At the rate technology evolves, 10 years seems like a long time off. A decade from now, we might expect thousands of contextually-driven, ultra-personalized messages to reach our customers at exactly the time they are needed. Certainly they will be delivered through all sorts of new devices, many integrated into cars, clothes, glasses or other interesting places. These devices may use new types of quantum processors and new memory that makes today’s fastest technology look like a clunky 1990’s PDA. And all of this new technology will be applied to improve customer communication.
Some communication may be managed by a variety of helpful services, devices, bots and social networks. We may expect communications that are information rich, but not intrusive. We will expect them to be useful. We will expect filters that get us the right information at the right time. We will expect them to be secure and private. We expect them to be delivered on constantly improving devices that are bigger, smaller, faster, and smarter. And yet all of this new communication should not take more time from our days, just as self-driving cars, smart elevators, and self-cleaning clothes each add a bit of time back to our busy schedules.
While it may seem a long time off, 10 years is not so far that the choices you make now won’t impact you then. If you consider the impact of 10 years across common technology refresh cycles, it is only a few upgrades away.
Today, people in your company are considering investments in technology that will absolutely affect your ability to communicate in 2025. Some of these choices will improve your communications in 2025. Others will not.
Many companies are planning investments in Customer Experience—or “CX”—initiatives that are led by marketing in an effort to strengthen customer relationships. Other companies want to delay critical infrastructure upgrades “until next year”—every year for the next 10 years. Your decisions today matter.