T-Mobile announced their plans to market the first smartphone based on Google’s open source mobile operating system, Android.  The new phone, built by HTC and called the G1, will be generally available by October 22nd in the US (and in the U.K. in November, and the rest of Europe in early 2009), and will cost US$179 with a two-year voice and data service contract.  It includes a number of powerful features, including:

• a touchscreen interface
• a slide-out QWERTY keyboard
• a trackball for application navigation
• a 3-megapixel camera
• GPS
• Wi-Fi connectivity
• 3G (with dual-band UMTS)
• quad-band GSM support
• multimedia messaging
• e-mail support (but not Microsoft Exchange integration yet)
• instant messaging
• a rich HTML web browser
• the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously
• a music player (with automated access to the Amazon MP3 store)
• integrated Bluetooth wireless headset support

Indeed, T-Mobile’s G1 possesses a lot of advanced smartphone functionality, but by far its most interesting feature is the operating system which manages all of these features, the new Android OS.

If Google’s aspirations come true, Android will become a very popular platform for mobile devices - they expect 400,000 Android-based phones to be sold before the end of 2008 alone.  At that rate, Android may very well become one of the most pervasive operating systems for smartphones in 2009, rivaling Symbian and Microsoft’s Windows Mobile, and also increasing competitive pressure on Apple’s iPhone and RIM’s BlackBerry lines.

What does Android mean to salespeople?

Sales professionals should take note of the official market introduction of Android for several reasons:

• Even if you never buy an Android-based device, the new OS should keep the cost of smartphones low.  That means better buys on any smartphone in 2009, no matter what make or model you select.
• Five mobile platforms will vie for your attention over the next year: Apple’s iPhone, Windows Mobile, Google’s Android, Symbian from the Symbian Foundation, and RIM’s BlackBerry OS.  Of these, only Android and Symbian are open source platforms, which means that developers can create applications at significantly lower cost.  That means more choices for you in how you configure and expand the functionality of your smartphone device.
• Android’s open source aspect gives it a significant competitive advantage, at least in the short-term.  Apple is now getting flak from users about their entirely proprietary, walled-garden, iTunes-based AppStore, as they block applications that they very broadly deem competitive with any of their offerings.  Microsoft recently announced that they are delaying the launch of the next version of their proprietary Windows Mobile OS until the “second half of 2009″.  Symbian is still re-organizing as an open source foundation, and will need more time to develop and launch a new version.  This means that we should see a huge influx of new applications available for Android devices in the next few months and well beyond, giving the platform more extensibility and adaptability than any other platform by the middle of 2009.
• Android’s user experience rivals the Apple iPhone’s multi-touch interface - although for pure elegance and simplicity, the nod would have to go to Apple here.  Still, Android is remarkably simple to operate and customize on the G1, making it one of the friendliest devices on the market.  As Sprint and other carriers release their Android phones over the next few months, this ease of use should make Android very attractive to new users in the smartphone market.
• In 2009, Android will be available on virtually every carrier, in a wide variety of configurations, and all at relatively low price points.  Apple is tied exclusively to AT&T in the U.S. market, at least for the next year or so, which will become a significant competitive limitation.  The newest releases of  BlackBerry devices - such as the Bold, Storm and Thunder - should help RIM maintain its growing market share in smartphones, but by the middle of 2009, the number of new Android phones should explode well beyond the limited number of models that RIM will provide.  The next releases of Symbian and Windows Mobile won’t make an impact until the end of 2009, at earliest - and by then, Android’s momentum may be too much to stop.

In short, Android’s impending ubiquity, extensibility, expandability, ease of use and low cost should make it a very formidable competitor in the smartphone market in the next year.

More importantly, these features may make Android the ideal mobile computing platform for sales professionals, as it is designed from the core outward with “cloud computing” in mind.  In addition to making voice calls, Android smartphones should excel in connecting to the Internet for web browsing, data searches (remember: it’s from Google), hosted applications (such as CRM, for example), navigation (using services such as Google Maps), text messaging and e-mail.  As additional functionality becomes available in the Android Marketplace of third-party applications, sales pros will be able to configure their devices to suit their individual requirements at very low cost.

So, should salespeople buy an Android phone now?

If you are in the U.S., and use T-Mobile, you should definitely consider the G1 for your next smartphone.  It does almost everything that a sales professional needs in a mobile phone.  It only lacks Microsoft Exchange integration - but Google expects this to be addressed in the next few weeks as application developers complete work on a solution.  One other potential problem is the limited availability of 3G networks from T-Mobile, although they expect to expand 3G coverage aggressively over the next year - still, check the coverage map for your area before jumping in.

