The Consumer Electronics Show, produced by the Consumer Electronics Association, annually showcases the innovation and commerce of its 2700 exhibitors, spanning 30 product categories including:
- Audio
- Digital Content Creation and Distribution
- Digital Imaging
- Embedded Technology
- Gaming
- Home Theater
- Video
- Home Networking
- In-Vehicle Technology
- Wireless Communications
Many of the products highlighted at CES® are consumer-based, and are, thus, of limited interest to small businesses. The show has proven to be a reliable indicator of technology trends, though, and does, therefore, provide some valuable perspective on technology forecasting. Looking back on CES 2008 through that lens, here are some of TeknoCoach's observations for the upcoming year in small business technology.
- "Thin is In"- One of the catchphrases for CES® 2008 was "thin is in". Although the phrase was primarily applicable to a staggering variety of flat-panel TVs, it also applied to mobile computing. Dell™, Hewlett-Packard, Samsung™, Sony®, and Toshiba all unveiled ultra-light, ultra-portable notebook (laptop) computers, weighing in at between 2 and 3.5 pounds and pushing the boundaries on power efficiency (always a struggle for laptop users). The bottom-line for small business technology is to take a fresh look at the need for mobile computing in their environment (as these smaller units are becoming increasingly affordable). Sales and field personnel are the clear winners here, but there may be other areas (like warehouse management) that are equally viable candidates to make the transition away from the desktop.
- "The New Hard Drive"- CES® 2008 also included a new batch of Solid State Drives (from manufacturers like BitMicro Networks®, Digilux, RiTek, SanDisk®, SunRich Technology (H.K.) Limited, Super Talent Technology™, and Verbatim®). Known to most as "Flash Memory Cards" or "SD Memory Cards", these data storage devices are holding an increasing amount of data (comparable with traditional magnetic hard drives at anywhere from 32 GB to 256 GB) and because they access data much more quickly than traditional hard drives, may be a great way to extend the life of your existing equipment.
- "The Shared Office- Microsoft® has promised revolutionary, new shared services since its release of Windows Vista® last year. CES® 2008 included the release of Office Live Workspace, which gives small businesses the ability to share documents, contacts, and other information created by Microsoft Office® applications (like Word, Excel®, PowerPoint®, and Outlook®). This level of interaction has previously been available only to companies with Exchange servers or other expensive networking equipment and software.
The short answer is Yes. CES® is the Super Bowl of technology, and it is one of the best showcases for helping small businesses forecast their technology future. TeknoCoach™ stands ready to assist you in that process and wishes you a happy and prosperous 2008!
