IP Networks to Ease the Boredom of Standing in Line

March 1, 2005

A report today from Cisco Systems and Datamonitor confirms one of my pet notions, which is that eventually virtually everyone in the world will become an Internet user -- even those who�they say they will never use the Internet.

Details of the research report are available at:

Research Demonstrates How Internet Technology May Help Banks Make Queuing Rewarding for Customers

Datamonitor recommends that bank branches use converged networks to deliver targeted "infotainment" to customers waiting in line for a teller or bank officer. The same networks can be used for communications and security.

I've seen survey results in which substantial percentages of respondents said they would never become Internet users, and I'm sure that is entirely their intention. However, technological trends are�taking us toward a world in which IP communications will be embedded in the world all around us. In such a world, being an Internet user does not require proactive effort. Communications are streamed in all around you, and you interact with this streamed-in information not�only through displays and input devices, but also through surfaces and materials in the environment. (Think about this: What could happen if wall paint were made with nano-sized Web servers mixed into it and connected to a WiFi mesh network?)

Anyway, here's a quote from the Cisco-Datamonitor report giving you an idea what it might be like waiting in line at Wachovia in a couple of years:

"The report advises that electronic marketing channels can help overcome queuing issues by allowing tailored video material to be streamed to screens in each branch, giving customers something to watch as they queue. In addition, cameras can be used to monitor branch use, giving management better information on queuing patterns to help cut down waiting times."

AB -- 3/1/05

Related Tags: internet, Internet, report, world, waiting, streamed