If you are using a carrier other than T-Mobile, or using another smartphone platform (such as Symbian or Windows Mobile) and are locked into a service contract, it’s almost certainly not worth switching just to get the G1.  Instead, just wait for your carrier to introduce their own Android-based phone, and upgrade when your contract expires.  Sprint intends to release an Android device by the end of 2008, and virtually all other carriers will release their own devices in the first half of 2009.

If you are using a BlackBerry or iPhone, and are perfectly happy, don’t panic.  Your own platforms are as useful as when you first bought them, and they will continue to be so, even as Android’s presence in the marketplace expands.  But monitor the progress of Android over the next year or so - you may very well be tempted to switch by 2010.

Tags: Android, T-Mobile G1

Last in a six-part series

In Part One of this series, we defined what an operating system (OS) is, and speculated that changes in the most significant OS platforms could affect the way that salespeople do their jobs over the next few years. In this part, we summarize our findings and provide sales professionals with some clear recommendations about the kind of OS they should use.

So, what should salespeople do about their computer operating systems?

For many years now, most of the world rallied to one standard desktop operating system: Microsoft Windows.  It was a nice place to be - very consistent and predictable.  People could transfer their computer using skills from one place to the next with relative ease.  Information flowed.  Commerce thrived.  All was well in the kingdom.

Three accelerating trends are occurring now, however, that are beginning to disrupt this idyllic scene.

Let’s call the first of these trends the “good enough” syndrome.  Over the last few years, most computer users - especially mobile sales professionals - watched the incremental improvements in processor speeds as they developed, looked at their existing hardware, and said, “I think I’ll just live with this a while longer - it seems plenty good enough for the moment.” This is one big reason why Microsoft stumbled with their latest version of Windows: Vista.  They assumed that computer users would continue to upgrade their hardware, and follow the latest trends in state-of-the-art processors and supporting systems, just as they always had in the past.  But Microsoft supposed wrongly.  Unlike cutting-edge users of high-end gaming and other processor-intensive applications such as media creation, most businesspeople only need a solid, reliable machine that is good enough to get the job done.

A second trend is the rapidly rising reliability and availability of fast, ubiquitous Internet access.  This trend further reduces the need for powerful personal computer hardware, making super-robust client-based operating systems even less important.  As long as users can “jack into the cloud”, their computer need only be a reliable user interface and communications platform.

A third trend is the increasing blurring of device specialization.  In the good old days, you had a computer, a cell phone, a fax machine, a stereo, a television and maybe a VCR - each device performed its own special task.  Today, your computer, phone, instant messenger, email, music player, Internet browser and many other capabilities can all be wrapped up into a very small number of portable devices - and for some users, perhaps only one.  As long as people can get to their data, in a form factor that is comfortable to use, they don’t care what device they use.

These three trends - good enough power, ‘net access, and device consolidation - have huge implications for the kinds of operating systems that salespeople will use on their computers in the next few years.  Recognizing this, let’s now make some practical suggestions for sales professionals, along with a few bold predictions:

