and while algorithms shift into decision-making levels that determine life and death, we are going to see a lot of human interactions coming up.

The technology that is going to be developed according to Richmond is one that will be human-focused to help shift the move towards the human challenges of navigating through a fast-paced autonomous and virtualized agent filled earth; and the field of HCI (Human Computer Interface) has to undergo a quantum leap in order to see it through.

For most of us, it is hard to understand how humans are going to communicate seamlessly with AI agents, how we are going to control and exercise commands over a swarm of drones or other AI agents, and how we are going to make sense of the gigantic amount of real sensory data from these devices.

Example of AI to human interaction

There is an increasing use of chatbots that are AI-powered in e-commerce platforms to assist buyers in making smarter online purchases and ensure that a customer’s overall experience is top-notch. Chatbots using AI enhance customer service by using machine learning. Chatbots are now able to respond to simple human questions, but over time, they are going to understand complex queries and solve even complex problems, allowing them to have more meaningful interactions with customers.

According to Richmond, development in technology needs to move to humans at the end of the technology from the current focus that is placed on the device. Despite the common use of user-centric design, technology is focused mostly on widgets and spec instead of improving and enabling the condition of humans.

Douglas Knight New Canaan has been keen to understand the experience of users with the technology, especially when it comes to assessing the intent of the users with technology. Since a lot of tech devices are coming up, with recent developments in creating new technology to be used in training, the most important part is on the human experience. For instance, if a human is put in a simulation and the human makes a wrong decision, if there is no understanding of why the decision was made, there is no actionable information to improve the system or to train the design bit. This will apply to IoA experiences.

If you look at the drones that are being developed for the near future by companies like Mixed Reality lab, the technology is teaming up both humans and machines, and this will play an important role in the future of IoA.

As algorithms become more and more synonymous with our daily routines and become part of our decision-making process, it will be vital for us to understand why an algorithm will take specific action and why a user takes another share of the actions. Additionally, the algorithm will also explain the things that are happening.

Now, back to our contentious topic, trust. If as humans we are not able to trust the machines that we have presented, it will be hard for us to engage with the tech. Knowing how we will build trust and pair humans and machines will be a very important step, as it will lead us into designing systems that will expose the story behind the actions of the systems.

In Summary, we learn and understand through stories, and the tools of representation and abstraction are important for making sense and exploring complexity. The best tech that can come up can be useless if it cannot help in discovering and telling a story that is in the complex data.