Why the digital going is good in bad times By Arthur Goldstuck

A once upon a time story 1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry”

1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry”

There’s always someone trying to make too much money

There’s always someone trying to make too much money

Opportunity 1: The digital revolution levels the playing fields

Opportunity 1:

The digital revolution levels the

playing fields

A once upon a time story 1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry” 2000 – part of a listed group: “What you guys are doing is passé”

1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry”

2000 – part of a listed group: “What you guys are

doing is passé”

The corporation regards “the digital guy” as an oddity

The corporation regards “the digital guy”

as an oddity

Opportunity 2: Instead of a digital mascot, become a digital watchdog

Opportunity 2:

Instead of a digital mascot, become

a digital watchdog

A once upon a time story 1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry” 2000 – part of a listed group: “What you guys are doing is passé” 2005 – Declaring the mobile subscriber base inflated: “Those close to the industry have known about this for a long time”

1997 – a little start-up: “You are destroying the price structure of the industry”

2000 – part of a listed group: “What you guys are doing is passé”

2005 – Declaring the mobile subscriber base inflated: “Those close to the industry have known about this for a long time”

Then why didn’t you SAY something?!

Then why didn’t you

SAY something?!

Opportunity 3: Much needs to be said and done that’s not being said and done

Opportunity 3:

Much needs to be said and done

that’s not being said and done

Just yesterday… A reporter asked me if I had a graph of cellphone growth. “ Yes, of course!” But I didn’t have one, and nor did anyone else. How could we all have missed something so damn obvious? What a glaring gap in the knowledge base! I didn’t sleep last night.

A reporter asked me if I had a graph of cellphone growth.

“ Yes, of course!”

But I didn’t have one, and nor did anyone else.

How could we all have missed something so damn obvious?

What a glaring gap in the knowledge base!

I didn’t sleep last night.

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. And now another gap is filled…

68% of South Africans are locked into that curve.

68% of South Africans

are locked into that

curve.

Opportunity 4 – 71: The networks need all the help they can get

Opportunity 4 – 71:

The networks need all the help they

can get

Opportunity 72: The network’s clients want protection from the network

Opportunity 72:

The network’s clients want

protection from the network

Yesterday it could have been anyone getting that cellular call It happened to be us this time. But month after month we come across huge gaps in the digital knowledge base. And people who would pay us good virtual money if we could fill it for them. Yesterday. So much data, so little time

It happened to be us this time.

But month after month we come across huge gaps in the digital knowledge base.

And people who would pay us good virtual money if we could fill it for them.

Yesterday.

So much data, so little time

For Example… How many SMSs are sent daily? Monthly? Annually? The media would have been eating out of your hands last week if you had that at your fingertips. It’s all publicly available, but like raking leaves when the South Easter is at it. Come inside, there’s plenty room.

How many SMSs are sent daily?

Monthly? Annually?

The media would have been eating out of your hands last week if you had that at your fingertips.

It’s all publicly available, but like raking leaves when the South Easter is at it.

Come inside, there’s plenty room.

Opportunity 73 – 85: You can be Mr SMS. Or Ms Twitter (too late!). Or a dozen other thought leaderships .

Opportunity 73 – 85:

You can be Mr SMS.

Or Ms Twitter (too late!).

Or a dozen other thought leaderships .

And look what’s coming next

And look what’s

coming next

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. Fully connected, at last Shipping routes of the world, mid-19th Century. Oxford history of the British Empire

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. Behold the broadband culture

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. The death of dial-up

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. The cables are coming…

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. Exponential bandwidth increase

Opportunity 86 – 87: Mapping the possibilities of both connectivity and connectedness

Opportunity 86 – 87:

Mapping the possibilities of both

connectivity and connectedness

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. SMEs move to broadband

Opportunity 88: SMEs and consumers are ready for what broadband can do FOR them, but not for what they can do WITH it.

Opportunity 88:

SMEs and consumers are ready for

what broadband can do FOR them,

but not for what they can do WITH it.

The Cellular base One SIM card for every South African Three phones for every 4 South Africans Media hype:10-m cellular Internet users (Don’t confuse data with Internet) And 10-million South Africans on Mxit This year: ½ million using phones as primary Internet access device

One SIM card for every South African

Three phones for every 4 South Africans

Media hype:10-m cellular Internet users

(Don’t confuse data with Internet)

And 10-million South Africans on Mxit

This year: ½ million using phones as primary Internet

access device

Opportunity 89: Cellphones are great ... as phones. 34- million people need help to turn them into tools.

Opportunity 89:

Cellphones are great ... as phones. 34-

million people need help to turn them

into tools.

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. A powerful Internet economy

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading.

Opportunity 90: Prepare for 2013, but meanwhile, help educate the newcomers

Opportunity 90:

Prepare for 2013, but meanwhile,

help educate the newcomers

Is it evil to destroy the newspaper?

Is it evil to destroy

the newspaper?

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. The global picture

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. Social media lives up to promise

Opportunity 91 – 93: Mobile content MUST boom. So must video, and the integration of social networks.

Opportunity 91 – 93:

Mobile content MUST boom. So

must video, and the integration of

social networks.

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading.

Opportunity 94 – 95: Wikis and widgets will flourish, the former for content kings, the latter for developers.

Opportunity 94 – 95:

Wikis and widgets will flourish, the

former for content kings, the latter

for developers.

Blank slide style for slides that require no heading. Watch out for the curve

2018: the need for speed² Fibre to the home – a residential reality True video-conferencing – home and work Real-time speed monitoring – in your car Cash will cost – towards a smartcard society Content will be free – free from platform, that is

Fibre to the home – a residential reality

True video-conferencing – home and work

Real-time speed monitoring – in your car

Cash will cost – towards a smartcard society

Content will be free – free from platform, that is

Opportunity 96-100: Managing speed of technology, of contact, of networking, of transacting, of information.

Opportunity 96-100:

Managing speed of technology, of

contact, of networking, of transacting,

of information.

The digital curves are all on the rise…

The digital curves are

all on the rise…

FINALLY, THE INFORMATION ECONOMY IS REAL. JOIN IT.

FINALLY,

THE INFORMATION ECONOMY IS REAL.

JOIN IT.