What does the future of the Internet look like? Many people have written about what has been described as one of humanity's greatest technologies. But, time marches on and technology changes rapidly. For example, while virtually all Internet users used to enter through some portal software such as Microsoft's Internet Explorer or Foxfire's Mozilla. People now access the Net via cell phones, tablets, and other devices, making its reach even greater and its impact quite profound. When experts are asked if they think that business is exploiting the Internet's full potential, most feel it's barely scratching the surface of what we can do with this kind of communication technology. Experts, for example, say that we can see new product announcements that involve networked devices almost daily. They expect to see many billions of devices using the Net to communicate with each other. This is not just for human communication, which has been tremendously valuable, or human sharing of knowledge, which has also been very valuable, but it can also be used for managing and controlling various devices.
Devices will become able to communicate with each other such that, for example, entertainment systems could be manageable through the Network and even household and office devices can be controlled via smart phones. Once these devices are able to communicate with each other, it means that third parties can build software that services those devices, interacts with them, and manages them. This can add a whole new dimension to customer service.
Probes
1. If, in fact, the Internet can provide many more ways that devices can communicate with each other, what are some implications for customer service?
2. What kinds of new expectations might customers hold regarding online repairs, adjustments, and new features?
3. Describe how such "futuristic" online services might possibly affect an organization you work in or are familiar with. Be creative.