The Convenience of Business Cards vs. Over-Reliance on Technology

Technology has brought with it many improvements in the printing of business cards. We can blame technology for many of our problems, but thankfully the development of the humble business card is not one of them. For instance, we can cite technology as the reason for our fat paunches; as we sit idly before a computer eight hours a day and drive to and from work rather than walking like we used to. Technology has led many of us down a road of sedentary sloth and weight gain. We also pollute the planet with our technology – the environment is another issue that has to be seriously addressed. But in this digital age, despite these failings, is there a need for the business card?

Other than our sedentary lifestyles and the ecological balance of the planet, another problem is one of over-reliance on all the little portable gadgets and large desktop devices: We all know how to boot up the laptop or switch on the television, but how many of us know how they actually work? You don’t have to be a genius to save a name and a number into a cell phone, but what happens if the cell phone crashes and you have no idea how to fix it?

The Information Age: Is there a Need for Business Cards?

A shift from industrial production to data manipulation is one of the great signifiers that we are now living in a digital age. Some say that too much knowledge is a bad thing. A glance at the recent economic downturn suggests that the West has relied too heavily on our knowledge base. With hedge fund managers effectively buying, selling, and gambling with commodities that they don’t actually own, and financial institutions re-packaging debt in fancy ways that allow them to squeeze more of a return out of it, little wonder that we can blame so-called information at least in part on the world’s current economic woes.

Globalization is a dirty word for many, as it was long before the dip in the economy. But with developing world countries gaining strength, travel is more important now than ever. And although the digital age is bad news for some, the opening up of world markets is seen as a necessity by many. With people in Shanghai, Hong Kong, and Islamabad within easy reach via e-mail and phone, where is the place for our business cards in the age of the computer?

Let’s take a quick glance at just some of the technology that a sales rep might use on a trip to the Far East. The ubiquitous Apple iPhone, for one, has an internal battery, meaning that it can’t be replaced by its user. So if your iPhone runs out of juice during a day of hectic meetings a long way from home and you left your charger behind, the itinerary saved to the 3G cell phone is inaccessible. Let’s say you take a charger abroad with you – does the number of pins on the plug match the number of pins in the wall socket? You may rely on your Bluetooth technology to exchange data with potential clients or fellow business people. But what happens if the laptop or Blackberry crashes in the middle of a trade show?

Business cards are an uncomplicated solution to many of these headaches. Containing details about every possible way to get in contact with you, the simple, affordable business card may save you embarrassment or worse – the loss of a potential customer. Business cards are the last line of defence in overcoming any technical glitches.

Article created on 10/20/2008

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