A couple of months ago I wrote about our society becoming increasingly mobile.  Well this month I would like to highlight a recent upgrade at Flag City Computers.  My old Smartphone decided to not receive calls anymore.  So to make a long story short I got a new phone.

Many of you have heard of the Blackberry.  Well I just got one and it is simply amazing!  Let me tell you how this helps me serve my customers better and in the process you learn something new.

Let's say you call me to schedule a service call.  I take your info and put it into my phone while I'm talking to you.  Then I decide which technician should run the call and add him to the appointment and save it.  When it saves it automatically emails the appointment to him.  Then he accepts it in outlook.  Which then emails me back saying he has accepted it.  Now it adds to his outlook calendar.  Which he then syncs down to his PDA.  So he has all the call details and customer information he needs to run the call.

Now let's say I'm driving to a customer's house and I need directions.  I just pull up the map program on it.  My default address is in there.  I enter the customers address and I have an instant map of how to get there.  Which I can zoom down to street level to see turn by turn. 

I contract out to larger companies for service work.  I just signed up with a new one.  They email out the job description to all techs within a 100 mile radius.  If I don't know where the city is at I pop it in my phone.  Decide whether I want to run it or not then email them back my bid!  I used to have to wait till I got home to check my email and do all this.  Now I can do it anytime of the day!  For the small price Verizon charges to use the phone in this way I get a hefty return.

So as time passes by technology gets cheaper faster and smaller.  I foresee within the next 10 years that desktops will be a thing of the past.  Everyone will have laptops or just smartphones. 

We live in a time when everything is getting smaller and you can take it with you.  Instant access to everything from your phone!  It's here and it's awesome!

Well that's it for this month God bless!

Monthly Contest
What does CPU stand for?   Answer this question and win a lunch with computer guru Jason Eatherton.  You can pick his brain and get your computer questions answered.  Limited to one winner per month.  Winner is only good for one person.  Valued up to $12 no alcohol included.  One friend may accompany the luncheon; however they will be on their own tab. 
 
To enter for your chance to win:
 
Email your answer to flcontest@flagcitycomptuers.net along with your phone number you can be reached at.  And give him a reason why you deserve to be picked. All entries must be in by February 20th 2008.