VoIP Philosophy: Wirearchy
Most of the time when we talk about VoIP, we talk about its practical applications. However, not everyone is so pragmatic in their thinking. Many people look at the human factor behind changing technology and the bigger picture that it implies. There is more than just the facts; there is also the philosophy. One philosophy of which VoIP is a part is the philosophy of “wirearchy”.
Wirearchy is a term coined by Jon Husband back in 1999. You can learn more about it from the previous link as well as from his blog on the topic. It is defined in one sentence as:
"a dynamic two-way flow of power and authority based on information, knowledge, trust and credibility, enabled by interconnected people and technology”.
But of course it takes more than one sentence to understand this concept. Essentially, wirearchy refers to the shifting communication structure that has taken place – is taking place – in modern organizations. Companies were once almost entirely operated in a top-down fashion where “the boss” made the decisions and the employees followed the orders. Nowadays, this is less and less the case.
The argument of wirearchy is that this shift is occurring in part because of the technological changes in communication that are taking place in business. Everyone in a business is more interconnected than in the past as a result of online connectivity and social networking. Looking at the bigger picture, people at all levels of different businesses are more connected than they were in the past.
Gone are the days when the head honchos of major companies were the only ones who knew what was going on. A perfect example of this is exhibited when employees of major companies provide media links to online reporters about the goings-on within the companies. For example, internal emails that leaked information about Media Defender to consumers cost the company a fortune (and its reputation) this year. This situation relied on the internal online communications of individuals within the company as well as on the communications between those people and the broader blogging and online reporting worlds.
That’s just one example of how a change in communications is shifting the power within businesses. There are many other positive examples of businesses working with their employees to adapt to this shift. When done correctly, this can create a greater sense of community amongst employees, increased loyalty to the company and innovation within a business. This is particularly true among small and mid-sized businesses which are perfectly sized to take advantage of the interconnectedness of their group. Businesses can also use this as a tool to network with outside resources by linking themselves to the communities each individual has developed outside of the office.
So what does this have to do with VoIP? Well, it has to do with communications technology as a whole and VoIP is a large player in that for businesses today. VoIP streamlines communications and makes connectivity within and between businesses easier. Wirearchy isn’t specifically about VoIP. But it’s VoIP and the many other technologies that drive business communications which are setting the tone for this changing landscape. Now that’s something to think about!
Question of the Day: What is your opinion on the philosophy of Wirearchy?
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