When you think of where we were with technology 20 or 25 years ago, you couldn’t imagine where we would be today. What is being said about Steve Jobs is that he knew what we “the consumer” wanted before even we did. Well, they got that right. Most of us had no idea what could be in store for us in the wireless industry. Not only was Steve Jobs a genius in technology, but he was also a consumer. He knew that standing out in a crowd of devices in the wireless world took more than presenting a technical aspect. How about… Is it fun to use? Is it attractive? Does it make us feel like WE control the information in our hands? What he developed was all of these things and more.
Last year, at the 2010 Wireless Hall of Fame dinner in San Francisco, Steve Jobs came to the reception to honor his good friend and colleague Stan Sigman. Stan and Steve put together the deal for AT&T and the iPhone. Stan was being inducted into the Hall of Fame that night and we all had hoped that Steve would participate in some way. His presence, while understated and quiet, energized the room. He had that effect, even though most of us there didn’t know him personally.
We who want to chronicle history have a hard time keeping up with the accomplishments of someone like Steve Jobs. His impact on the wireless industry will be felt for years to come. Future devices and their capabilities will forever have a tie to what he developed in the last 20 years. That’s huge.
Remembering Steve Jobs for his accomplishments is a great tribute, but not enough. He was a visionary, a colleague, and a friend. Here’s hoping that the wireless industry continues to amaze us based on his ideas, and what a wonderful tribute to his history that would be.