Maslow's Needs Revised For Today's Technology World

Do you remember learning about Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs in high school? For those who may not remember, Abraham Maslow was the social scientist who wanted to understand what motivated people to action. He believed people possessed a set of “unwritten needs” and, if understood, could explain why a person would make a particular choice. It started with the basics – air, water, food, and shelter. As each need was fulfilled or secured, a person could start working toward personal self-fulfillment.

Recently, I saw this chart on LinkedIn and I couldn’t help but laugh. The person who created this chart knows me pretty well… I am a connectivity junkie. I need continuous access to the Internet or I go through withdrawals.

CONNECTIVITY KILLED THE CAT

Want proof? Here are examples of just how bad my addiction has become:

1. At a family reunion a few years ago, we were staying in a cabin near Mt. Rushmore. Every morning, I would drive my rental car two miles west, pull to the side of the road, and read my email and take business calls. It was the only place I could get a 4G signal.
2. While in New York last year, I walked down 40 flights of stairs rather than get in an elevator so I wouldn’t drop the call I was on.
3. Just a few weeks ago, in-between connecting flights, in a suit and tie, I sat on the dirtiest carpet you can imagine so I could use the only open power outlet for my laptop.

I might have a problem…

Thankfully, I am not the only one with an addiction. It seems the world has decided connectivity is just as critical as food, water, air, and shelter.

WE CAN’T GET ENOUGH

Enough speed. Enough power. We always want more. According to a recent article in Crain’s Detroit Business, “At the rate mobile is expanding, the number of devices connected to IP networks will be nearly triple the size of the global population by 2017. Most of them will connect to these networks to upload or download information—and even faster speeds will be required to keep information flowing without disruption.”

Excited yet? Check out these global connectivity trends:

1. According to Cisco, global consumer Internet traffic doubled between 2012 and 2014.
2. Video is still growing and is overpowering traditional bandwidth. Video made up 64 percent of total Internet traffic in 2014, up nearly 10 percent since 2012 and still growing. Facebook users in 2015 watched four billion videos per day.
3. There are now 2.8 billion Internet users worldwide. In 1995, there were 35 million people on the Internet… (Euromonitor).
4. Bandwidth requirements have been doubling every three years and it is likely to accelerate as new technology is developed.

BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES ABOUND

In 2014, Michelle Pluskota from Comcast said, “This increase in speed, coupled with the reduction of bandwidth cost, has opened up a whole new world for SMBs because it enables them to compete with large enterprises in a way they couldn’t do before now. With greater speeds, today they have access to the same tools and technologies that only large enterprises recently could afford. They are able to run applications (including Oracle, SAP, and others typically thought of as “enterprise” applications) that a few years ago they simply couldn’t handle with their slower bandwidth. Furthermore, greater bandwidth at lower cost will continue to be a game-changer for SMBs because of three growing trends with wide-ranging implications.”

There has never been a better time to sell connectivity. Business Internet powers EVERYTHING in business—mobile, big data, voip, cloud services. The list goes on and on.

At FreedomFire Communications, we focus on helping you determine what you need, how much you need, and who can provide it. With more than 200 suppliers, we can find a great fit for your bandwidth and connectivity requirements.  Simply ask us at Network Design Solutions

You’ve heard us say it. Let me say it again: Bandwidth is the new oil.