• First, most of the world is using Windows today (albeit mostly XP, not Vista), and that won’t change anytime soon.  So, if you’re using Windows now, and it’s all working fine, keep doing so.  You’re in good company, and there’s no need to panic.
• However, if you are using Vista today, or if you’re considering buying a new Vista-based machine, and your hardware doesn’t have the power to take advantage of the advanced user interface capabilities, consider “downgrading” to XP - you almost certainly will find a more stable environment there, and get snappier performance.
• If you are using a Mac today, and it’s getting the job done for you, keep doing so.  There’s no compelling reason to switch to any other operating system if you are happy in your insulated, safe Apple architecture - at least, for now.
• Monitor the development of netbooks closely - they will be the vehicles that drive widespread acceptance of “cloud computing.”  Netbooks are now cheap, highly portable, quick-performing platforms that are becoming especially compelling for mobile sales professionals.
• Consider buying one of the currently available, inexpensive netbooks with an “instant on” (probably Linux-based) OS as a second computer before the end of 2008, and begin to experiment with Internet-based storage and applications.  It will likely become your favorite “road machine”, and you’ll leave your heavy duty client computer at home for more processor-intensive work.
• Microsoft has probably learned enough from the Vista experience to make Windows 7 much more scalable, lean, and user-friendly OS.  The early indications that they are incorporating touch and gesture-based user interfaces will give Windows 7 enough of a “wow factor” to convince most users to upgrade to that platform in 2010.
• Even in 2010, we think that Apple will most likely continue to hide in its comfortable closed architecture, and cater to its relatively small legion of dedicated fans.
• By 2010, an increasing number of netbook users will be familiar with Linux, but most won’t realize that is what they are using - to them, it will just be the “instant on” usability feature, and they’ll use it only to the extent that they need to get connected to the Internet.
• We think that Microsoft’s Windows 7 short-term upgrade surge will be a somewhat hollow victory.  By then, enough netbooks will be in use to make cloud-based operating environments common.  By 2014, just as Microsoft ends formal support of the venerable old XP OS, it’s likely that most computer users will be “jacking into the cloud” far more frequently than they will be using disconnected, client-based computers.
• What will the dominant cloud-based OS be in 2015 and beyond? Unfortunately, there are far too many experiments in different ‘net-based operating systems today to know for certain.  Most likely, all of the currently significant OS platforms - Windows, Mac OS, and Linux - will each evolve cloud OS capabilities, thereby preserving some semblance of today’s market shares.  In other words, the brands will be the same, but they will each operate very differently than they do today.

If you take nothing else away from this series, consider this: operating systems are going to change the way that salespeople use computers over the next few years.  Those that stay on top of this rapid evolution will find exciting new ways to get the information they need to find, sell, close and service customers - those that try to cling to the status quo will be left behind, and fairly quickly.  It is that important.  Take heed.

Tags: cloud computing, Linux, Mac OS X, Microsoft Windows, Operating System, OS

Fifth in a six-part series

In Part One of this series, we defined what an operating system (OS) is, and speculated that changes in the most significant OS platforms could affect the way that salespeople do their jobs over the next few years. In this part, we speculate about what could be emerging as a new OS alternative.

“The Cloud”

In the previous part in this series, we examined the emerging role of Linux on netbook computers for providing “instant on” access to web browsing and other simple computer functions.  Now, imagine if all computing functions resided not on your computer, but entirely on the Internet only.  If fast, reliable, ubiquitous Internet access is readily available, then you don’t really need to store anything on your computer - all your data and applications could be retrieved and executed from the Internet.

This is the definition of “cloud computing” - the ability to do all of your data processing entirely in the Internet, smoothly, safely and reliably.

A cloud computer only needs enough processing power and connectivity capability to reliably access the Internet.  Other than the operating system, which can be loaded from an onboard ROM chip, there isn’t much need to store anything in a cloud computer - all files can be stored on the ‘net.  A good cloud computing device is more of a communications appliance than it is a standalone computer.  Tech pundit Om Malik outlined the ideal criteria for a cloud computer as follows:

1. Instant On
2. Doesn’t generate too much heat.
3. Minimum 5 hours of battery life.
4. Must feature at least four communications options: WiFi, Ethernet, Bluetooth & Wireless Wide Area Network connection to, say, an EVDO or HSPA Network.
5. Less than three pounds (batteries included).
6. Screen size of 3.5-8 inches (wide-screen proportioned)
7. The primary function of the computer should be cloud-based activities that can include everything from listening to live music, reading blogs and watching videos. Writing research reports or cranking out spreadsheets isn’t the primary purpose of these machines.
8. It should cost no more than $300. This isn’t a computer; it’s a communications device. It should really be an on-the-go device. It is a device for the moments when your cellphone isn’t enough, and laptop is too much. An iPhone should qualify.
9. Its innards, ports should be geared for Internet-based activities — from making calls on Skype to consuming RSS feeds — though it should be able to handle external peripherals.
10. In the future it should move away from the keyboard and have a touchscreen interface that allows one to sift through large amounts of data (or web pages) quickly, as cramped keyboards and touchpads can be hard to use.

Based on these critieria, ultra-portable netbooks certainly fill the bill as the ideal cloud computing device.  In fact, many technology industry observers believe that netbooks are already driving more users to Web-based operating environments.

Many users are already doing cloud computing, but may not be aware of it. Google Apps is a good example of ‘net based computing.  Millions of users routinely access Google Mail and Calendar every day, and more are beginning to use Google Docs for simple word processing and presentations - all driven entirely on the web.  The only thing the client computers do is drive web browsers and maintain the connection to the Internet.

