21st century technology beckons users
(Denver Business Journal; 06/05/98)
It's all in the numbers.
The future of business is all tied up in the zeros and ones of
computer
code, as digital technology changes the way companies operate and
communicate.
And by 2001, a year into the new century, the modern office should
be full
of data-crunching machines.
Digital copiers are slowly replacing the old cartridge models;
digital
cameras are steadily making a dent in the old Kodachrome; and digital
cell
phones are the new standard.
"It's clear that digital products are the future," said Frank
Cannata, a
business products consultant in Glastonbury, Conn.
But digital isn't the only news in the office. There's a new
generation of
tiny computers that some say will be in every business person's coat
pocket or
purse in three years.
There's software that makes business decisions, not to mention
software that
recognizes your voice.
And there also promises to be some totally new products introduced
by 2001,
innovations from the minds of a new generation of entrepreneurs.
The following is a short list of some products and product
categories that
are a good bet to join the networked PC and the Internet as
indispensable tools
of business in the next century. Palmtop computers
The idea of a handheld computer has been bandied about for almost a
decade.
Now, handhelds - or palmtops, if you prefer - are widely available, but
they
really haven't progressed past the novelty stage. Experts say that's
going to
change. By 2001, they're likely to be a standard business tool.
"Who doesn't want a computer that you can just pop in your pocket or
slip
into your briefcase?" asked Ed Korenman, spokesman for the Consumer
Electronics
Manufacturers Association (CEMA).
Most of the palmtops on the market use the Microsoft CE operating
system and
can be used for a wide range of tasks - everything from scheduling to
word
processing to voice recording.
They don't have the kind of computing power that laptops have, but
they're
getting better each year as more manufacturers get in the market.
Recommended manufacturers: Hewlett Packard, 3Com, IBM, Sharp.
Price range: $400 to $800
What to expect by 2001: Standard color screens, more memory. Voice
recognition software
Everyone who's ever used a computer has talked to it now and again.
Usually,
the words aren't too pleasant, as you blame the inanimate machine for
crashing
in the middle of a major project.
But you never expected your PC to take notes on your verbal tirade.
Now, it
can, if it's running voice recognition software. Put simply, the
software gives
your computer the power to hear what you're saying and record it in a
text
file.
The latest versions will even separate what you're saying into
sentences. If
you do it right, pausing after each period, tests show the accuracy
rate can
be higher than 90 percent.
Recommended manufacturer: Dragon Systems
Price: $229 (Dragon's NaturallySpeaking Preferred)
What to expect by 2001: Even greater accuracy. Digital cameras
OK, not every business needs to take photographs. But for many, it's
an
indispensable art. Real estate companies, interior design firms and any
business with a newsletter depend on the power of the picture.
Well, the working lives of the people who run those companies is
getting a
lot easier with the continuing evolution of the digital camera.
Instead of capturing your subject on film, you capture it on a
computer
disk. Say goodbye to the darkroom and messy chemicals.
But perhaps the most impressive feature of the computer camera is
the
ability to alter a photograph quickly and easily at your desktop PC.
That kind
of manipulation might get a newspaper in trouble, but for an interior
designer
who wants to show a client how a red couch would look against an
off-white
background, it's priceless.
Recommended manufacturers: Olympus, Minolta, Epson
Price range: $500 to $1,500
What to expect by 2001: Improved image quality, better editing
software.
Business decision software
This stuff is right out of a science fiction movie. And it's now
available
on retail shelves.
Business decision software "mimics the reasoning function of the
human
brain," said Robert P. Lee, president and chief executive officer of
Richter
Paradigm Corp. His company makes MindWizard, a product that answers
what-if
questions and predicts the outcome of various business-related
scenarios.
So is it just a novelty item or a business tool? That remains to be
seen.
Don't expect your PC to replace your CEO. But specialty products
built
around brain-imitating software have been used in various industries.
For
example, Neuristics Corp., of Towson, Md., makes smart software that
helps
credit card companies find profitable customers.
Recommended manufacturer: Richter Paradigm Corp.
Price: $149 (MindWizard)
What to expect by 2001: More entrants into the market, more
specialization.
