Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/56540
From the Editors Can You Hear Me Now? Has this ever happened to you? You're out with a group of faculty, debating the merits of recent busi- ness books, and you can't remember the name of one of the authors. The next time it happens, pull out your cell phone and send a text message to 242242, asking, "Who wrote Who Moved My Cheese?" Within a few minutes, you'll receive a reply informing you that the author is Spencer Johnson. Of course, you can pose any other question you like and get a quick response from the text message service run by ChaCha.com, which employs part-time workers to research and answer inquiries around the clock. It's a fun, simple, and surprisingly useful application for the ubiquitous cell phone, but it also serves to underscore the fact that today's cell phones are remarkable devices that allow people to stay connected and collect data. In fact, there's mounting evidence that cell phones are changing the way people live, learn, do business, and even think—which makes them fascinating tools that need to be examined, understood, and employed in the business school classroom. I'm not one of those people who can't function unless there's an iPhone within reach. I have 4,000 rollover minutes available to me on my current cell phone plan, and I didn't learn how to send an SMS until about six months ago. But even I was impressed by some of the innovative cell phone applications I learned about as I researched "Dial M for Mobile" for this issue. A few of them are detailed in the sidebar to the story that begins on page 32. Professors who would love to ban phones from the classroom might find them- selves, instead, designing quizzes and class projects that take advantage of these versatile devices. When the same relatively inexpensive piece of technology allows students to collaborate on projects with other team members, listen to podcasts of missed lectures, and receive course alerts about rescheduled classes, you know it promises to play a major role in the future of education. Cell phones might have an even more important role in the future of business, which is another reason for management educators to pay attention to their potential. Consum- ers already use cell phones to watch movies and listen to music, making these devices alluring to the powerful entertainment industry. Technology currently available in some parts of the world allows consumers to use cell phones like credit cards to purchase goods they've already researched online through their cell phone browsers. Mobile devices can also aid in the fight against poverty. For this issue, we spoke to Ericsson's CEO Carl-Henric Svanberg, who is a great believer in the power of cell phones to bridge the digital divide. Last October, he addressed the U.N. General Assembly to discuss how cell phones might help the organization reach its Millennium Development Goals. Cell phones enable health workers in rural areas to receive medical training, he notes; they allow teachers in remote villages to access Google in the classroom. Cell phones literally can change the world. So it's hardly a surprise that a cell phone can help you teach a class or settle a trivia question. I mean, what famous economist was born on July 31? Do you know? Got a cell phone? ■ z 6 BizEd JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2009 COMSTOCK IMAGES/JUPITER IMAGES RAQUITA HENDERSON