Telepocalypse

Delivering on the promise

Two thoughts to highlight how far we still have to go with developing the voice and messaging offering of telcos.

First, I'm reading a bedtime story to my kids. Maybe I'd like to share that experience with other members of my circle of nearest and dearest. I could easily plonk my mobile in front of me and call them on speakerphone. But I don't for fear of using up these valuable 'minute' things on a Sunday evening. Rationed scarcity, not abundance, driven by termination fees.

Second, instead of 'Push to talk', why not 'Push to listen'. Let's say that I'm happy to allow selected people to listen in (for up to 30 seconds, perhaps) on what's going on in my house before calling. Then they can judge whether it's in the middle of a behavioural meltdown among my offspring ("It's MINE; no SHE TOOK IT OFF ME!"); or maybe it's so quiet the younger one just must be asleep. Each such instance of listening in is notified to me, and furthermore the audio is recorded and sent to me so I know exactly what was heard. It's presence, Jim, but not as we know it.