Andrew Grill, Telstra’s manager, eMarket development, offers a three-part guide to the internet for smaller businesses. This is an extract from a web cast broadcast on August 9, 2000
Hello and welcome. It doesn’t matter if this is the first Networked presentation you are viewing, or if you have been watching the whole series, I hope that from today’s presentation you will gain an insight into what the online world might look like in a few years time as we look into the future.
It is interesting to note that the whole networked series is presented online. Just a year or so ago it would have been hard to imagine that a program like this would have been attempted – but thanks to the advances in technology, and the adoption of the internet by Australian Businesses, regular web casts such as Networked are a reality.
Just by watching this web cast, you are already in front, and you are not afraid to try new ideas. The fact that you would watch a 30 minute TV show on the internet is still foreign to some. Think back to the introduction of colour TV in Australia in the early 1970’s.
Back then many would have asked why we would need colour. I remember the introduction of our existing GSM digital mobile network in the late 1980’s and remember many people wondering why you would want a mobile phone with you. These days it is unusual for a business person not to have a mobile.
Let’s have a look at where we are now
In this presentation, I want to share with you what is
available now, what is around the corner and what we can
expect in the not too distant future.
Recently, renowned futurist Nicholas Negroponte visited Australia as a guest of Telstra and presented to a group of business leaders on the digital future. One of the key messages he delivered was that the notion of e-business and e-commerce would become a thing of the past. We would simply refer to it as business and commerce - as it would all be transacted electronically.
Internet access is available in most places in Australia, even by satellite for those remote areas. Permanently connected internet is available, but for small businesses, a dial-up connection is more common. The internet is also available on your mobile.
Email services are available, and the majority of businesses that are connected to the internet also have an email address. Basic videoconferencing between 2 people using a cheap desktop camera and software such as Microsoft’s Netmeeting is available, and it even allows you to share files between people.
The landscape is changing
Basic trading of goods and services is available to
consumers, and last Christmas we proved that Australians
are taking to this in huge numbers stretching our
delivery and fulfilment services to the limits.
Online banking is a reality, and online share trading is becoming popular. Clearly the landscape is changing due to the “new economy” brought about by online services.
Australian’s also love mobile phones! Over 40% of us have one, and we expect to be able to be contacted and make calls anywhere – even underground! I travelled on the new airport Railway in Sydney recently and was able to chat the whole way on my mobile!
Mobile data services are also available, and the new WAP or Wireless Application Protocol phones allow us to interact with the internet while mobile. Services such as email, news, and financial information can be viewed on these new phones.
Even today, you can send short text messages via our SMS or short message service to other GSM phones – allowing you to send and receive information instantly. Did you know that Telstra processes more than 800,000 SMS messages every day!
Next issue: The future of ebusiness in Australia
Andrew Grill is manager, eMarket development,
eWorks, Telstra Convergent Business. His team manages
the development of vertical market opportunities across
all market segments and drives the future direction for
the group in terms of technology and solutions
development.