I am reading the book Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson, and I can’t wait for the free moments in my days to pick up where I left off. Jobs was remarkable in so many ways. I find myself reading and thinking aloud, “He did that?!”
There’s so much we can learn from Steve Jobs when it comes to vision, design, usability, and even passion. The doubters early on questioned with squinted eyes and crooked eyebrows, how anyone could be passionate about a big beige computer? We all know better now. The possibilities have exploded. Yet what does this have to do with UC?
I think UC took lessons from Steve Jobs. This can be seen in the seamless integration of devices, the simplicity of common user interfaces, and the transformation of how we leverage technology in our business and personal lives. For example:
On Simplicity:
When designing products, Jobs’ philosophy was “simplicity is the ultimate sophistication”, and “the main thing in our design is that we have to make things intuitively obvious.” The simple and intuitive user interfaces and touchscreens, and the seamless integration of devices, make using UC simple.
On The User Experience:
Jobs was obsessed with the user experience. In his biography, he is described as “adamant that everything on the interface have a good feeling to the user.” UC solutions that are the most successful are those where the users feel confident in utilizing the technology based on the solutions' relevance to their jobs, reliability, and user friendliness.
On Creating Something that had Never Been Done:
Jobs’ creative team of designers, engineers, et al “did the impossible, because you didn’t realize it was impossible.” The development of UC is like that, too – breaking new ground, creating new services that never existed. Some analysts and commentators thought UC was just a marketing term and that nothing real would ever evolve. Today, we see real UC solutions being deployed and integrated into the enterprise ecosystem, and delivering real results in terms of cost savings and collaboration.
On Craftsmanship & Quality:
When talking about the inner workings of the computer, Jobs’ thoughts were “I want it to be as beautiful as possible, even if it’s inside the box. A great carpenter isn’t going to use lousy wood for the back of a cabinet, even though nobody’s going to see it.” Today’s UC solutions not only have to function as expected, they must meet the highest quality of standards when it comes to the delivery of voice, video, and data, and the integrated user experience. The technology in the devices and the network are critical to the success.
Ultimately Jobs represented the intersection of technology and art. Isn’t UC a bit like that in its own way? The power behind UC technology unleashes the creative potential of its users – global collaboration, creative designers leveraging video, thought leaders turning data into actionable ideas. The possibilities are endless.
