Our Tech-Savvy Government

It takes more than a great technology to "change the world". It takes widespread adoption and often standards. Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology tooks years to break into the mainstream. The cooperation of the key industry leaders in wireless technology assured consumers and businesses that these technologies would be supported and would become the industry standard.

RFID technology has been fast-tracked due to the ultimatum set by Wal-Mart on its top suppliers to adopt the technology or lose the business of the biggest retailer in the world. There are only a handful of corporations that have the reach and influence to validate and provide the financial rewards or penalties to ignite a new technology single-handedly. One such customer is the US government.

When thinking of leading-edge technology adopters, the government is probably not the first organization that comes to mind. However, the US government has architected many technology successes through their many initiatives. Some examples include:

- RFID tags in US Passports,
- Electronic voting booths,
- Robotic soldiers and drones, and
- GPS technology in mobile phones (911 requirement).

Thanks in part to their ban on MySpace, the US military comprises the largest group in FaceBook.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the US government will be using a whopping $11.5 billion to conduct the 2010 census. They will be using PDA handheld computers from Harris Corporation. These PDA's will be enabled with GPS and fingerprint authentication. Such a huge project using emerging technologies will provide a high profile case study that will help bring fingerprint authentication and GPS to the forefront. As other large organizations adopt these technologies for various vertical applications, the technology will advance, the prices points will come down, and eventually will find widespread adoption to everyday consumers.

I expect that wireless carriers will eventually include GPS services as a nominal addition or a free feature for wireless plans. GPS applications will create a major shift in how we communicate, interact and transact with our friends, families, employers, retailers, and service providers. So when we reach the point in time when our cars automatically drives us to the closest In-N-Out burger while simultaneously placing an order for a double cheeseburger, onion rings and Coke, we can thank Uncle Sam for paving the way.