The next step in cloud computing is desktop virtualization - which essentially simulates a computer system in software, which can be based on a connected system somewhere on the ‘net.  This gives a user a full computer experience, but it is actually happening somewhere else - the user simply interacts with the system through their web browser.  Virtual computer operating systems, such as G.ho.st, are showing that cloud computing experiences can be as easy to operate as any client-based, fully featured OS.

Microsoft has recognized the potential threat of cloud computing models to their Windows OS dominance. They have been experimenting with web-centric OS technology, most recently with a project called Midori.  Some analysts speculate that Midori might be “version 8″ of Windows, to be released sometime after Windows 7 appears in 2010.

Microsoft is also experimenting with distributed, web-based storage and computing models, such as Microsoft Live Mesh. Apple has also recognized the importance of web-based computing, introducing MobileMe for data synchronization and storage in July.  Although both platforms are not yet perfect, they clearly represent the rapidly accelerating trend away from the individual client computer towards the web.

As MobileMe’s early technical problems indicated, cloud computing, so far, hasn’t been totally reliable.  In fact, new services such as CloudStatus have emerged to monitor cloud-based systems availability.  If business enterprises are to become more reliant on the cloud for their distributed computing needs, then they will need to constantly monitor and evaluate how those systems are operating.

Still, the trend seems inevitable - the move to the cloud is accelerating, and sales professionals that rely on their computers would be well served to adapt.

Next in this series: So, what’s a salesperson to do?

Tags: cloud computing, CloudStatus, G.ho.st, google apps, Live Mesh, Midori, MobileMe, netbooks

Fourth in a six-part series

In Part One of this series, we defined what an operating system (OS) is, and speculated that changes in the most significant OS platforms could affect the way that salespeople do their jobs over the next few years. In this part, we focus on the most commonly-used open source alternative OS.

Linux

Originally developed in 1991 by Linus Torvalds, the Linux operating system is the poster child for open source, freely distributed software.  Used primarily to run back-office server computers, Linux is a favorite of systems administrators and programmers who appreciate its technical elegance and reliable operation, all at significantly lower cost than other commercial operating systems.

Linux’ strength is also its weakness, however.  Largely invisible to the end-user community, Linux hasn’t garnered the mindshare of the computer-buying market, compared to alternatives from Microsoft or Apple.  Since no one organization has a major stake in the commercial success of the OS, it has not been promoted aggressively to end users, as yet, so Linux just hasn’t captured the imagination of most computer systems buyers.

That is beginning to change, however.  Linux is finally making its way onto the typical computer user’s desktop, driven mostly by the rapid emergence of ultra-portable netbook computers. Generally smaller and lighter than full-function laptops, ultra-portables are designed primarily for accessing the Internet and performing lighter computing tasks.  Netbooks are more information-access appliances than standalone computers.  And like all good appliances, the ability to perform a function quickly and simply is key to its marketability.  And so, Linux is now finding a happy home embedded in netbooks.

With a Linux-based OS embedded, an ultra-portable can provide “instant on” access to an Internet browser, or to files stored on the device.  Users don’t have to wait for a full-feature OS to load, as with Windows or OS X.  Just turn the netbook on, and away you go.  Two good examples of “instant on” Linux-based applications are Splashtop, available on many Asus ultra-portables, and Dell’s “Latitude ON”, which uses a version of the Ubuntu flavor of Linux - both provide users with immediate access to common computer functions.

Tech guru and pundit John Dvorak recently wrote about the potential threat that “instant on” embedded Linux poses to established operating systems, especially Windows.  Dvorak wrote:

…The most interesting story the media is downplaying is the ASUS announcement that it will have a ROM boot chip on all its motherboards, which will boot Linux instantly on start-up. When you flick the switch the machine is instantly on. (It’s about time.) Of course, you will have to press another button for the machine to load Windows…

It’s an extremely subversive ploy for a number of reasons. First of all, it gets people used to Linux, gives them a pain-free experience, and provides quick rewards. Second, it shows users that—most of the time—this is all they need. And finally, it makes Windows look like a subsystem not much different from a program that you run under Windows. The psychological effect of this is profound, and the results could be devastating for Microsoft.

What will develop naturally from such a new architecture will be Linux replacement apps for the usual Windows apps. One at a time they will come. Windows will boot only for those laggard apps, such as Adobe Photoshop or Illustrator. The rest of the time, users will remain in Linux, which will be perceived as very snappy and responsive—something missing from Windows.

