Google, which has transformed so many aspects of the online world, hopes to do so yet again with Google Voice.
For those unfamiliar, Google Voice is a reinvention of the telephone. Users sign up for the service and are given a phone number. Users can then link this Google Voice number so that it rings to all of their phones (whether it be their cell phone, business line, home phone, etc.).
Google Voice also collects all of the voice messages a user receives and stores them in one voicemail location. It even converts the messages to text so they can be read like an email.
There’s no denying that the technology is groundbreaking. Google has provided a solution for the many of us who struggle to properly manage multiple phone lines and at the same time created a system that could virtually eliminate the dreaded “phone tag”.
However, just because the technology is there doesn’t necessarily mean you should use it. Remember – the digital solutions put forth by Google have often times opened doors to abuse as well as opportunity.
It wasn’t that long ago that everyone was up in arms over Google Buzz misusing their data and abusing their privacy. In addition, there... Read more
Archive for June, 2010
Should we be scared of Google Voice?
The Mind and the Heart
Working at the intersection of marketing and technology makes for a dynamic and exciting time most every day. But one of the unfortunate consequences of living in a technical age is that most people in the industry try to fact their brands into leadership and differentiation. Facts are great, and can be (but are not always) necessary for long term differentiation. But where are the digital brands? And by brands I mean the offerings that make you feel as much as they make you think.
The thought came to me as I was developing a presentation about social networks and how the business has changed over the years. And as I made my slides, I got to thinking that perhaps part of the reason why so many once mega colossal digital properties have died quick deaths is that they have focused all their efforts on communicating attributes. Now, I don’t dispute that attributes can and should help govern who wins and who bites it. But surely there is a place for both reason and feeling.
Why did Friendster fall from grace so quickly? Well, the rational answer was that it took like 20 minutes to load a page. But perhaps there was... Read more
6 Beach Books for Marketers
Reviews of six recently published beach-ready marketing books written by working entrepreneurial practitioners that reveal interesting perspectives, war stories, best practices and unique voices..
