Technology is completely changing the world around us – even actions as innocuous as the old-fashioned handshake.
The Internet of Things (IoT) means that networks are extending beyond our smartphones, tablets and PCs to connect everything from the car you drive to the shirt on your back. And with Gartner predicting an astounding 25 billion “connected things” in use by 2020, IoT promises to transform our day-to-day lives, as well as the way we do business.
However, despite these advances making us more connected than ever, there remains a significant gap between the physical and the digital world. Business cards, for instance, are a peculiarly analogue approach to sharing contact details in the age of the smartphone. In a world where we can communicate with our fridge via an app, or live stream video to the masses with innovations like Periscope, it seems perplexing that we still share our contact details on small pieces of cardboard. Siymb, UK Imagine Cup finalists, thought so too and saw a solution in the form of wearable tech and IoT.
Siymb wanted to banish to the history books fishbowls full of fusty paper business cards. They sought a new easy way to share several phone numbers, email addresses, Skype details, and social media details. Their solution arrived in the form of a simple handshake.
Instead of forcing people to change their behaviour, Siymb found an innovative way to augment an established business greeting with the power of technology. By syncing a smartphone with an inexpensive wearable device, the team’s solution seamlessly transmits predetermined information from one user to another with a handshake. Details instantly become available through an integrated online system, avoiding the laborious process of manually inputting contact information, where mistakes can creep in. The future potential of the app includes the ability to instantly share other content, such as documents or videos.
Aimed squarely at busy business professionals who are always looking for new ways to be more efficient, the team believes the idea will eliminate antiquated business cards for good.
For more information on Siymb, please click here.
