Disruptive Technology

Technology is the way we do things. Disruptive means we have changed.

Here is a disruptive technology story, from planning for the new year.

As a sales executive, I travel to client sites. For the Washington market, Alexandria Drafting Company (who Jack knows as “ADC” from when he was piloting cement trucks) had a great set of maps, either by county or the big book. I needed both since some government installations are pretty far out, like Pittsburgh and West Virginia.

Every year, first week of January, I would go to Price Club <dated> and get my new set for the year and move the previous year’s maps to my office for planning purposes. Old maps don’t hurt planning as much as they hurt arriving.

ADC was interactive. I sent them letters and later emails documenting changes in roads, and they responded in weeks and a year or two later incorporated the changes. I was part of their tribe.

Then Google Maps came out and I would chart my routes every morning. (Ignoring the first five directions. I can often find the nearest highway to home). ADC had been disrupted.

Researching this post I searched for the ADC website. Their inventory has been acquired by an aggregator, where I saw the maps I used in the New York area and New England. The last iceman always makes money.

My wife uses an iPhone. We were out in Virginia when they shut down Interstate 81. She interactively found us to our destination. My printer has been disrupted with the only compelling argument for a smartphone.

Smartphone went on my “want” list, which is pages longer than my “need” list.

How have you noticed you are effected by disruptive technology?

Join us December 13^th at the Capital Technology Management Hub Launching A Green Technology Startup for Sales Lab’s How to Convey Your Business Personality - Easily, Simply, and For Free! Good times! Great crowd! Sterling presenters!