Exploring push and pull technologies

If you are serious about faster deeper learning, you should be accessing as much of the knowledge in the world of digital technology as you can. In recent years there has been a significant shift in the connectivity and accessibility to the Internet via palmtops and mobile phone networks in addition to the personal computer (PC). In developed economies the percentage of households with computers is now well over 50 per cent, with additional access also available from other locations such as digital television, Internet caf s and the workplace. Although in developing countries access has been historically very low, it is set to explode in the near future as the cost of wireless mobile devices such as palmtops comes down.

Taking the conversation a little further, it is timely to mention push and pull technologies. In doing so we are setting up more detailed discussions on digital technology in the conversations pertaining to growing competitive advantage when we explore how you can leverage digital technology for higher levels of learning, customer loyalty and business capability.

Push technologies

Push technologies help you to be informed on an area of interest when it becomes available. Like getting a letter in the mail, push technologies come in various forms including voice mail, short message systems, discussion groups, e-mail and electronic newsletter (that is, e-zines). For me, this means being on the distribution list of various e-zines on topics relevant to winning the knowledge game and this has helped me tremendously. These services are often free, but increasingly you are expected to pay for the better knowledge. One site that offers a variety of e-zines is www.austrainer.com.

In a business you can take the idea of push technology a little further. To aid the flow of vital knowledge selected people often are sent targeted information based on their speciality, interests and preferences, while in the consumer marketplace intelligent filtering is increasingly being used by businesses such as amazon.com and eBay to influence future new or different buying decisions of their customers. In the near future push technologies will also be extended to proximity marketing where global positioning systems in conjunction with a mobile phone or palmtop will send you a message based on your geographic location. For example, if you just enter a country town by car you are advised of a good lunch spot.

Pull technologies

Pull technologies are where you do the searching yourself and extract the information you need. Search engines are far ranging and varied, those I have found of most value are at www.google.com, www.askjeeves.com and www.dogpile.com. Increasingly you will find businesses now providing sophisticated search capacity to employees, suppliers, strategic alliances and customers to help them find instant answers, contacts or advice. Here knowledge resources and learning portals are made available to assist suppliers, key customers and employees to do their business. Organizations such as SAP, Cisco Systems and Kodak commonly use their web sites as an avenue to inform employees , suppliers and customers of key business operations and new products as well as sharing important resources such as research, white papers and collaborative opportunities, the premise being that if you have an informed learning business relationship it is a solid one. You will also find the media and government bodies at a federal, state or community level full of wonderful free resources and assistance in this regard.

The danger here is that there is an assumption the people know how to search the Internet and business web sites such as intranets and portals. My experience is that this is not the case. Very few businesses teach this skill to their employees, suppliers and customers. Greater effort needs to be made to help people capture simple tips and deeper insights from cyberspace .