Digital copiers
Is there any piece of basic office equipment that's used more than
the
copier? At many offices, there is a perennial line at the old Xerox.
But the way you copy may soon change because of-you guessed
it-digital
technology. Businesses are beginning to enter a brave new world of
digital
copiers, which put the existing analog machines to shame with their
speed,
quality and paper-handling ability.
Also, you can make copies right from your PC, with the click of a
mouse.
It's the marriage of printer quality and copier speed.
"Our business is going through nothing short of a revolution," said
Jeff
Elkin, chief operating officer of Advance Business Systems in Baltimore.
"By 2001, I predict that 75 percent of all {copy} machines in
businesses
will be digital."
Recommended manufacturers: Savin, Xerox, Toshiba
Price range: $1,000 to $35,000
What to expect by 2001: Higher resolution, more speed. Intelligent
telephones
Anyone who lugged around a "portable" car phone 10 years ago knows
that
cellular telephones have gotten tremendously smaller and lighter.
Now, with the relatively recent arrival of digital technology into
the
cellular mix, the phones are getting much smarter as well, offering
voicemail,
paging and even e-mail.
"The trend is to combine all of the wireless technologies into one
unit,"
said CEMA's Korenman.
Indeed, some manufacturers, most notably Nokia, are combining the
cell
phone and the palmtop computer into one unit. This marriage will likely
continue and evolve over the next few years. For now, the price of the
combined
units is hefty - more than $1,000.
Even without the palmtops, the newest generation of phones will
continue to
dazzle with new features and even smaller sizes. (The latest are about
three
ounces.)
Recommended manufacturers: Nokia, Qualcomm, Motorola
Price range: $100 to $300
What to expect by 2001: Lower prices, better call quality, lighter
phones.
Cool computer tools
They aren't as revolutionary as intelligent telephones, but the new
wave of
electronic document tools will definitely show up in the office within
a few
years.
Take the CrossPen iPen, a mouse-like tool that lets you make
handwritten
notes in Microsoft Word, Adobe PageMaker and other pieces of software
that are
essential to modern businesses.
The Wacom PenPartner is a similar tool, although it was originally
designed
especially for artists.
Could the regular old, two-button mouse soon end up in the
Smithsonian
beside Pong and the Apple II?
Recommended manufacturers: CrossPen, Wacom.
Price range: $100 to $150
What to expect by 2001: More specialized document tools.
Computerless
videoconferencing
Videoconferencing has always sounded like a great idea, but it's
never
really become a standard way of doing business. It just doesn't seem to
be
worth the effort or the cost.
That may change with the introduction of computerless
videoconferencing
technology, turning any television and video camera into a
videoconferencing
unit.
RSI Systems has introduced the VideoFlyer Rocket, a self-contained
piece of
hardware that's not much bigger than a laptop computer.
Recommended manufacturer: RSI Systems
Price: $6,000
What to expect by 2001: Greater acceptance of videoconferencing.
High-end
projectors
Let's face it. If you're giving a business presentation these days,
you're
going to lose your audience to the Sandman if you don't offer
high-quality
graphics.
A new generation of projectors take the image on your PC or notebook
screen
and project it onto a much larger screen. But it doesn't have much in
common
with the overhead projector your eighth grade algebra teacher used.
The new projectors, described in Fortune magazine's technology
buyer's guide
as a "cross between your notebook PC screen and a projection
television
system," use either liquid crystal or digital light processing
technology.
Recommended manufacturers: Epson, Texas Instruments.
Price range: $8,000 to $10,000
What to expect by 2001: Higher quality picture. Super backup systems
Who knew that the **Iomega** Zip drives would give so many people so
much
peace of mind?
The external storage systems allow businesses and individuals to
backup the
contents of their computer systems in a flash. And they're getting
better all
the time.
The **Iomega** **Jaz drive**, the bigger, corporate equivalent of
the **Zip
drive**, now has two gigabytes of memory. That means it can back up
more data,
and it can move a lot faster.
These drives have done more for business security than Wells Fargo.
Recommended manufacturer: **Iomega**
Price: $650 (2GB **Jaz Drive**)
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