It is hard to believe how far technical communications have developed over the last one hundred and sixty years. On August 16th,1858 the first telegraph message was sent across the Atlantic ocean from Trinity bay, Newfoundland to Valentia Island, Ireland. President Buchanan said “it is a triumph more glorious, because far more useful to mankind, than was ever won by conqueror on the field of battle”, how true was his assertion. This event is one of the moments that revolutionised how we communicate with each other and do business over vast distances. 
Fast forward to 2015 where we live in an age of digital communication our forefathers could only have dreamed of. We have entered the wireless age. IEEE 802.11 covers the different standards for various wireless technologies however we are more familiar with terms like bluetooth, wifi and wlan to market these wireless technologies. Our lives have changed so much in a very short time. On a smartphone you can carry out your banking, tax your car, apply for a job, shop online and keep up with your friends on social media, all whilst sitting on the sofa or out in the back garden having a cup of tea. The opportunities for business are enormous. Potential customers can be targeted in a way that just was not possible 10 years ago. Using tools such as email, twitter, hootsuite, facebook and google plus we can reach the people who are the most likely to have an interest in our product or service. With hashtags for example we can find out what our customers are saying about our particular area of business and more importantly our own business. Just as people can use their portable devices practically anywhere, this also means they can be reached anywhere, so the potential for advertising is enormous. There is an array of devices you can have in your home that can connect to a wireless network to automate and maybe make life more simple. NAS drives can share all your media around the home. Network Security cameras can be accessed from anywhere to keep an eye on your home, Sling boxes allow you to watch your recording remotely. You can even control your heating and lighting if you wish, again the potential here is endless. Wireless electricity is an area that is set to grow immensely, with the rise in sales of devices like the tablet, smartphone and laptop, there is a drive to improve and develop this existing technology for wireless charging. It just makes you wonder what the future holds in this wireless age.
shane mckeever 