Big Bell Dogma: June 2007
As we work to build mobility into every product, service, and process, our greatest inhibitor is the mindset represented by those who defend the tethering of products and processes to specific places. This mindset is fueled by the investments that have been made that establish power in the companies, departments, and individuals that stand in the way of mobilizing our lives and our businesses. These investments are not always in hard assets, but often are investments of time and experience to establish intellectual and relational assets. We should expect our assault on these “fixed” ways to be defended to the death. Here are recent examples:
- Forcing wireless traffic through wireline tandems (with wireline tariffs)
- New York cracks down on evil cellphones
- French government bans dangerous Blackberries
- More taxes and fees
- Refusing interconnection
Complete list here.
(For more context, read the Mobile Declaration of Independence.)
July 1st, 2007 at 8:55 am
Russ,
The law of mobility certainly meshes with my own experience. I think you could say we arrived at a somewhat similar conclusion, but through a different route. Let me briefly explain.
In 2005, we launched http://www.chinesepod.com, using podcasting and other web 2.0 tools to help people learn Mandarin Chinese. It’s been tremendously popular. Our mantra has been to allow the learner to ‘learn on your terms’, a key driver in our innovation. The democratization that the web engenders, and the great shift in power towards the consumer, come down, we believe, to one thing: individual choice.
This movement towards flexibility, choice, etc, emerged from the on-demand nature of podcasting. By using an iPod to consume lessons, learners were free to do so whenever they wished. We took the notion of ‘on-demand-ness’ from there. Now, after almost 2 years we’ve come to the conclusion that full mobile consumption is an inevitable outcome.
Which is not to say that people are screaming out for ‘mobile-learning’. They’re not. Most consumers don’t have time to speculate/fantasize about ‘the future of learning’ but they give us constant clues that more freedom, more choice, and really being able to consume the content on their own terms will eventually mean mobile access. This still needs a couple of years, but we hope to lead the way in producing and enabling mobile learning content. (Much of the other work in this area is theoretical, rather than commercial.)
I look forward to reading your book when it comes out.
Ken Carroll