wireless
more secure ways of doing business.
Online retail is one industry that’s
exploring advanced web security.
Companies like J. Crew and Amazon
take advantage of encryption tech
nology to offer customers e-coupons.
But business-to-business interaction
will likely be the main market for
advanced security methods, says
Jaquith. “B2B markets demand the best
IT’S ESTIMATED THAT BY THE YEAR 2003, there will be more than one billion cell phone users
worldwide. Included in this forecast is a new generation of communication devices that let peo
ple not only talk to each other, but also send email and access the Internet. This freedom of
movement means an immense shift in our perceptions of interconnectivity. Translation:
Soon your phone could also be an electronic car key,
and you’ll be able to play games on your Palm Pilot with
a guy in Sweden. The applications are lim
ited only by imagination and, of
course, funding.
Winnie Wong, 26, an art
director at OmniSky, a Silicon
Valley-based wireless service
targeting personal digital assis
tant (PDA) users, sees this industry as
her solution to a burning desire to change
the world. Her job is to make OmniSky’s tech
nology look cool. Wong is responsible for the
look of OmniSky’s web site and the
interface that people see on
their PDAs. “I want to be an ra||
innovator, and this industry is ^
all about innovation,” she says.
“Successful people in this business have a level of deep
hunger, and the more aggressive the company is [in
seeking out innovation], the better off it’s going to be.”
Currently, there’s a desperate shortage of workers in
entry-level computer engineering, sales, marketing, and
research. And because the wireless industry is being
joined by some major technology companies like Intel
and 3Com, along with existing cell phone companies
like Ericsson, Nokia, and Motorola, many opportunities
can be found at these big companies. The difference
between working at a giant like Intel versus a smaller
company like OmniSky is that at a small company, you
have more opportunities to work across
multiple departments. “Fortunately, right
now you can pick and choose the com
pany you want to work for,” says
Wong. She also says that wireless
companies aren’t necessarily
looking for experience and are
willing to train new employees.
What they are looking for are
strong communication and
problem-solving skills. While
there are plenty of opportunities
in the United States, to get on the
fast track, head to Stockholm,
Sweden (home to “Wireless Valley”),
Tokyo, or even Beijing. According to Dan
Francisco, spokesman for Intel Wireless, the technology
being developed in those countries (stulf like paying for
How to convince an employer you’re a trailblazer?
Find out at www.experience.com/trailblazer.
a Coke at a vending machine through a cell phone)
won’t hit the United States for a few years. O
Grant Davis is an editor at Stuff magazine in New York
Lity and a regular contributor to experience magazine.
_new
directions)
security possible. Companies are shar
ing inventories, supply costs, and carry
ing costs. If you were able to intercept
that information, you’d have the compa
ny’s crown Jewels. Encryption is allow
ing companies to share information in a
secure environment and create a better
marketplace for the consumer.”
Jaquith says that the best site watch
men must be able to demystify the
intentionally complex technology they
create. Web security is as much about
client education as protection, he says.
“We need people who can take incredi
bly complex technology and boil it down
into an essence that our clients can
understand. The best thing we can do is
make our clients more informed tech
nology people.”
-Topher Bordeau
www.experience.com