Product Management & Innovation Blog | Sopheon

Innovation Happens ... and it's all up for grabs!

Written by Kevin Kalkbrenner | May 26, 2016

LOL, OMG, TTYL (and the list goes on …)

English, well “the Queen's English,” has taken a back seat in our daily communications and interactions. Few of us could have foreseen the evolution of the English language to include so many truncated and abbreviated “words” to have such a pervasive and profound impact on how we communicate.

 

The Catalyst: Text Messaging

Written communication has come a long way from scratching pictures on the insides of caves. Arguably one of the biggest innovations in written communication is when SMS messaging came onto the scene. The world's first text message was sent from a computer to a cellphone by British engineer, Neil Papworth, who sent the text to his boss on December 3, 1992. It simply read: "Merry Christmas" 1. This breakthrough innovation was the reagent that revolutionized the way we communicate. OMG!

 

Innovation Happens - and it Changes Everything

While this may sound borderline “Yogi Barra-ish,” it's the truth. The clients we work with every day, their products, and their services are in a constant state of evolution fueled by innovation. Questions many grapple with include:

  • Which ideas are of greatest value to the consumer?
  • Which have the greatest revenue impact?
  • Which provide competitive advantage?
  • Can I change if my consumer changes?
  • What happens to my investments and priorities if the markets shift?

Imagine knowing the answers to these questions and being able to change scenarios to evaluate short- and long-term impacts to your company.  Enterprise Innovation Management (EIM) platforms create a near-clairvoyant advantage, giving corporations the foresight they need for changing market conditions.

So the next time you invoke your ‘millennial spirit' and text your friend “OMW” when you leave the house, think of how you used to let people know you were on your way, and take a moment to breathe in and really feel the acute impact this innovation has had on the way we communicate.

Innovation happens — and it's all up for grabs when you are one of the few with foresight.

Looking to ramp-up your innovation habits? Read the blog post Don't Be a Dinosaur! 10 Ways to Build Innovation Habits & Avoid Business Extinction.

REFERENCES

1 Suzanne Deffree. (2015, December 3). 1st text message is sent, December 3, 1992. Retrieved from EDN Network: http://www.edn.com/electronics-blogs/edn-moments/4402146/1st-text-message-is-sent--December-3--1992
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