Technology

Today's Media Technologies

The goal of media providers today is for their product or service to be the fastest, most advanced, and easiest to use. Information is expected to be disseminated as quickly as possible in as many venues as possible in order to quickly reach the most people. Breaking news such as Michael Jackson’s death was out in the blink of an eye, broadcast over internet, radio, and television to the point that you could not turn one of them on without seeing or hearing about it. Twitter users tweeted and Facebook users talked about it; the information was everywhere. While there are many devices and more coming out all the time, some technologies remain tried and true and have served as a basis for a whole host of other media. These include the television, the internet, the cell phone, and, although not one most people think of now, the telephone.

Television

Studies have proven that television is the most widely viewed form of media and that it is the single-most effective means for disseminating news and advertising. A survey cited by the PRWeb found that “television advertising was still the most effective means of promotion available today” (pp.1). Television viewing is considered by many to be a health epidemic that contributes to obesity as well as addiction which goes to show how widely it is viewed. Obviously, television in and of itself is geared toward a wide audience-everyone; however, some channels cater to specific audiences such as ESPN, whose intended audience is sports fans, but some channels can all in one night show political programs, comedies, dramas, and more. This means that one channel can literally reach millions of diverse viewers in one night and since it can be broadcast globally, its capabilities are far-reaching. Television is used for a variety of reasons; entertainment, advertising, learning, emergency information and news dissemination are just a few. Television air time can be massively expensive though, especially during prime time shows, so is, therefore, not always the best choice for advertising although it is the most effective. As we all know, however, cost effectiveness is important too. Small businesses or non-profit agencies, for example, may not be able to afford air time or if they can, it may not be enough to reap a big enough benefit for what they paid for the spot. Repetition is one of the key elements to an advertisement’s effectiveness so if a company cannot afford to run the ad repeatedly, it may not be worth the effort.

Internet

The internet is another massively popular form of media and a form of global communication. We can communicate with others from across the world and people from any country can play interactive games such as through X-Box Live or virtual world programs such as Second Life, among many others. Many of us prefer to get our news from the internet rather than watching it on television or reading it in a newspaper and we can instantly get news from any part of the world. Some foreign news sites even offer information in English and other languages. The internet has such a wide variety of information and is used to make that information accessible to anyone, any time. Just about any type of information you type in will yield some form of information about your subject making it much easier than searching dictionaries or encyclopedias as it gives you what you need in the blink of an eye. Social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace and LinkedIn, for instance, connect us with people, information and opportunities. You can network to find employment, special interests, dating services and many, many others. Devices such as cell phones, Blackberries and iPods can connect us wherever we are with the internet and laptop computers can be transported anywhere so that we can literally stay connected no matter where we go. The internet itself has no particular audience, although one might argue that one needs to be technologically savvy in order to really navigate it, but of course, sites within it can be more geared toward specific audiences.

Cell Phones

Cell phones have exploded in popularity over the last decade, changing and evolving all the way. From large, walkie-talkie type gadgets to sleek, high-tech devices, cell phones are easily one of the best inventions ever made. The history of the cell phone is quite interesting. First proposed in 1947 by inventors Ring and Young, cells have been honed and perfected ever since. In this insightful article found at http://cell-phones.suite101.com/article.cfm/cell_phone_history, Nash (2008) gives us insight into the history of the cell phone.

Although businesses pay for cell phones for their employees, most still rely on multi-line land line telephones as their main point of entry. This may be because cell phones only connect to one person and land lines are still considered the most reliable for service as cell phones need recharged and connection can sometimes waver. Regardless, many forego the land lines at home in favor of just using cells rather than paying for two different phone services. Today’s cell phones are high-tech with texting and music downloading capabilities, internet connection, games, and a variety of useful applications and features. Cell phones are effective for individual use whether it is personal or work-related such as to connect with clients and to be reached after working hours. Those who regularly travel for their jobs are likely to carry a company cell phone. Phones with internet and e-mail capabilities such as the iPhone, enable employees to stay connected without having to log onto a computer. Cell phones are great for people always on the go and employees who must work outside the office. They are yet another way for us to always stay connected to one another, to our employers and to the news of the moment. No longer do we have to search for a pay phone if we are on the road and in an emergency, we can make calls or find numbers on the internet which could be deemed a safety feature.

VoIP

Small businesses with few employees may just use cell phones but larger businesses with multiple departments often keep traditional main phone lines or they may use a technology such as Voiceover Internet Protocol (VoIP), a fairly new technology that connects callers through broadband internet rather than the traditional land lines. There are pros and cons to using it, however. Some of the main benefits of this technology include the ability to make and receive numerous calls rather than the limited amount available through a traditional multi-line phone system which means callers will not likely hear the dreaded busy signal. Callers can also instantly get a greeting and told they are on hold until a representative is available and some can calculate an estimated waiting time. Other benefits include various features such as chatting which can allow, say, a receptionist to send a chat invitation to a fellow employee who can then decide whether to place their current caller on hold or speak to the incoming caller; the VoIP client can show a complete list of the company’s employees along with a real-time status option which tells the sender whether the person is in or away. Calls are managed on your computer screen so you can manage calls without even picking up a line with the simple dragging and dropping with a computer mouse. The major con, however, is that if the computer or internet system is down, so is VoIP; one example of how technology can come back to bite us.

References:

Nash, J. (2008, March 8). Cell Phone History: Mobile Technology Advancements. Accessed June 7, 2010 from: http://cell-phones.suite101.com/article.cfm/cell_phone_history.

PRWeb. (2006, January 17). National Survey Reveals that Television is Still the Most Effective Advertising. Accesssed June 2 from: http://www.prweb.com/releases/2006/01/prweb333728.htm.

Roebuck, D.B. (2006). Improving Business Communication Skills (4th ed.). Pearson Education: New Jersey