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Basic Technology
    It is not what one would expect from a country that has had no effective government since 1991, yet three- yes three- telecommunications are operating profitably in the war torn nation of Somalia, mostly in the capital city of Mogadishu. Perhaps the existence of these companies is proof of capitalism at its heart, which is where there is a demand, there will be someone willing to provide, even under the guns of a multitude of fractious warlords and Muslim extremists.
    These companies may also show the way to the future in Africa. Where there is communication with the outside world via the internet, there is access to the liberal ideas of freedom and democracy. When enough people are exposed to those kinds of ideas, moderation inevitably follows.
The Year of the Delayed Release
    First it was Sony’s much anticipated Playstation 3. Now it is Microsoft’s much anticipated Windows Vista. The commonality? Each product’s release has been repeatedly delayed by their respective manufacturers because of various problems with implementing the technologically advanced product.
    Is this a case of overreaching by these manufacturers? In a way, yes it is. In recent years, the release of new technology has been more about getting the bigger, better, faster product to market than to release a complete, working product. As a result, technology manufacturers bite off more than they can chew, forcing them to release half complete products or delay the release of much anticipated products as they try to get them to work at all.
    The end result is that the consumer market constantly waits for the next best thing. The truth is that the incomplete and non-functioning technology market is what drives that market forward. Consumers are constantly disappointed with sub-standard products, so they constantly go back to the market looking for something better. It’s a never-ending cycle.
    Meanwhile, there are a few companies who do produce good products that work every time, and they are often ignored simply because they have products that work and often never change. Perhaps companies like Sony and Microsoft could take a page from those companies’ playbooks for themselves.
DLH
