Cell Phone Presence…

One of the big ideas in technology is that of “presence.”

You know how you can change your status on Instant Messenger or Skype to say “I’m Away” or “Online?”

Well, I was making some calls this morning at 9am EST. I was about to call a friend to say Happy Birthday. He travels a lot. What I didn’t know was…what time zone is he in?

Now, you could say, “just call and if his phone rings, that’s his problem, he should have turned it off.” That may be true, but I’ve woken a few people up enough to know that they aren’t happy when you call early (even if you have no way of knowing.)

So, why not an integrated presence for cell phone system?

You say “I’m online and available” or “offline.”

Then, when I pull up your number on my phone (which is connected to the network, of course), it tells me if I should or should not call you (or if you are in a meeting, etc.)

This day is coming, for sure. I just need it now.