Could Linux ultimately take over the computer operating system market? Even if “instant on” embedded Linux becomes common, the open source OS still may not be able to declare victory over Windows.  For one thing, most users turning on their netbook appliance won’t know that they are running Linux, so the OS won’t get the credit it probably deserves.  Second, Microsoft isn’t going to stay still, and as we’ve already discussed earlier in this series, they are also developing the next generation of Windows, which promises to be leaner, lighter and more flexible.  What’s to stop Microsoft from developing an “instant on” ROM-based version of their OS kernel for Windows 7?

In addition, there is no “one” flavor of Linux.  In fact, there are too many versions available, which has added nothing but confusion to the general market’s understanding of what Linux is, how it looks, how it operates, and what it feels like to use it.  Most likely, this diversity will increase, further fragmenting market perception.

Linux does have one major advantage, however - it is free. And that means that computer developers can add more to their profit margins, instead of paying license fees to Microsoft.  They would love it if Windows went away, and an OS that worked reliably, and which customers were willing to buy, was free.  And for that reason alone, expect to see more computer manufacturers embedding “instant on” Linux into their systems very soon.

Next in this series: “The Cloud”

Tags: Linux, operating systems, OS

Third in a six-part series

In Part One of this series, we defined what an operating system (OS) is, and speculated that changes in the most significant OS platforms could affect the way that salespeople do their jobs over the next few years. In this part, we focus on perhaps the most visible alternative to Microsoft Windows (which we covered in Part Two of this series).

Apple’s Mac OS X

Ask any Apple Macintosh computer user if they like their Mac - and watch as an almost rapturous look of sheer bliss washes over their face.  Apple has garnered a fanatical following of loyal users - and the Mac OS X (also known by it’s code name “Leopard”), is one of the principal reasons.

Because Apple builds their hardware, and can restrict the kinds of upgrades and deviations from factory-shipped configurations, they can ensure a consistent user experience.  And OS X keeps that experience very friendly and pleasant-looking.  Many users say that it is clearly a superior computer operating system, especially when compared to Microsoft’s Windows.

And yet, Apple has deliberately restricted the use of OS X to Apple-manufactured hardware only.  Even though the current flock of Apple machines use the same Intel chips as other computer brands which run Windows, Apple steadfastly refuses to provide OS X to non-Apple hardware users.  Apple likes its happy, closed architecture, and wants to keep it that way.

Some upstart companies have tried to force a chink in Apple’s architecture, however.  Most recently, a small start-up company called Psystar began selling generic Intel-based computers with a hacked version of the Mac OS X operating system earlier this year.  Apple sued Psystar, as expected - but now Psystar has begun to fight back, filing a countersuit of their own.

Most legal experts agree that Psystar does not have a strong case against Apple.  But the legal battle might have some significant implications.

• For example, if Psystar were to prevail, then Apple would likely have to  offer OS X for non-Apple hardware, or find business partners willing to do so on their behalf.  That could become a very significant threat to Microsoft’s Windows share.
• Or, even if Apple wins, it might help them to recognize a weakness in Microsoft’s market share fortress, as that company struggles to move past XP, make Vista more palatable, and finish Windows 7 - and Apple could move aggressively to grab OS market share on their own.

Most industry analysts agree, however, that Apple will likely continue to remain ensconced in their current exclusive, closed hardware/OS architecture - much to the chagrin of non-Apple hardware users that secretly envy OS X.

Next in this series: Linux

Tags: Apple, Mac OS X

Second in a six-part series

In part one of this series, we defined what an operating system (OS) is, and speculated that changes in the most significant OS platforms could affect the way that salespeople do their jobs over the next few years. In this part, we focus on the most dominant OS in use worldwide today.

Microsoft Windows

The first thing to recognize about Windows is that there are several versions of this OS, which evolved over time as new variants and improvements were developed by Microsoft.

XP

First introduced in 2001, and still the most commonly used version of Windows with over 70 percent of all personal computers running it today, XP has been very stable and very familiar to nearly all computer-using salespeople for years.  XP comes in two flavors itself - XP Home and XP Professional, with more robust network and security functionality in the Professional version.

Microsoft officially stopped new retail sales of XP on June 30th 2008, although it will continue to support XP through April of 2014.  Microsoft did this so it could concentrate more development effort on the latest version of Windows, which they dubbed Vista, and also on the next planned version of Windows, currently called version 7, which is expected to be released in 2010.

