Don’t Homogenize, Synchronize

Step inside the corporate headquarters of Palm in Santa Clara, California, and the first thing you’re likely to notice is a large poster of the defining feature of the company’s handheld computers: the HotSync button. If you’re a Palm user, you know that dropping the handheld into its docking cradle and pressing the HotSync button allows you to effortlessly and seamlessly synchronize it with your desktop computer. In a matter of seconds, the boundaries between the two data silos disappear. The poster underscores one of Palm’s key innovations and biggest selling points. But it also speaks volumes about the promise of business technology in general. Ask yourself this: “Does my company have a HotSync button?”