In case you haven’t heard, Google Fiber is a project to build an experimental broadband internet network infrastructure using fiber-optic communication in Kansas City, Kansas and Kansas City, Missouri. Google Fiber opened up the bid process in February of 2010 – inviting cities to apply for the project to come to their city first. Over 1,100 communities responded – trying all types of antics to get Google’s attention (like when Topeka, Kansas, changed its name to Google, Kansas, and Google responded by re-naming itself Topeka as an April Fool’s joke), but in the end, KC won out. This means residents in Kansas City will have connectivity at around one gigabit per second – about 100 times faster access than most Americans have.
In Kansas City, we’re all excited about what Google Fiber could mean for our community, but thinking beyond that – what does Google Fiber mean for business? Specifically, what does it mean for our industry and building product CMOs?
The ultra-fast speeds of Google Fiber offer a significant boost to remote work and telecommuting options for building product companies. Businesses can now conduct virtual meetings with lower latency and more reliable connections.
Employees working from home will experience seamless access to large data files and complex software applications, enhancing productivity.
I don’t have all the answers but here are some changes Google Fiber could bring to marketing:
- The need for digital literacy in the building products industry:
- The building products industry is often two steps behind with technology, which can make trying new marketing initiatives hard for building product CMOs, but with advancements in technology like Google Fiber, digital literacy is going to be more important than ever. The web provides an unlimited amount of information for and people that don’t know how to take advantage of this are going to be at a huge disadvantage.
- New innovations and cutting-edge technologies:
- Google’s mission is to organize the world’s information and make it universally accessible and useful. And their Google Fiber project is an extension of this. By investing in a “next generation technology infrastructure”, they are opening the door for technology that’s never been seen before. Whether it comes from KC or other cities hoping to attract Google Fiber or other private Internet providers, these technologies will change the way we do business.
- The need for digital literacy in the building products industry:
With Google Fiber, companies can explore virtual reality applications to engage customers more effectively. This includes offering immersive virtual tours of products and interactive demonstrations that had previously seemed out of reach.
Such VR experiences provide customers with a firsthand look at building materials in a simulated environment before making a purchase.
- Better, more advanced and faster videos:
- Forget creating a video with your handheld flip video recorder. With ultra fast internet, everything can be uploaded and downloaded much faster. This includes live 3D video and cutting the download time of HD movies from hours to minutes. Video is already the wave of the future and Google Fiber will just promote that trend even further.
The enhanced e-commerce capabilities made possible by Google Fiber mean that businesses can offer smoother online transactions and use data analytics in real-time.
This allows for personalized shopping experiences that cater to customer preferences while ensuring faster load times and more responsive interactions on e-commerce platforms.
To read more about Google Fiber, check out their blog: http://googlefiberblog.blogspot.com/.
