I’ve had mobile phones since late 1980s. Now I’m starting to feel that the phone as we knew it is becoming obsolete.
Nowadays it is really hard, almost impossible, to reach anybody by phone. Business people spend most of their days in meetings or are preparing for a meeting. It is never a “good time to speak”. Even if people keep their phones switched on they are very selective about answering. The only practical way to reach these people is to use email or SMS. The situation isn’t much better before and after working hours.
My main uses for the mobile phone are Internet access via WiFi, applications, music, and photography. That seems to be the future of mobile devices. There are currently over 300,000 apps available in the six leading mobile applications stores. The mobile web will be bigger than desktop Internet by 2015, according to a study by Morgan Stanley.
Whenever I actually want to talk to someone, I use Skype. Making a Skype call with a business contact requires some preparations. I normally book time for a call with the other person via email or instant messaging. My Skype calls are usually more like conversations. Sometimes I share my desktop during the call.
From time to time I still try to make old-fashioned calls to another phone. Unfortunately my iPhone and operator have made that difficult and often even impossible. Maybe it is a good time to abandon the concept of the phone all together.
Photo: iStockphoto