Even though XP is not officially available for retail sale, XP Home is still available for small systems.  The fast-growing ultra-portable market of lightweight computers, designed for browsing the Internet and simpler computing tasks, is a customer segment that Microsoft does not want to lose, and only XP Home is compact enough to fit on these smaller machines - so Microsoft makes an exception for these devices.  This is largely a defensive move to keep upstart “lighter” OS alternatives, such as Linux, from gaining a beachhead in the OS market share war.

In addition, many computer makers will sell XP to purchasers of new hardware, at the customer’s request.  They can do this by using the “downgrade right” provision of the Windows Vista OS license agreement.  Essentially, to get XP in a new computer today, you have to buy Vista, and then “downgrade” it to XP, which means you pay an additional premium for XP.  This also keeps Microsoft happy, because they can continue to count the sale as a new purchase of Vista, even if the customer never intends to ever run it.  This is, of course, a completely artificial maneuver designed solely to inflate Vista’s market share.  According to recent surveys of new computer users, almost one-third of Vista purchasers exercise the downgrade right and install good old XP instead.

Vista

So, what’s wrong with Vista?  Well, that is a matter of opinion.

Many people use Vista and think it’s just fine.  Vista takes advantage of the latest improvements in computer hardware to provide a better graphical interface, and generally faster performance.  In fact, over 180 million copies of Vista have been sold.

However, a significant number of users have reported all sorts of problems with Vista. This is a result of several factors:

• Microsoft released a bewildering array of Vista upgrade and new installation versions, confusing potential buyers as to which edition they should use
• Possibly under pressure from Intel and other component manufacturers, Microsoft approved certain hardware configurations as “Vista capable” - which was technically accurate, but not very practical - some of the lower-end configurations just didn’t have the processing power to run Vista at an acceptable level of performance
• Many third-party hardware developers were too slow to complete drivers to support Vista with their devices, which meant that some users could no longer use certain printers, disk drives, or other hardware after they upgraded to Vista
• No “wow” - the biggest “cool factor” for Vista is the Aero Glass feature - an upgraded user interface that takes advantage of advanced computer graphics - the problem is that it takes advanced computer graphics to run it, and many older machines just don’t have the power to do it - so, these users just get a flat-looking XP-like user interface - yawn.

Recognizing that the initial reaction to Vista has been mixed, at best, Microsoft has stepped up its marketing efforts to try and re-engineer public perception.  For example, Microsoft recently published a new website publicizing their “Mohave Experiment“, in which they showed unsuspecting computer users an “upcoming new release of Windows.”  The users’ reactions were generally very positive.  Only then did Microsoft reveal that the “new Windows” was instead the current version of Vista.  Although obviously manipulative, the point of this exercise was to prove that Vista only has a perception problem, not one based in fact.

Critics suggest, however, that the “Mohave Experiment” proved little.  The demonstration did not show the participants any of Vista’s problems with installation, drivers, or hardware limitations.  Naturally, Microsoft focused solely on the positive advances of Vista.  But no one doubts that Vista operates very well on an optimum configuration of high-end hardware - it is with less perfect configurations that users have had trouble.

But Microsoft is soldiering on - they recently signed comedian Jerry Seinfeld as the new spokesman for Vista, as part of a US$300 million public relations makeover. No matter how much money Microsoft plows into making Vista look good, in the end, it is the user experience which will define the operating systems’ legacy.  And that has been a mixed bag, so far.  Perhaps that is why Microsoft’s leaders have started touting Windows 7, the new version now under development, as the next “big thing”.

Windows 7

In May 2008, Microsoft’s leaders previewed some of the features of the next generation of the Windows OS, currently called version 7.  Expected in 2010, Windows 7 will include support for multi-touch screen interfaces - think iPhone but with larger computer screens.  Microsoft previously showed similar technology in its “Surface” interface experiment, which showed how a large tabletop could be turned into a useful computer-driven experience.

Video: Multi-Touch in Windows 7

Microsoft’s Windows 7 engineering team, a group reportedly with more than a thousand people dedicated to the massive development project, recently opened a blog to share reports and ideas about their progress with the new OS.

While Microsoft has provided a few glimpses of Windows 7, in truth, no one really has a clear picture yet of what the operating system will look or feel like yet.  But Microsoft is betting a lot on the next-gen version - and competitors know that if Windows 7 stumbles in the marketplace, they will have a clear opportunity to step in and seize a respectable share of computer users away from Windows’ dominance.

