Moving From the Information Age to the Communication Age

At this year’s CompTIA annual member meeting, Daniel Burrus, CEO of Burrus Research, talked about the Seven Radical Principals That Will Transform Your Business in his keynote address. One of the points he touched upon was how businesses are experiencing a major shift from a “period of Rapid Change to one of Technology-Driven Transformation" and how we need to shift from an Information Age to a Communication Age.

In an article by Burris on CIO Update that further fleshes out this topic, he defines the Information Age as being filled with new and better ways developed to distribute and display data and information. “We now have 24/7 access to email and websites via a multitude of devices, such as smartphones, smart-tablets, laptops, and desktops, etc."

However, in this age, we have become inundated with information – emails, company e-blasts and newsletters, newsfeeds, and even corporate documents that provide information about company goals, corporate restructuring, new strategies, etc. So how do we keep ourselves from drowning in this sea of information? Burris suggests shifting to a Communications Age. It’s not enough anymore for people to inform, but rather collaborate and communicate with the information given and take action from it.

In the Information Age, it’s more of a one-way, non-collaborative session or period of time where information is sent and the recipient is “expected" to take action. This rarely happens. The good thing is we’ll always transmit information, which helps create the foundation for a Communications Age – a time that will allow for a more dual path of communication, where you can send and receive information in a way that allows you to further collaborate regarding the information being transmitted. This age will be less about sending and receiving information and more about instant, consistent collaboration with that information. Because information is so quickly transmitted and always being updated, it’s critical for people to be able to communicate and collaborate on multiple levels. Using email or the phone is not just enough anymore.

In the Information Age, if you received an email and needed further clarification, the next step would be to either make a phone call or walk over to the person’s desk that sent the information to obtain clarification or discuss next steps. In the Communications Age, collaborative solutions, like hosted Unified Communications, will come more into play. Having your voice and data networks integrated, and solutions like IM and desktop sharing will allow you to send information and collaborate in a way that is more convenient and efficient to each person.

As these inclusive technologies are developed, you can start out on the phone or via an IM and then overlay different applications such as desktop sharing, application or video in a seamless, non-disruptive way, giving participants the ability to collaborate using an ultimate solution. With collaborative solutions, you can send out information to an individual how you deem it necessary and based on the recipient’s comfort level. For example, some people prefer IM over email or a desktop-sharing experience via video conference versus sending page-long emails with detailed explanations. Others prefer sending a receiving text messages than phone conversations. Circular communications allows the individual to communicate with a person how they best like to communicate. And communicating in a manner where the other person is comfortable will get them to respond in a more efficient and positive way.

Even the not-so-tech-savvy users will become drawn to these types of technology solutions because the tech savvy individuals will communicate with them using these products – forming the hand for the less tech-savvy to embrace technology. This circle of communication will truly reinvent businesses today as it allows for deep interactive collaborative communication, allowing for the future advancement of an organization.

There is a big difference between informing and communicating. Informing is providing someone with facts or information – a one-way conversation, while communicating is the sharing or exchanging of information between two or more people; the latter of the two leading to action and response. Burris says that, “Data and information are great, but if you want people to act on that data and information, you have to use today’s technology in a way that opens a meaningful dialogue. When you do, you’ll move your people to action and will advance the organization to new levels of success."

Louis Hayner has more than 10 years of management and sales entrepreneurial experience in telecom services and is currently the chief sales officer of WVT Communications company, and its wholly owned subsidiaries Alteva and USA Datanet.