Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/58063
The next set of business school students will be people who have grown up communicating in a variety of different ways. Ninety-five percent of them use instant messaging, own their own mobile phones, or have a broadband connection at home. When you joined Motorola, you spoke of your commit- ment to the notion of "seamless mobility." It seems like we're almost there already. What's left to fall in place? What's next, I believe, is extending seamless mobility to more and more users. When we talk about connecting the next billion, we're referring to the half of the population that has yet to make a phone call, wired or unwired. We're also talking about the millions of opportunities that con- nectivity can bring to enterprises. By cutting across devices, infrastructure, applications, and services, enterprise mobility delivers information in all forms to people and things in motion. And it delivers that information across the supply chain—to mobile workers in the office, out in the field, in the fac- tory, and at retail. Many business schools al- ready have wi-fi capability on campus. They provide lectures via podcast, content over the Web, blogging opportunities on their sites, and many other services. What should business schools be looking at as the next technology that either will change the way they educate students or create a sense of community among them? Social media is the next step. It's a perfect example of what seamless mobility is all about—anywhere, anytime communications. The next set of business school students will be people who have grown up communicating in a variety of dif- ferent ways. For example, we have statistics about the people who are currently between the ages of 12 and 21. Ninety-five percent of them use instant messaging, own their own mobile phones, or have a broadband connec- tion at home. More than one-third have access to all three of these connections. It's no surprise that, compared to adults, these young people exhibit starkly different behaviors and attitudes about mobile phones. Among these users, content consumption is moving from individual to tribal groups or communities, as 20 BizEd MARCH/APRIL 2007 people want to interact with others who have similar inter- ests. Coupled with this trend is the Internet's move toward user-generated, easily shared content—the "wiki" concept. All the major players, such as MySpace.com or Friendster. com, know that there's a lot of benefit to be gained by get- ting users involved in content. We're researching how content can be shared to create greater networks of people and create social communities. A community within the business school or a class would be a great application of this technology. The MOTORAZR can perform so many functions that it blurs the line between communica- tions and technology. It's a phone, a camera, and a wireless high-speed Internet device that's also capa- ble of downloading music and videos. As convergence becomes the watchword of the tech industry, how can any company stay on top of the changes and re- main successful? One key to success is creat- ing cool designs and cool experiences for consumers around the world. The real challenge is not to gener- ate ideas with breakthrough potential; it is to select and manage those ideas to become actual commercial breakthroughs. To succeed, companies must set clear innovation goals, select the right ideas for development, and create an agile organi- zation to drive ongoing innovation. I'm guessing that one reason you're so comfortable with technology is that you earned a degree in electrical en- gineering before pursuing your MBA. If today's students want to work for tech-driven companies, do they also need a deep grounding in technology or engineering? Given the rapid pace of change and growing complexity in the technological sector, additional training in engineering or technology, while not mandatory, is beneficial. With some technological understanding, managers can speak the same language as product developers and enhance their insight and effectiveness.