Windows Mobile

We would be remiss if we did not also mention Windows Mobile - a version of the OS that is designed to run on hand-held devices, such as mobile phones.

Microsoft enjoys a healthy 13% of the smartphone market worldwide, and has shipped more than 18 million licenses on a wide variety of hand-held devices.

The next version of Windows Mobile, expected in 2009, is also expected to embrace a multi-touch interface similar to its bigger Windows 7 computer OS cousin.

Next in this series: Apple’s Mac OS X

Tags: Microsoft Windows, operating systems, OS, Vista, Windows 7, Windows Mobile, XP

First of a six-part series

In order to be competitive today, virtually all sales professionals must use computers.  They need rapid access to information about their industry, customers, prospects, competitors, and their own organizations’ products and services, and the computer is the ideal device for finding, storing and retrieving this information.

Most people think of computers in terms of hardware: the central processing unit, storage, disk drives, keyboard and display, among other components.  But hardware is simply the “flesh and blood” of a computer - its “soul” is the operating system (OS).

Simply put, the OS is the first thing a computer loads when it is turned on.  It provides the rules which define how the computer recognizes all its hardware, how the components will work together, how it will run software programs, and how it will interact with the user. And so, most of the experience of using a computer is defined by the operating system.

For almost two decades, by far the most commonly used OS has been Microsoft Windows.  Today, more than 90% of all personal computing devices use some version of Windows, worldwide.

But is Microsoft’s long-held hegemony over the OS landscape slipping? Could alternative operating systems challenge Windows, and give users - including sales professionals - more choice in how they use their computers?  And most importantly, would any shifts in the OS market help or hinder salespeople as they try to do their jobs?

Over the next five days, we’ll examine the state of the principal operating systems used today, and try to get some insight about how their evolution might affect sales professionals - and what they should do to prepare.

Next in this series: Microsoft Windows - XP, Vista, version 7, and Mobile

Tags: operating systems

From our “Toot Our Own Horn” department: the outstanding podcast on time management and personal productivity improvement, Gain Control of Your Day, featured our review of PhoneTag in a recent episode, and also at their sister blog and podcast, the Struggling Entrepreneur, too!  We’re flattered and honored - our thanks to both sites for sharing our review with their listeners.

If you’re not familiary with “Gain Control of Your Day“, be sure to check it out.  It covers all sorts of useful tips, tools and techniques for managing the one most precious resource of sales professionals: their time.  Highly recommended!

Tags: Gain Control of Your Day, Struggling Entrepreneur

Michael Arrington at TechCrunch posted an intriguing column called “Think Before You Voicemail“, in which he points out the ever-decreasing value of leaving recorded voice messages in light of more efficient new alternatives.  He says:

…Now an increasing number of people are just plain avoiding voicemail… It takes much longer to listen to a message than read it. And voicemail is usually outside of our typical workflow, making it hard to forward or reply to easily.

Typical voicemail messages today include things like “Please don’t leave me a voicemail, I rarely listen to them. Please just email me at xxxx@xxxx.com” Many people don’t bother setting up their voicemail accounts at all. Then there’s my favorite method, the one I use personally - let the message box get full and then don’t empty it. Caller ID still tells me who called, and I can simply call them back.

How many times have you called someone back and said “I saw that you called but didn’t listen to the voicemail yet, Is it anything urgent?”

I must admit, he’s got a point - I just said exactly that to a work colleague.  In our increasingly time-compressed professional lives, the luxury of sitting back and listening to rambling voicemail messages just doesn’t make sense, especially since there are so many good ways to communicate via text now.

For example, our sales team uses Skype for quick messaging, and it’s much more efficient.  I sometimes have two or three Skype messaging sessions open on my PC, all going at the same time that I’m on the phone with a prospect or customer, and I can manage the workflow quite easily.

Of course, there’s the danger of text overload, especially in our e-mail inboxes.  But getting rid of a text message only takes a few seconds for a quick scan and a click, whereas a voice mail requires you to listen all the way through, which consumes precious minutes.

And here’s what I find most annoying about voicemail: you’d think that people would know how to leave a decent message by now.  I’d have to say that at least half of the voicemail messages I receive are long, sometimes incoherent three-minute soliloquies that could easily have been compressed to just a few seconds. I can’t count how many times I have groaned halfway through a voicemail message, and muttered between clenched teeth, “C’mon, get to the &%#ing point!” I’ve now mastered the “666″ key sequence in our voicemail system, which speeds up recording playback and makes everyone sound like Minnie Mouse, but at least I can get through my voice messages in one-half the time.

