While baseball spring training games beckon, over the last few weeks I have been conducting early research and interviews with some really smart folks around my next book which looks at the exciting convergence of technology consumption and production models:
“Their zip codes are far from Silicon Valley. Their SIC codes show retail, automobile or banking. But industry after industry is waking up to the opportunity of “smart products” for their increasingly tech-savvy customers. Traditionally technology buyers, they are learning to embed technology in their products and become technology vendors.
In turn, traditional vendors are increasingly aware that the successes at peers like Apple, Google, Facebook are not just about innovative products but their embrace of “industrialization of technology” – global manufacturing efficiencies, supply chain optimization, partner ecosystem management. Technology vendors are adopting best practices from far-flung industries.
This convergence of technology buyer-vendor roles is opening up new opportunities – and competitive landscapes. It calls for new skillsets, attitudes, even business models. It calls for a “switch-hitter” – enterprises and executives equally comfortable buying and selling, consuming and producing technology products.”
If you work for/know of a company which is building cool “smart products” for its sector or tech vendors which are pushing the envelope when it comes to scale/efficiencies or have an interesting perspective on the themes, love to talk to you as I continue my book research. Also, I will be periodically excerpting from the book/profiling some standout examples on this blog.
Sounds good Vinnie. You set a high standard with The New Polymath and look forward to what you come up with next. I'm sure I'll have a couple referrals for you as well for interviews...
Posted by: Jon Reed | March 22, 2011 at 01:39 AM
Jon, high compliment coming from author/broadcaster/entrepreneur. Look forward to your suggestions
Posted by: vinnie mirchandani | March 22, 2011 at 08:13 PM
I echo Jon's sentiments. I just hope that you'll be able to figure out the royalty statements by then. :)
Posted by: Phil Simon | May 03, 2011 at 11:04 AM