When an email reaches you whereever you are, whatever time of the day, I call it mobilemail. Blackberry is a fine example of what is possible. It doesn’t use the boring dial-in technology whenever it has to access the server to download mails – it is always on. I am on Blackberry now for the last 8-9 months and have used it while roaming nationally and internationally. It works, it simply works. I have used it on Jaipur-Delhi highway, I have used it in Honey Valley, Coorg, I have used it in Sagar University (which is on top of a hill) in MP, Central India. It works everywhere (wherever you get Airtel !).
Lot of people wonder why so much hype over a mobilemail (some think it is a show-off) ? When the guy who invented photocopying technlogy went to IBM trying to sell it to them, IBM wondered who will ever want to make copies of documents ! The guy went out and founded his own company, better known as Xerox, and rest, as they say, is history. Today my question is: if you are wondering why mail on the move, you are not probably thinking hard enough. You are not thinking how to create newer business and revenue models based on the fact that you could offer newer and creative ways for your customers to get in touch with you any time of the day and you could create a delivery model around a solution that could differentiate you from your competitors.
Let me tell you how I use it. I manage a remote development centre. I interact a lot with my colleagues in rest of world, mostly in the US. When I get up in the morning, it is still last 30-60 minutes of office time in US, I check my mails. If there are critical issues, I get in touch with them right then and there. Helps me save a 24-hour round trip just to complete the transaction (ask the clarification, get the clarification and then provide the answer the next day). Another benefit: there is no anxiety surrounding any issue. You can check the mails before you start the day and can actually plan the day much better as opposed to reaching the office and then figuring out what lies ahead. I have my office mail, my Google mail, my Yahoo mail, and my Rediff mail all coming right into my Blackberry. I subscribe to several groups on Google groups and Yahoo groups and they are all converging right into my, you guessed it right, Blackberry. I could also create a connectivity with my clients that could free me up from worries of lugging my laptop everywhere and trying to find the phonejack in every hotel, business centre, airport or office. If I were an entrepreuner, my clients should not (be made to) worry about my office address or my phone number, all I want them to remember is how to get in touch with me, and whereever I am, I will get back to them.
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