January 9, 2004
Special Report from Consumer Electronics Show Friday, January 09, 2004 - Las Vegas, Nevada By Elliott Masie, The MASIE Center
I am sitting in the Press Room of the Consumer Electronics Show surrounded by a sea of journalists. In fact, there are over 4,000 press accredited for this annual “gadget and device fest”, more than the folks covering the national political conventions in the US every four years. Why so much attention to this event:
* Consumer Electronics is the hottest growth area of technology. We are buying digital phones, DVD Players, PDA’s, digital recorders and flat screens at a record pace. CES is where the buying action is in at the access and record end of the computer age.
* The major technology companies have shifted their annual announcements to this event. Microsoft, Intel, HP and others have brought their leaders here to announce new directions and product lines as they leverage convergence.
* There is a lot of “cool” stuff here! While cool is always in the eyes of the beholder, this writer and the two dozen colleagues who are here from our e-Learning CONSORTIUM have been taken with “gadget lust”. We are all inventing justifications for our bosses or spouses on why we need that 86” Plasma Screen and a new wireless media server.
But, it is more than just “cool stuff”. There are serious implications for the Learning Community in this arena. In fact, The MASIE Center is launching a major focus on Workforce Electronics for Learning & Performance. We are convinced that the new convergence of technology has huge implications for creating better ways of providing our workplaces with great access to learning, knowledge and collaboration.
Here are a few of the trends that I saw here at CES that have implications for our field:
* The Untethered Worker and Ubiquitous Learning: Most of the workforce does not sit at their desks in front of a computer screen all day long.
Many of our colleagues are driving, standing, walking, moving and physically working throughout the day. From the retail associate at Target, to the driver of a UPS truck to a medical sales representative for Guidant, the workforce is not at a keyboard throughout the day. But, they are increasingly using mobile phones, handheld computers, slate and tablet devices and automotive PC’s. We need to expand our thinking about the form factor of how these workers will access information, collaborate with their colleagues and engage in e-Learning. They WILL be using devices.
AND, these devices are at the core of the Workforce Technology innovations.
* Home Networking to Seamless Networking to Everywhere Networking: We have seen a lot of money and research placed into the Home Networking area. Manufacturers have created ways of linking, mainly through home wireless, all of the media files and all of the display and capture devices. Digital pictures or audio files can be directed to any device in
the house and it is all working much more effortlessly. Now, let’s
expand the thinking to include learning and performance assets.
Unfortunately, we found almost no direct reference or awareness of Learning in this exploding marketplace. They talk of all files, but don’t include work documents or e-Learning and collaboration assets. But, that will change. Watch for the “Berlin Wall” between Consumer Electronics and Workforce Electronics to come down during the next 10 months.
* Plasma, LCD and DLP Screens Get Thinner, Faster, Smarter, Wireless and Less Expensive! Think of the implications for our workplaces and classrooms. I want to be able to stop a colleague in the hall and work instantly on a screen hanging on the wall, leveraging our datafiles or content on one of our mobile devices. And, of course, I want them all around my house!
* Gaming and Simulation Explosion: We saw some great examples of new models of Gaming and Simulation. We are tracking ways in which the gaming and simulation capabilities aimed at the consumer market can be morphed and expanded into the learning field. It was fun to watch our e-Learning CONSORTIUM members interact with product managers from the Gaming Companies and explore the huge potential for workforce learning.
There were other announcements and innovations that it would be good to keep on your radar screen:
* HP and Apple announce deal to work together and distribute the IPOD.
* Microsoft expands the Media Server product line and also shows some upcoming highly graphical Content Management Tools.
* Display Technology now including HDTV card ready opportunities.
* Automobiles adding a scary amount of computer access.
Stay tuned for another report on Monday. And, feel free to send comments
or questions to me via email to emasie@masie.com
Upcoming MASIE Center Events: www.masie.com
- Elliott Masie's e-Learning Briefing - London, England - Feb 9, 2004
- e-Learning Skills LAB @ MASIE Center - Saratoga Springs, NY - Feb 23- 25, 2004
- Learning Management Systems Special Interest Group - Las Vegas, NV - March 8-9, 2004
- Virtual Classroom & Collaboration Special Interest Group (SIG) - Las Vegas, NV - March 10-11, 2004