Secure Value by Understanding the Technology Your Business Depends On

Image by dokmarius via Flickr

There's a map for that

I've been enjoying the heat generated by  AT&T (NYSE: T) and Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ) conflict that Verizon’s “There’s a map for that” TV ads started.  Verizon compares the two networks 3g coverage areas with a "There's a map for that" response to a number of questions in a series of funny commercials.

AT&T responded with a series of ads featuring actor Luke Wilson.  If you notice Wilson’s folksy attacks on Verizon fail to directly refute the "There's a map for that" attack.  Every time one interrupts a game on tv I want to shout “C’mon, Luke, is the blue map really that weak?!”

Who is right?

Not for me to settle out here.

The VZ v T battle highlights an information security issue for small and emerging business owners and executives.  The tech companies talk to us with cutsey ads instead of facts.  The facts are often highly technical and not a lot of fun to wade through.  And many of us aren’t knowledgeable enough in the ways of the bits and bytes to effectively do the wading.  So we (as in we entrepreneurs, business leaders, business owners and execs) make our decisions as much on emotion and "gut feel" as we do on cold hard facts.

In a situation like picking cell phone service we might just make a gut decision that costs us more or provides us poor services. 

In working with technology this way in our businesses, it means we make decisions without the knowledge of how that decision will affect the confidentiality, integrity and availability of critical information or how that decision will affect your compliance with government regulations.

TIP:  You have your account and your attorney for financial and legal matters.  Find your trusted IT advisor you navigate the technology map.  He doesn’t need to be a specialist in any specific area, but a generalist that can act as a sounding board for when you want to make IT decisions. The right pick will help you be more secure, while also helping you select and use technology more successfully in your business.

Here's to VZ and T both being honest about what 3G is, network quality, coverage areas v. coverage populations and other important facts.