October
 Are you addicted to your Blackberry or iPhone?
Martin Ford, Aberdeenshire Councillor
"No. I don’t have one. When Blackberries were first issued to councillors, I declined to have one. To be sure it was an impressive gadget that could be (and was) used as a status symbol within the Council - but to what need/problem was this the solution? I couldn’t use it while cycling to meetings or during them. At home, I had a perfectly good phone. Nor did I want to be on-call 24/7, preferring to remain sane. I soon observed other adverse effects of the new technology; the ever-present Blackberry meant it became impossible to get the full attention of some councillors, even during important meetings. If I was leading a different life, it might be necessary to have a Blackberry, but until now I have avoided getting one on the basis that it is something I neither need nor want."
Sean Thomson, Indigo Technologies
“I personally have an iPhone which is connected to the office servers and I it use for everything. It has my calendar to make sure everyone knows where I am, it has my contacts list and I have an internal directory list as well so I know exactly who is in and out of the office.
“You have to manage it and not let it manage you.
“We are on call 24/7 so we need the ability to receive phone calls and e-mails at any time. As a technology company it is impossible to operate without these facilities, especially since we offer a 24 hour response.
For me it’s the apps that really make these devices sing. I can securely connect directly to client PC’s/servers for support, check things what’s selling on eBay at any time or teach my daughter her ABC’s - the possible uses are endless and certainly much more than just to send and receive e-mails on."
 Alasdair McGill, Managing Director, Freelance World
"I had a Blackberry since 2005 and updated it for an iPhone earlier this year. I travel a lot in my role and the “smartphone” means that I can stay in touch with my business better than ever before.
As well as being able to make and take calls, I’ve got access to my emails, the web, and a raft of apps that make my life much, much easier. I’ve even got an app that will tell me how to get from A to B using the London Underground. Handy!
The only downside is that I’m always connected, so it really is 24/7, but when you love what you do that’s not such a big deal. I really couldn’t do without my iPhone!"
 George Mair Director, Confederation of Passenger Transport Scotland
"I obtained my first Blackberry after being somewhat embarrassed by the Chief Operating Officer, at a meeting of First UK Bus MD’s, where he asked for a show of hands by those who did not have a Blackberry. When only two other hands went up the suggestion was that we might want to remedy that. There is no doubt they’ve become a vital business tool for people who need to keep pace with the speed of today’s business communications, where response often needs to be instantaneous. It is also useful for maximising business opportunities and dealing with clients and contacts 24/7. But herein lies the challenge!
It would be easy to become addictive, watching for the flashing light and emails, at evenings, weekends and worse of all on holiday, at which stage you have clearly become what’s known as a ‘CrackBerry’ - In all honesty, there are times I love it, others hate it, but do without it? I don’t think so." |
