Is Technology Changing the Way we Conduct Business?

It is argued that fundamental shifts in technology are activating massive changes in business particularly how information is accessed, captured, managed and shared.  The following article “Shifts in Technology are Driving Professional Changes” covers the issues quite well.

These changes have implications for everyone in all aspects of our lives.  We are now wired 24 hours a day with everything at our finger tips.  The Internet connects us like never before and hand held devices means we are constantly blurring the lines between personal and business.  Due to increased mobility, emails can be responded to from home or the local coffee shop.  Information travels faster and workers are expected to respond in an instant.  We are so far away yet so close as barriers of distance disappear.

Some changes for business due to technology:

–    Online bookings, surveys & other information gathering techniques

–    Outsourcing – i.e. telephone customer service

–    Databases, electronic diaries, schedules

–    Accounting practices

–    Administration – i.e filing

More businesses are setting up online so their target audience becomes global instead of local meaning that their market share can grow.  However, competition becomes increasingly more intense with additional competitors.  The rise of cloud computing (still at its early stages) has much growth and innovation to occur and will affect business in terms of IT capacity and capability.

What does this mean now and for the future?  We will be learning and adapting for many years to come.  Nothing really different than previous generations – only the technology is diverse!

I would love to hear from people about how they think technology is changing business.

Leave me your thoughts.

Tags: Communication Technologies • Internet • Technology shifts