TimRichardsonthumbnailLooking ahead to 2010, I expect to see more articles online and offline about how GPS technology is exploited more “fruitfully” by enterprises reaching out to persons carrying the latest PDAs.

While it is always fascinating to discuss the latest technological developments that have potential for applications, sometimes we miss the mark – am reminded of the time in 1998 when Motorola and Timex joined forces to create their “Beepwear Watch”. Just because a technological marriage is possible, doesn’t mean it could be a marketing success. The Pocket pager style “beepwear watch” won a CES Innovations award, only to fail as a consumer product because it was soon eclipsed  by a decline in the cost of cellphones.

When I emphasized the word “fruitfully” I am reflecting that technological considerations alone will not arrive at the ‘killer application’ we seek. The solution to a blending of GPS and PDAs has to come from a marketing angle. Read the rest of this entry »