A Revolution In Personal Communication Is Brewing
Despite Intel complaining recently about their market share declining, there's a revolution brewing in PMC (Personal Mobile Communication) devices that leaves room for opportunities. While we're not quite at the Star Trek communicator device stage at, I think we're closer to something even more exciting. Especially for those of us that don't live and travel on starships. Don't believe me? Alright, let me tell you, with a slight detour.
Google is showing its genius again by making their Google Talk IM (Instant Messaging) backend available via an API, and by following the Jabber/XMPP standard, several other companies have come out with talk client software for GoogleTalk. I'm trying out Chatopus's 30-day trial to see if it suits my own communication needs, which is a possibility if I get accepted into Ether's beta program.
What's Ether? Darren Rowse wrote something about Ether recently. It's a new service that will let you communicate with paying customers for your phone-based, email-based, or digital content-based services. They don't get your service without first paying for it (apparently to your Paypal account). And the times of day and days of week that you are available for consulting is configurable.
This is a killer application of the Internet, and I'm impressed with what little I've read about Ether. (They're still in closed beta.) But this could be the type of application that really turns the world into a global village. Imagine, if you will, the ability to have a paying customer contact you on your smartphone (PalmOS, PocketPC, or otherwise). They've already paid you up front, via a broker (such as Ether). Your smartphone rings, you answer it, and the customer's image (still or live video) appears. If you've enabled your image, depending on the service you're offering, you could really build credibility with your clients. That is, those clients who are half way around the world and wouldn't otherwise be able to work with you in person. While it's not exactly "in person", it's more personal than a phone call or email.
Besides business uses, there's also the personal side. Imagine being able, for example, to talk with your therapist for a few minutes, instead of trying to fight traffic and find parking. You feel better for your conversation, and even better than you don't have to pay for a complete hour. And your therapist feels better for being able to help more clients. Me, though, I can't wait to talk to my grandma face to face. Twenty five years between visits is far too long.
Technorati Tags: tech watch, PMC, mobile devices, personal communication, smartphones
Google is showing its genius again by making their Google Talk IM (Instant Messaging) backend available via an API, and by following the Jabber/XMPP standard, several other companies have come out with talk client software for GoogleTalk. I'm trying out Chatopus's 30-day trial to see if it suits my own communication needs, which is a possibility if I get accepted into Ether's beta program.
What's Ether? Darren Rowse wrote something about Ether recently. It's a new service that will let you communicate with paying customers for your phone-based, email-based, or digital content-based services. They don't get your service without first paying for it (apparently to your Paypal account). And the times of day and days of week that you are available for consulting is configurable.
This is a killer application of the Internet, and I'm impressed with what little I've read about Ether. (They're still in closed beta.) But this could be the type of application that really turns the world into a global village. Imagine, if you will, the ability to have a paying customer contact you on your smartphone (PalmOS, PocketPC, or otherwise). They've already paid you up front, via a broker (such as Ether). Your smartphone rings, you answer it, and the customer's image (still or live video) appears. If you've enabled your image, depending on the service you're offering, you could really build credibility with your clients. That is, those clients who are half way around the world and wouldn't otherwise be able to work with you in person. While it's not exactly "in person", it's more personal than a phone call or email.
Besides business uses, there's also the personal side. Imagine being able, for example, to talk with your therapist for a few minutes, instead of trying to fight traffic and find parking. You feel better for your conversation, and even better than you don't have to pay for a complete hour. And your therapist feels better for being able to help more clients. Me, though, I can't wait to talk to my grandma face to face. Twenty five years between visits is far too long.
Technorati Tags: tech watch, PMC, mobile devices, personal communication, smartphones
