| FROM: SEP-OCT 2007 ISSUE | |
BY ANTHONY ARIGANELLO, CPA (DELAWARE), FCGA, PRESIDENT AND CEO, CGA-CANADA |
It’s a cliché to say that technology is moving at lightning speed. But this is where a truism meets the truth. Technology is ever present, ever important, and ever changing.
Can you remember when business was conducted without computers or wireless devices? To most of us, this approach to business seems so far in the past it’s almost unimaginable.
I tend to think of today’s technology developments as either “tried and true” or “one-hit wonders.” The “tried and true” technologies are those born from a single brilliant idea that go on to evolve and change, becoming better and better over time. Take the electric light bulb for instance. Could Thomas Edison ever have dreamed his incandescent bulb would morph into today’s compact fluorescent – now the darling of the environmental movement? Another example of a brilliant innovation which keeps improving and has real staying power is the ever-present BlackBerry. Who knows what the BlackBerry will be capable of in another five to 10 years?
As for the “one-hit wonders” remember those amazing gizmos you simply had to have, but which soon found their way into the junk heap of technology history? We’ve all got our favourites: the Polaroid camera, the Palm Pilot personal organizer. And where did all those Sony Walkmans go at the end of their life cycle? Your precious CD collection may be heading down the same path given the rapid expansion of online music downloading and satellite radio.
The latest must-have item is Apple’s iPhone, and the worldwide buzz surrounding its introduction was nothing short of amazing. In New York, they were lining up for days to get it, and those lucky souls who scored one were the hit of the party. No sooner had the phone made it to market before techies were dismantling it to see if it could be re-programmed to work in Canada. (The iPhone is scheduled for release in Canada in early 2008.) While the buzz about the iPhone continues, the role of this device in the evolution of technology remains to be seen.
As technology evolves, grows, and eventually dies, we’re all required to make purchasing decisions. So here are my parting thoughts to help you on your way. Always choose wisely. Expect continuous change. And sometimes, simply wait and see what the technology gurus have on offer next!
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