The great mobile paradigm shift
Sometimes, when working, my mind wanders off into higher thought and I had one of those moments, just now.
It was my dad (74) who said, a while back, you know Dax, that electronic typewriter we used to have in the old house....isn't that just a midway evolution from the old typewriter, towards the computer with a printer? I was stunned. It's those sharp remarks, that make me always keep an open mind towards anything and anyone. It's not about an old man, who still thinks smart or one's attitude towards the world. No, in this story, it's about that evolutionary chain of the written word and the technological inventions, making it possible.
Because, you know what is really fascinating. We live in an age where revolutionary evolutions, such as the inflated wheel is an evolution of the original invention of the wheel, or the electric motor is the evolutionary step from the combustion engine, are merging into one. And what is more fascinating about that? We don’t know how to handle it as of now.
What I think are the major forces merging are the, let’s call them evostreams: telecommunications evostream, the computer evostream, the information consumption evostream.
Major forces, called evostreams have merged towards a paradigm shift.
We all are quite aware of a little thing called the smartphone, in fact in the Netherlands, more people have a smartphone than a flatscreen TV, a tablet, desktop computer, laptop or DVD player. This is not an uncommon image in the rest of the world, so we all know what it is and what is can do. Or do we? The first, yes, the second, not really. You see, the telcom evostream and computer evostream have seemingly merged with the birth of the smartphone and by that, also has changed the way we consume our information. We want everything, now, tailored to my own personal presences, ready at hand and always available and we will trade in our privacy for it, up to a certain point, but that’s another discussion.
That smart piece of glass in your pocket is the key to the new paradigm.
It is my observation, that the 90’s, early 00’s were all the rage for the world wide web, but the www, was just the electronic typewriter, like my dad asked me. It was the go-to technology of that time to use, but it is pretty much seen it’s best days. We had the internet hype/bubble and burst, where you could get millions of funding based on a plan written on a napkin. I know, I was there. I opened new branch offices, with financial figures written on a beer coaster (literally!), I was in my tweens during the dotcom hype…. but in 2007, that world changed forever. Steve jobs launched the iPhone and the world was never the same again. The technological achievements done with smartphones, for smartphones and by smartphones are bigger than ever. Tech companies, less than 20 years old rank the top of the Fortune 500, leaving oil companies far behind. Tweens are billionaires, CEO’s, smartphones are sold by the many millions each month, sales of desktops, laptops, tablets are down, there are billions and billions of apps sold, making millions and millions. Internet traffic has skyrocketed into outer space. We have 4gLTE (I have it), Fiber-to-the-home (I have it), (near) unlimited data (I have 10gigs), octacore smartphones (I have it). All because of the way we consume our information nowadays. Any self respecting company must have an app, must have a video channel and must have social media outlets….and it all has to be found working on that piece of glass in your pocket/purse/bag.
The enduser or patient will lead the way to our new paradigm in healthcare and society.
I believe, we are have entered the new paradigm, the next evolink of the evochain, riding the evostream. Information systems that dictate how you need to work or consume your information will be no more. Systems that are not available on mobile, will be no more. All those systems and the technologies and companies behind them, shall be (more) consumer/enduser/patient-facing, personalized, tailored, bespoke to the needs of the people that actually use the information to do good work, to better themselves, society, anything.
Technology will no longer be the deciding factor of who can climb the evolutionary ladder the highest, fastest or most comfortable. It will be decided by the companies that are visionary enough to see past old and current paradigms and the quality of information they provide us, so we can turn it into knowledge. THAT all combined, is the new paradigm, my dear readers.
I wish you a very informative and hopefully enlightened future…..
Dax Kho