This past month, Abilene Christian University (ACU) in Texas announced that this fall it would become the first university in the U.S. to provide an Apple ****** or iPod touch to every arriving freshman.
According to the press release (link above):
"... freshmen will use an ****** or iPod touch to receive homework alerts, answer in-class surveys and quizzes, get directions to their professors' offices, and check their meal and account balances - among more than 15 other useful web applications already developed, said ACU Chief Information Officer Kevin Roberts."
The ACU Web site also offers a film called "Connected" that portrays the student experience, post-mobility.
Now, this isn't exactly new. There are other instances where Apple or colleges have provided iPods to incoming students, but this represents a coordinated effort.
"We are not merely providing cutting-edge technology tools to our incoming students," said Roberts. "We are also providing the web applications that ensure these tools will become critical to the students' learning experience. Because 93 percent of ACU students bring their own computers with them to college, we are choosing to take them to the next level by providing converged mobile devices."
Think about the conditioning and expectations these young people are developing in terms of how they access information. Imagine these tools all over the world, in the hands of engineers and manufacturers and sourcing professionals. And imagine its impact on every node of the supply chain.
These will be your employees and customers of tomorrow. They are bringing a new level of demand for information.
How well will you - or do you - provide it?
