BFEINZIMER
11-28-2007, 05:36 AM
Something I wrote for my English 60 class. Granted it is not the best, but I thought you guys would like it. Coming from a Treo 650 and 700 user. Enjoy.
Business Technology
Modern technology, created and designed to simplify our lives, often ends up doing the exact opposite, or so most people assume. In reality, technology works most of the time, only failing us rarely. Society has become so comfortable with technology that we often forget how much of it is around us and that it’s always working, but when it fails, we take strong notice. Today, most tech products produced by companies have small flaws and bugs, but for the most part work correctly, and over time the flaws are worked out with updates and by other means. A tech company must produce a quality product and support it well to present a first-rate image to the public and its shareholders. Along with the quality of the product, a sufficient level of support must be given to the customers so they feel that their investment was a wise one. Another key factor of business, especially apparent in the technology industry is innovation, and without it, the products and company behind them suffer.
A perfect type of tech product to discuss is the smartphone/PDA industry, which contains many players, and contains an enormous and wide range of consumers. The consumers vary from people that use their products for personal use, to businessmen who rely on these products to keep them connected and productive thought their work day. Today, several companies have pushed their way to the top, while others have suffered, even though they sat at the throne at some point in time. In this evaluation, I will highlight two particular smartphones and how their performance and the support offered by their makers have resulted in the tarnishing or enhancing the public image of the companies that stand behind them.
The first smartphone, that we shall call product A, was released about two years ago and is the predecessor to the company’s older model. It promoted advanced features like a touch screen, high speed internet, and a full keyboard. Other more subtle but important features included a calendar, address book, full feature phone and other various organizer applications. This specific device also supported a vast number of applications that could be installed on it to perform various functions, for example, being able to remotely control a desktop computer from the touchscreen. Sounding impressive, this particular company had a lot going for itself at the time of release, unfortunately as time ensued, problems arose.
When people invest in a piece of technology, it is usually a large investment. When that item does not perform as expected, the customer questions whether their purchase was worth it. Aside from small problems with product A, a slew of major issues reared their ugly heads within days of use. The software of the smartphone was so unstable that it would freeze, requiring a reset, or rendering the entire device useless for minutes at a time. This occurred several times a day to several times an hour, depending on the use. The problem became so terrible that an accessory company sold a body piece to replace the existing piece on product A that would allow you immediate access to it’s reset button. For the company responsible for product A, this was dreadful turn down the road. The certain smartphone would end up resetting occasionally while receiving an incoming call, but would not display nor save the information on the call. To a businessman, this could spell disaster.
As product A is a piece of technology, it is given that it will have issues, but how long should an individual have to wait to have their issues resolved? In the case of product A, the particular company took one and a half years from the product’s original release to offer a fix, and the fix in itself created more issues, for example, rendering the high speed internet inoperable. The combination of lack of support and testing resulted in a possible great product being a complete flop, hurting the company. Today, it is most apparent through their stock price, which floats below $10 a share.
Product B on the other hand is another device, showing similar specifications, in a smaller package, with rock solid reliability, and great support. In the past six months of owning their product, as problems arose and are brought to the company’s attention, the issues are usually resolved within weeks through free updates. This commitment to creating and supporting a high quality and innovative product has reflected positively on this company and, again, it shows in their stock price which is over $100 a share.
Through my short comparison, one should be able to decipher which company and product is thriving and has a constant and supportive customer base. Product A is the Treo 700P, made by the Palm company. Product B, is the BlackBerry 8830, produced by Research In Motion. Each product represents their respective companies and speaks for how each is run and their commitment to providing the best product and service to the consumer.
Business Technology
Modern technology, created and designed to simplify our lives, often ends up doing the exact opposite, or so most people assume. In reality, technology works most of the time, only failing us rarely. Society has become so comfortable with technology that we often forget how much of it is around us and that it’s always working, but when it fails, we take strong notice. Today, most tech products produced by companies have small flaws and bugs, but for the most part work correctly, and over time the flaws are worked out with updates and by other means. A tech company must produce a quality product and support it well to present a first-rate image to the public and its shareholders. Along with the quality of the product, a sufficient level of support must be given to the customers so they feel that their investment was a wise one. Another key factor of business, especially apparent in the technology industry is innovation, and without it, the products and company behind them suffer.
A perfect type of tech product to discuss is the smartphone/PDA industry, which contains many players, and contains an enormous and wide range of consumers. The consumers vary from people that use their products for personal use, to businessmen who rely on these products to keep them connected and productive thought their work day. Today, several companies have pushed their way to the top, while others have suffered, even though they sat at the throne at some point in time. In this evaluation, I will highlight two particular smartphones and how their performance and the support offered by their makers have resulted in the tarnishing or enhancing the public image of the companies that stand behind them.
The first smartphone, that we shall call product A, was released about two years ago and is the predecessor to the company’s older model. It promoted advanced features like a touch screen, high speed internet, and a full keyboard. Other more subtle but important features included a calendar, address book, full feature phone and other various organizer applications. This specific device also supported a vast number of applications that could be installed on it to perform various functions, for example, being able to remotely control a desktop computer from the touchscreen. Sounding impressive, this particular company had a lot going for itself at the time of release, unfortunately as time ensued, problems arose.
When people invest in a piece of technology, it is usually a large investment. When that item does not perform as expected, the customer questions whether their purchase was worth it. Aside from small problems with product A, a slew of major issues reared their ugly heads within days of use. The software of the smartphone was so unstable that it would freeze, requiring a reset, or rendering the entire device useless for minutes at a time. This occurred several times a day to several times an hour, depending on the use. The problem became so terrible that an accessory company sold a body piece to replace the existing piece on product A that would allow you immediate access to it’s reset button. For the company responsible for product A, this was dreadful turn down the road. The certain smartphone would end up resetting occasionally while receiving an incoming call, but would not display nor save the information on the call. To a businessman, this could spell disaster.
As product A is a piece of technology, it is given that it will have issues, but how long should an individual have to wait to have their issues resolved? In the case of product A, the particular company took one and a half years from the product’s original release to offer a fix, and the fix in itself created more issues, for example, rendering the high speed internet inoperable. The combination of lack of support and testing resulted in a possible great product being a complete flop, hurting the company. Today, it is most apparent through their stock price, which floats below $10 a share.
Product B on the other hand is another device, showing similar specifications, in a smaller package, with rock solid reliability, and great support. In the past six months of owning their product, as problems arose and are brought to the company’s attention, the issues are usually resolved within weeks through free updates. This commitment to creating and supporting a high quality and innovative product has reflected positively on this company and, again, it shows in their stock price which is over $100 a share.
Through my short comparison, one should be able to decipher which company and product is thriving and has a constant and supportive customer base. Product A is the Treo 700P, made by the Palm company. Product B, is the BlackBerry 8830, produced by Research In Motion. Each product represents their respective companies and speaks for how each is run and their commitment to providing the best product and service to the consumer.