The key is to access the Net. For most computer users getting access to Word documents, Excel spreadsheets, an occasional PowerPoint program, and most importantly, e-mail, are mission critical applications. I can now access e-mail from my Windows machines, Mac or Palm and read the same messages in whatever platform is most convenient at the time. We have to be like religious zealots for the customer. That is the key.
Smart businesses deploy whatever technology is necessary to serve the customer.
I like the Japanese approach. They are known for their high-tech advancements. A visit to Akihabara or Shinjuku in suburban Tokyo will show some of the latest in high-tech gadgetry. Yet, in the office of a Japanese company the people are as inclined to use an abacus as a calculator or a spreadsheet. It depends on what is most effective at the time.