The Future of Text Messaging

The media and political campaigns were introduced to a new way of informing the general public of the latest news by a Presidential candidate. The Barack Obama campaign released their text messaging campaign so you can find out who his Vice President will be. This is an innovative and intresting way to promote the campaign and the interest in the decision. This should not be a surprise coming from the Obama campaign who has not conducted the normal campaign.

On a similar note,  officials in Houston are taking the steps to introduce a method in which people may contact 911 through a text message. "In this era where everybody is texting, it is very imperative that we accommodate the way people communicate," said Paul Brubaker, research and innovative technology administrator for the U.S. Department of Transportation. The possibilities are endless. One can send images of a perpetrator or ongoing crime in order to aid law enforcement. Folks can also contact the authorities when they can not verbally speak to them because their lives may be in danger. Hollywood will have to adapt their scenes in which thieves rob a bank. Now, they will ask the hostages to give up their cell phones so that no one tips off the police.

I enjoy seeing technology aid the people in their everyday activities. Although these two aspects may not be used by everyone, it does get the ball rolling to other possibilities. The way marketing and promoting will change. Imagine going to the grocery store and as you are getting your deli meat, you are sent a message (from the grocery company who was able to detect your phone) giving you a discount on bread or a new type of mustard. Of course for those concerned with their privacy rights, folks will be able to opt and and they will have to sign up for the service in order to benefit from it.

I can go on and on about different ways that companies can use this service. While a student at the University of Texas, I enrolled in "Campus Updates" via text message. They were helpful . . . for example one day all classes were canceled and I was notified via my cell phone. In San Antonio, the public transportation uses unique numbers at bus stops that allows bus riders to get a status update on the route and the approximate time the next bus will arrive. These initiatives are pioneering the way we interact with each other and services that we use on a daily basis. "What if?" is no longer the question . . . it is "When?" that we will be entertaining.