The landscape of workplace communication has undergone a remarkable transformation. Initially limited to face-to-face interactions, the advent of landlines, computers, mobile phones, and webinars has revolutionized how we connect. Looking ahead, virtual reality might soon become a mainstream tool for communication.
It’s astounding to reflect on the progress made over the past 100 years. From the inception of the first computer—which took three years to build, occupied approximately 1,800 square feet, and required about 18,000 vacuum tubes, weighing nearly 50 tons—we have transitioned to an era of almost complete connectivity. This connectivity is epitomized by the emerging Internet of Things. Another symbol of this hyper-connectivity is the rise of open workspaces, where cubicle walls are a thing of the past. One thing remains constant in workplace communication: its perpetual evolution. And the journey is far from over.
Evolution of Communication
1. Switchboard Operators
The introduction of the telephone dramatically transformed office communication, allowing white-collar offices to operate independently from warehouses and factories. Interestingly, this resulted in a greater centralization of American offices.
By the early 20th century, women largely filled the switchboard operator roles, with their numbers growing from 88,000 in 1910 to 235,500 by 1930. However, direct dialing technology soon reduced the need for operators, causing their numbers to fall to under 200,000 by the 1940s.
2. Pagers
Al Gross invented the pager in 1949, aiming to revolutionize communication in hospitals and by telephone companies. However, his invention only gained traction with New York’s Jewish Hospital, which started using pagers in 1950.
The usage of pagers surged in the 1990s, hitting a global peak of 61 million users in 1994, after Gross’ patents expired. Known for enhancing and speeding up urgent communications, pagers became indispensable in hospitals and remain valuable today due to their ability to send signals through buildings, a feat cell phones often struggle with.
A 2017 study published in the Journal of Hospital Medicine revealed that nearly 80% of U.S. hospitals still depend on pagers for communication. Beyond healthcare, pagers are still employed by infrastructure companies like the U.K.’s EDF Energy, lifeboat crews equipped with GPS-enabled pagers, and emergency responders.
3. Videoconferencing
Videoconferencing first appeared at the New York World’s Fair under the name “Picturephone.” This early version allowed users to communicate through video in 10-minute increments. However, due to its cumbersome and costly nature, along with the complex setup required, its adoption was slow.
It wasn’t until the 1980s that videoconferencing began gaining traction, driven by a significant reduction in cost—from around $250,000 to $80,000. Concurrently, the computer revolution and the emergence of integrated services digital networks and broadband elevated the feasibility of videoconferencing.
Despite these advancements, the high costs and complexity continued to deter widespread corporate adoption during this period.
4. Fax Machines
Fax machines transmit graphics or text via phone lines by converting the original scanned message into audio frequencies and tones. These signals are then decoded by the recipient’s machine and printed onto paper. This process allows phone lines, traditionally used for audio, to facilitate the transmission of visual information as well.
By the 1980s, their usage had expanded across various sectors, including government, healthcare, legal, and small businesses. This widespread adoption led to a significant reduction in cost—from $18,000 at their peak to just $500 by 1991.
5. Email
Ray Tomlinson pioneered the email system in 1971, but it gained widespread popularity with the advent of the World Wide Web. By the 1990s, email had become a crucial communication tool globally, and in 1993, file attachments were introduced, marking a significant advancement.
In the ’90s, personal email use was common, though rapid responses were rare, and faxes were often deemed more efficient. The 2000s saw email become ubiquitous in the workplace, revolutionizing professional communication. People began to spend considerable time managing their inboxes, navigating the emerging norms of email etiquette.
6. Cellphones
In 1973, Motorola executive Martin Cooper made the first call from a cellphone. Unlike today’s sleek devices, it weighed about 2.4 pounds, resembled a brick, and could only handle a 30-minute call after a 10-hour charge.
By the early 2000s, more affordable cellphones emerged, offering features like web browsing, touch-like functionalities, full physical keyboards, cameras, color screens, and various aesthetic designs.
7. Smartphones
In 1992, IBM introduced the world to the first smartphone, the Simon Personal Communicator. Despite its lack of sleekness and compactness, it hit the market two years later for $1,100, equipped with features that are still common today. It boasts a touchscreen, both standard and predictive text keyboards, a native appointment scheduler, a calendar, an address book, email capabilities, and even the ability to send and receive faxes.
Fast forward to the early 2000s, and smartphones capable of connecting to 3G networks appeared, though their price range of $300 to $700 made them less accessible to the general public. The landscape of mobile technology changed dramatically in 2007 when Apple launched the iPhone at Macworld. With its sleek design and desktop-like internet access, it revolutionized the market.
By October 2022, 83.3% of the global population were smartphone users. It was they who put almost all previous types of communication on the list of old ways of communication. Today you can even create call recordings directly from your smartphone. What is needed for this? Just download Call Recorder for iPhone and activate call recording. Today, this is the most accessible way to record phone calls. This is also a requirement of the regulator in the field of office communication.
8. Instant Messaging
Instant messaging originated in 1961 when MIT’s Compatible Time-Sharing System enabled 30 users to log in and exchange messages. The internet boom in the 1990s significantly boosted instant messaging, leading to the emergence of major platforms like Yahoo, MSN, AIM, and ICQ. The 2000s saw IM services evolve with new features such as gaming, video calls, and photo sharing, popularized by platforms like Apple’s iChat, Skype, Google Talk, MySpaceIM, WhatsApp, and Facebook Chat (now Messenger).
Conclusion
Don’t let obsolete communication systems impede your business’s progress. With modern communication methods, you can revolutionize your business communication and unleash its full potential.