eBuzz - Star Trek is Now!

Star Trek is Now!

Earlier this week we looked at the blog phenomenon and how eMarketers are using blogs to inform customers, communicate with prospects, and replace traditional media. (If you're interested in the last part — replacing traditional media — read the article about making assumptions in Jeannette's blog this week.) Imagine our surprise when we learned that Google itself apparently... blogs! So we headed over there to check it out.

According to technical writer Tom Galloway's post on the Google blog:

Did you ever realize that among many other things, Star Trek predicted blogs? Think about it — all those "Captain's log" and "personal log" entries that Kirk would make. He was definitely a blogger. And of course the communicator-inspired cell phone design. And the crew was constantly asking the ship's computer for information... sort of like Google.

Of course, Scotty and Spock, the engineer and the scientist, certainly were childhood inspirations to many Googlers. Now we've (somewhat) grown up, and often work on things that seem right out of the show: Being able to ask a computer to research a topic and present relevant results. Putting maps, both human-drawn and photos taken from space, on a personal communicator (OK, cell phone). Creating 3-D structures and objects and putting them in a shared warehouse for everyone to use (we're still working on making them into solid holograms for a Holodeck). And I'm convinced we've got replicators that restock the snacks in our micro-kitchens.

What is truly important in all this talk about technology is how quickly we've come to take it for granted. Who among us does not have a cell phone or a computer? And how many years ago were we sending out mailings via the USPS? Not all that long ago, when you come to think of it.

While eWayDirect's emessaging technology has all the bells and whistles, it is in areas where there are the greatest challenges that we really stand out. We provide third party audited reporting on inbox deliverability and content rendering in real time. This information allows us to work closely with the ISPs on a continuing basis to get the mail into inboxes — and there is not additional charge for this service. There is no guesswork involved.

Email was a tremendous leap forward in terms of saving time and cost, yet today most of us handle our email lists with a level of insouciance that is truly amazing. And soon, as Neil pointed out in one of his blogs, email itself will soon be passè

Are we ready for what's coming next? Will we update our customer lists from our mobile devices while waiting at the doctor's office? Will our Web sites be visible on televisions and watches and gadgets that haven't even been invented yet? It's all possible.

The key to being prepared could well be flexibility. Being ready means being open to new ideas, new techniques, new ways of moving ahead. And that's something that anyone can do... now.

And that's our take on the news today!

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