At our COMTEC Client Conference last week, Tuesday night's dinner party was held at the Kansas City Airline History Museum. The museum featured a beautifully restored Lockheed Super Constellation, the four engine turboprop airliner affectionately called the "Connie." Designed by Howard Hughes the 1940s, the Connie ruled the skies for over two decades as the fastest, most elegant and comfortable airliner in the world. The cabin was amazing. Except for the lack of video screens and the abundance of ashtrays, it felt very much like the interior of an airplane 60 years newer.
But even with all that speed, glamour, and efficiency, this Connie was a last-of-its-kind relic in a museum. Overnight, it became obsolete, grounded by a new technology - the jet engine.
Touring the Connie, I had one of those "A-Ha" moments. Today, mobile computing (smartphones) is in the process of changing the way we do business. It will deliver the same dramatic impact that jet engines had on commercial air travel. During the Opening Session at COMTEC 2010, a keynote speaker asked the more than 500 attendees how many used smartphones. Most everyone raised their hands. The majority had upgraded systems within the last year. What's more, most users text on a regular basis (maybe during the presentation!) and had used their smartphone as an alarm clock that day. And this was from a room filled by campus administrators. Can you imagine in how many ways your students have woven mobile technology into their daily lives?
So look at your current business practices and consider how quickly mobile technology will change how your constituents communicate, interact, and yes, even pay your institution. The question is… What would you do right now for your current students (the "mobile millennials") if there were no system constraints and you were starting from scratch? It's time to organize a Mobile Commerce Team on your campus to address such questions and be ready for the coming "plane change."
Thanks for reading.