Now, those that know me well will probably snigger at this blog, given my general lack of internet skills. I just about stretch to Twitter, but then only occasionally.
But I was really intrigued by this news snippet I stumbled across. ‘If it computes, it’s connected’ read the headline.
Those were the words of Intel Chief Technology Officer Justin Rattner, who went on to explain that everything, from the most heavyweight cloud computing centres to the latest internet radios, will all be wireless.
Items will communicate and exchange data; how useful would it be, I wondered, if you didn’t have to record business mileage in an app or on a notebook, but your car did it for you?
And that irritating clicking from the rear right of your company car – the one that goes instantly silent the moment you try to demonstrate it to the service engineer – is recorded by the car and remotely sent to your nearest dealer, who then books you in for a service to get it fixed. Having already remotely checked your diary to ascertain when is suitable.
Utopian stuff? I don’t think so. I might be a little older by the time such technology is commonplace, but given the current pace of change such technological revolutions will be here before we know it.
Let’s take technology and congestion. I suspect one of the biggest bugbears any company car manager faces is the constant moaning about traffic jams and the time wasted going nowhere. But smarter navigation systems are already being introduced to overcome this.
For example, BMW has recently launched its latest navigation system that plots the most efficient routes with intelligent planning linked to the car’s fuel-saving ECO PRO mode.
Volvo is going further. It’s putting the commuting time spent on motorways to good use by allowing autonomous driving ‘road trains’. In other words, allowing your car to drive itself.
You might be taken aback by such a thought, but Marcus Rothoff – the Volvo engineer in charge of the project – says that as we don’t give a thought to airplanes flying on autopilot, why should we worry about cars?
The ability for drivers to answer emails, check reports, or talk to the office in complete safety while the car drives itself should really drive up productivity. Although I suppose it will also give those same drivers time to go extra curricular and update their Facebook status and so on.
Although, clearly not in my case. Such technology is outside my current capabilities – but when the age of ‘if it computes, it connects’ eventually arrives, it might bring me closer to technological mastery!
Now, those that know me well will probably snigger at this blog, given my general lack of internet skills. I just about stretch to Twitter, but then only occasionally. But I was really intrigued by this news snippet I stumbled across. ‘If it computes, it’s connected’ read the headline. Those were the words of Intel … Continued
I know my blogs usually follow a theme: cars, business success. More cars, more business success… And I’m really pleased there’s been so much business success to celebrate recently. But I’m going off-piste on this one. I want to celebrate the support of our team here at Fleet Alliance, and the kind donations of supporters, … Continued
In my last blog I talked about how we measure success in business. It seems quite an appropriate lead into this blog which celebrates the MINI. Sorry, the Mini. Lower case. Because it’s the Mini – the classic Issigonis designed front-wheel drive icon – that has been celebrated by Autocar magazine as the greatest British … Continued
How do you measure business success? Is it the satisfaction of a cash positive, good week’s work for a sole trader, rewarded with a pint on Friday evening? Is it clever management and worker engagement that steers a company successfully through difficult trading conditions? Or the escaping rush of champagne bubbles to celebrate the sale … Continued
So London 2012 is over and the games have been declared a triumph. Whilst the closing ceremony was never going to be as spectacular as Danny Boyle’s acclaimed opener, it was a fitting end. In his closing speech Lord Coe said: “When our time came – Britain, we did it right.” And who am I … Continued
The opening ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games takes place later today – the moment when Danny Boyle’s extravaganza, from what I’ve seen a somewhat bucolic interpretation of our green and pleasant land, kicks off. I’m excited by the spectacle – but slightly irritated by the moaners and groaners. I was in Surrey earlier … Continued
It’s that sinking moment – when, suddenly, your day starts swiftly heading south. We’ve all been there: when you see that oh-so-deserved end-of-the-day beer before dinner slowly sinking away as you sail past the motorway exit road and just ahead is one long tailback… Congestion, traffic jams, hold-ups – call them what you will, they … Continued
Occasionally, we’re fortunate enough for car makers to send along to our offices the odd model for assessment. Which is very kind of them. The rush for the keys is not so pleasant among staff but I usually find that an assertion of my seniority works very well. As does keeping a firm grip on … Continued
One social media wag suggested that it was just as well the fuel duty hike was delayed – it would save on ministerial fuel necessary for all the recent government U-turns… Was the Chancellor going to do anything else? I doubt it. In a tricky place, somewhere between a rock and a hard place, the … Continued
Getting your team onside is always crucial to success don’t you think? Just look at what’s been happening in the Euro 2012 qualification rounds. Holland, one of the top four favourites to win, have gone out without scoring a point. Tales from within the Dutch camp suggest dissatisfaction in the side, deep fissures dividing both … Continued