It's been a while since my last post, but my new blog design, combined with a thought provoking TechCrunch article inspired me to write a fresh new post. I found this article in TechCrunch to be very insightful regarding disruptive technologies and how they change things rapidly. This particular article, titled- The Full-On Assault On Cable Is Underway is about how the CABLE industry in particular is being shaken up by emerging technology giants such as Google, Apple, Amazon, and Netflix. In a nutshell, the internet can provide people with the ala carte TV viewing experience people have been asking cable companies to give them for a long time. But cable companies have been slow to respond to this demand because they had very little reason to do so. Now that TV's are having wi-fi built in, one can connect to the internet and hook up with Netflix, HULU, Google TV, Apple TV, Amazon On-Demand, YouTube and many other options. The main problem with this model currently is content, but that is changing rapidly. I myself canceled cable last year and elected to subscribe to Netflix for $9/month. I can get over the air HD channels too, which is a nice free option. With increased connectivity and options, Cable companies are going to be forced to innovate or as the article puts it, "...surrender and fall back into its role as a dumb pipe for the Internet. Innovation always tops greed and complacency. Always. The assault is underway." Disruptive technologies change paradigms drastically. "The music industry has already been disrupted. The book industry has been disrupted. The mobile industry has been disrupted" and now the CABLE industry is being disrupted. The writing is on the wall for the CABLE company so they better innovate and compete or simply become Internet Service Providers. As this blog is primarily about emerging technologies and education, I can't help but see connections to Higher Education. Bill Gates sees the disruption in Higher Ed and predicts that "In Five Years The Best Education Will Come From The Web." The Colleges and Universities that will be prepared, unlike the CABLE companies, have already been making strategic plans that take into account the nature of disruptive technology and will leverage the technology for the betterment of their institution and their students' experience.
"People probably never thought the Kindle and other similar devices would lead to a changing of the book industry as quickly as it has — but it’s happening, just ask the Borders down the street from me which is going out of businesses." Does your University think more like Amazon or Borders?
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