Why is consumer-based technology important

Technological growth is now motivated by consumer trends. Companies like Apple, Google and Microsoft are all growing because of the innovations being made in line with consumer demands. These consumer-based technologies are providing fantastic advancements and creating deeper levels of practical implication. A great example of this is the Google search engine. At the core of Google’s success is its ability to develop technology in response to consumer trends. It is obvious that most modern technology is consumer-based, but how has this trend affected technology as a whole? Here are some examples:


User-Generated Content


Consumer trends have shown a high profit in enabling more integrated content to be developed by a greater number of third party institutions. Essentially, this means that more independent developers can make programs that run well on advanced devices, like the iPhone. Apple has designed the iPhone with this level of customization in mind and in doing so, expanded the use and practicality of their devices. User-generated content is a direct byproduct of consumer-based technology.

User-Friendly Applications

Because consumers drive the technological market, technology has been developed with user friendliness in mind. Remember Windows 97? Had Microsoft not updated each version of its operating system with more user-friendly features, they may not have maintained their status as a leading OS developer. Consumer-based technology has motivated developers to design easy-to-use products, which has affected the direction of technological innovation.

User Involvement

Consumer-based technology is now a normal part of growing up. Believe it or not, video games have been a large motivator for technological advancement. Game creators are always looking for new ways to involve and include users with their technology; a perfect example of this is the Xbobx Kinect. The Kinect is the latest in motion-capture technology that allows the player to interact with a game by moving without being connected to any device. This technology has found other applications; with your motions you can now search for a movie on Netflix, visit your favorite website, and send a voice-dictated email.

Because consumers supply the demand for technology, consumers will direct the growth of technology. Many of these advancements may seem trite or simple, but the key to determining their worth is looking to the future of how they will be implemented.  What would it mean if doctors could customize body scans from patient to patient, or if writing program code were so easy that anyone could do it, or if motion capture technology could help you assess your workout routine? Consumer-based technological advancement isn’t a bad thing, it’s the future.

To see some specific ways consumer technology is being implemented practically, take a look at this article.