Conversationware

The telecoms industry people that I talk to, often speak about ‘Presence’ as if it were the holy grail of telecoms and Unified Communications.

They maintain that if we could just sort that out - including showing where people are, whether the phone is engaged or not, and transmitting some manually invoked ’status’, this would open up a massive ‘reason to buy’ and increase the comms applications market for us all.

I just feel there is so much to learn before I could agree with my fellow industrees (what’s the right word for people in the same industry?)

A manually invoked status couldn’t possibly be updated enough during a day - anyhow, I’d want a status per person. “Is it a good time to speak” isn’t a good question, because you’ve already interrupted.

It’s just so much pot luck.

Alec Saunders of Iotum coined a phrase, “willingness to engage” and the company definitely has some thought leadership around this area. I love the idea of being able to schedule contact much more easily - almost in proportion as hating the though of having to manage my willingness to engage with each acquaintance that passes through.

I’m wondering if ‘Presence’ is going to be too intrusive, or interruptive, for even the most assumed of relationships. My opinion is that software won’t ever be clever enough to work out whether the circusmtances are right to open, or continue any particular conversation.

This linked post shows how Instant Messaging has the power to interrupt, and plenty of comments show why presence in the enterprise is not considered as essential as email.

I can see how IM adds value, it certainly reduces email, but that little green light may well be the worst thing to happen to my day. Interruption is not good.  

My conclusions are leaning towards finding easier ways to book conversations in advance, some sort of brokering - plus a good way to record progress and to escalate actions to myself or other people on any particular topic.

In particular, something that stops me putting the phone down, and then instantly remembering I had three other things I should have been talking about with that person or group - now that would be very handy.

Matt