This document summarizes the evolution of technology in the workplace over time and how predictions about new technologies often proved inaccurate. It discusses the introduction of desktop computers, the internet, instant messaging, mobile phones, social networks, and mobile messaging. While these technologies were initially dismissed by some, they went on to see widespread adoption in both personal and professional use. The document advocates giving new workplace technologies an open mind before dismissing them.

1. Famous Last Words about
Technology in the Workplace
$#@!

2. Technology in the workplace has
come a long way.

3. Think about it…

4. It started with…
Desktop Computers Copy MachineDesk
Phones

5. Instant Messaging Mobile PhonesInternet
And then...
Desktop Computers Copy MachineDesk
Phones

6. And then...
Desktop Computers Copy MachineDesk
Phones
Social Networks
Mobile Messaging
Mobile Apps
Instant Messaging Mobile PhonesInternet

7. Technologies that were once
new and intimidating became
commonplace.

8. And though they were popular in
our personal lives…

9. Many doomed
them to fail as tools
for work.
$#@!

10. Let’s take a look back a
few early predictions.

11. Let’s take a look back a
few early predictions.
(but not so accurate)

12. The Desk Phone1

13. ”This ’telephone' has too many
shortcomings to be seriously
considered as a means of
communication. The device is
inherently of no value to us.”
− Western Union memo, 1876

14. But…
By 2008,
Polycom
reached
$1 billion in
revenue.

15. That’s a lot of
phones sold.

16. The Desktop Computer2

17. “In the mid-70s, someone came to me with
an idea for what was basically the PC.
I asked: 'What's it good for?' And the only
answer was that a housewife could keep her
recipes on it. I personally didn't see anything
useful in it, so we never gave it another
thought.”
− Gordon Moore, Intel

18. Over 300 million PCs
were shipped in 2014.

19. The Internet3

20. ”By 2005 or so, it will become clear
that the Internet’s impact on the
economy has been no greater than
the fax machine’s.”
− Paul Krugman, 1998

21. But…
4.3 billion
people used
the Internet in
2013.

22. Or nearly 61%
of the world’s
population.

23. Instant Messaging4

24. ”Few companies encourage
employees to use AOL’s instant
messaging service, though
many workers do so anyway.”
− Julia Angwin, Zdnet, 2011

25. But…
By 2005, AIM
dominated the
IM market with
53M users.

26. Mobile Phones5

27. ”There’s no chance that the iPhone
is going to get any significant
market share. No chance.”
− Steve Ballmer, USA Today, 2007

28. But by 2014, more than 500
million iPhones were sold.

29. Enterprise Social Networks6

30. ”Enterprise social networking sure can
sound a lot like the benefits that were
supposed to be delivered by previous
generations of [software]. Sure, sure, it’s
different this time. ”
− David F. Carr, InformationWeek, 2011

31. ESN users are projected to top
535 million by 2018.

32. Mobile Messaging7

33. ”As technology progresses, texting is
slowly becoming more and more
unnecessary. All it does is give us
another way to interact with others with
a lot of added nuances.”
− Alexia LaFata, ThoughtCatalog,
2014

34. But…
Use of
messaging
apps grew
203% in 2013.

35. And over 15,000 businesses
are using enterprise mobile
messaging from Cotap.

36. So before you dismiss enterprise
mobile messaging
as just another trend…

37. Give it a try.

38. Meet Cotap
cotap.com/download