| Company: | BT Futurologist (UK) |
| Details: | I see some big changes in the very near future. I see some well known high street names just disappearing because that have simply offered more of the same rather than being innovative in how they do business and treat their customers.
If we look back a few years; in the 1980s we had 16bit computing; the 1990s 32bit and the advent of the WWW; the 2000s 64bit computing and the beginning of the Semantic Web; the 20-Teens will see 128bit computing - power that is beyond our wildest dreams. Notice also that computers are no longer looking like computers - they are becoming incorporated in everyday items. New IP Networks will give us simple, seamless, effortless and ubiquitous connection to all things at all times. Voice, Vision and Data will cease being three things on three networks and just become one thing on the one network. Broadband (soon to be 25 or even 200MB/s) will provide connection to the home and small business - giving them the same 'visibility' that larger commerce has had for many years. In the future it is essential that you have a Presence on the network and that you can easily collaborate with others within and outside your organisation. Imagine 'meeting' people in 3-D environments as simply as you used to make a phone call. In this mode of working you can be Innovative - and innovation does not happen over-night, it takes a lot of hard work and time. I see IT being everywhere; in your clothing, cars, and electronic gadgets. These devices will allow you to change the way you work, play and socialise - in fact 'work' and 'play' might not be two different things in the future. It is essential that you see your customer as an individual - who you address as the most important member of a group of One! Gone are the days when you could wait for your customer to find you. Now if you are not readily visible 24 hours a day - I will simply go to someone who is. And all the effort I will expend is a single mouse click! Technology is changing very fast indeed - Are you changing as fast as the Technology? There will be winners and losers - the challenge is to be one of the winners! Are YOU ready for the Challenge? Graham Whitehead has held many positions within BT, working in a variety of disciplines. In 1990 he was appointed manager of the Business Systems Group which investigates the modeling of business structures and their mutual interactions. In 1992 he became BTs Advanced Concept Manager and since then he has specialised in presenting the work of BT labs both internally and to the public. In 1999 he became BT's Principal Consultant looking at the future of telecoms and IT. « Back to event |