How voicemail hinders sales

Voicemail has replaced the stern administrative assistant as the principal means of protecting high-level buyers from salespeople, and for two very good reasons: it’s cheaper, and it’s harder to penetrate.  In the “good old days”, at least one could find a way to develop a relationship with an “admin” and then gain access to a high-level decision maker, but no longer - it’s impossible to develop a relationship with an impersonal voicemail system.

So, in order to reach potential buyers, sales pros now must decide to either (1) game the voicemail system, or (2) play the game.

I have heard dozens of tricks that salespeople use to get over, around, under or through a voicemail system, seeing it as some sort of electronic obstacle course.  Here are a few:

• Leaving a dramatically-spoken message like… “This is Bob, at 555-555-5555, and this is an urgent message for Mr. Prospect!  Please call IMMEDIATELY to resolve… (click)” — yep, they just hang up in mid-sentence.  The key word here is “resolve”, which implies some sort of legal or financial problem.  OK, that might get them to call you back, but what then?
• Dialing random extensions - if you get voice mail, just start dialing numbers until you get through to someone, then act lost and ask to be transferred to your target prospect.  But what do you say when the prospect asks, “How do you know (name of person that transferred you)?”
• 0, 0, 0… - just keep hitting zero to get to an operator, then harass them until they connect you with your target prospect.  If they send you to voicemail, simply repeat and get increasingly more agitated with each cycle.  This assumes that they have live operators somewhere, of course - which is becoming increasingly rare.

Those who decide to play the game try to leave short, pithy messages intended to pique a prospect’s interest.  This is certainly the more professional route, but it may be less effective.  We all know that the callback rates on these kinds of messages is low, and probably getting lower - after all, your prospects have the same kinds of time constraints as you do, and it’s so easy to just hit “delete”, no matter how perfectly phrased your carefully crafted voicemail script might be.

And, of course, we all have our stories about being trapped in “voicemail hell” - where you try to navigate through endless loops of “Press 1 for…, or press 2 for…” menus, never getting closer to your objective.  I’m convinced that the designers of voicemail systems are all laughing at us, delighting in the lost productivity time they are causing to sales pros everywhere.

So, what’s a sales pro to do about voicemail?

It’s time for sales professionals to recognize that a shift in behavior is taking place today.  Just as the introduction of voicemail in the 80’s changed how businesses operate, so too are text-based alternatives now affecting how people interact.  Continuing to bang one’s head against the insurmountable voicemail wall makes as much sense as trying to sell “riding on a smile and a shoeshine” - and that wasn’t effective in Death of a Salesman either.

We need to recognize that our prospects are under the same kind of pressure to use their time more productively as salespeople are - and that they are going to continue to steer further away from voicemail towards faster, more efficient means of communication.  There are a number of emerging new technologies that promise to at least make voicemail more helpful, or better still, to replace it altogether.

Michael Arrington points out a few good examples of these in his column:

There are startups that are trying to make voicemail more useful. Pinger, GrandCentral and YouMail are among them. The iPhone’s visual voicemail feature helps clean up the clutter, too. But at the end of the day you still need to take time to listen to those voicemails, and that usually comes after other equally urgent but less disruptive tasks.

The services that really make voicemail more usable are those that convert voicemail into text and then send it to you via email or SMS (Spinvox, PhoneTag, Yap and Jott, for example).

More mobile carriers are offering text conversion for a monthly or per-message fee. It’s my guess this will become more and more common. Voice is here to stay as a data input method, but listening to messages will certainly become an increasing luxury, to be reserved for loved ones or those messages that aren’t transcribed properly (or you need to hear it for tone or emotion).

He’s right.  The world is changing, and while I don’t think that voicemail will ever go away completely, it will become relatively unimportant in lieu of new text-based services.  We’ve already reviewed Jott, and liked it a lot — we’ll definitely focus more attention on some of these other emerging services.  Sales pros also need to understand this trend, and adapt - or else they will just keep battling against automated systems, with ever diminishing results.

UPDATE: Here’s another interesting web-based voicemail application, Say2Go, offering “asynchronous voice messaging”.

UPDATE: Here’s a new service that enables you to go right to someone’s voicemail: Slydial

Tags: end of voicemail, Michael Arrington, sales voice mail messages, TechCrunch, voice mail alternatives, voice mail hell, voice to text services