What's with all the secrecy? - Damn You, Technology

In the days before the internet, people found out about technology where and when the companies that built these technologies wanted them to hear about them. A typical press release after the unveiling at some fantastic expo was how the average person found out about new goodies.

Fast forward to now. It's the age of instant gratification. Everyone want's everything two minutes ago. News has spread far before the AP (Associated Press) has written the story. Facebook and Twitter are the CNNs and New York Times of the 2010's, although much of the information posted there is speculative and often times not worth typing. The tech blogs are all over every little speck of a news leak about a new Apple product or new Droid phone.

Because of this, it's never difficult to find a new product leaked well before it's meant to release. Often times, its a "Blurrycam" picture of the bottom left corner of the iPad or a picture of the FCC approval for the newest model of the Playstation 3. Then the momentum starts to build and all of a sudden we seem to have this wave of newer, clearer pictures and even video of the device being compared to its currently released competition. Next up is the inevitable video of a prototype version of this device "In the Wild". These devices are practically delivered to our front doors and yet, the companies designing these technologies respond with "No Comment" or "We will not confirm nor deny rumors or speculation".

I have to ask these companies why they're so adamant on keeping these things so tight to the vest. Anyone who's ever worked for any company that has some sort of competition often know about the technologies their competitors are developing. For those of you who haven't worked with one of these companies, I'll give you a general rundown. Pick a tech company, any tech company...I'll wait. Got one? Good.

This company is developing its newest technology all while its feet on the street is gathering information on competitors and reporting back to the bosses. This information is then dispersed through the company. This information helps point the R&D departments in a specific direction, juicing a spec to just barely one up the competitor because we all know the numbers are the most important things. It also helps the product marketing managers work up a battle plan to target the main competitors new tech.

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying this natural competitive nature is bad for anyone. As a matter of fact, it's a great thing. These batches of insider information is what drives these companies to keep designing bigger and better (or smaller and faster) technologies every day. It even drives down prices because of the flood of "me too" products that attack the market all at the same time. Take the iPad, for example. I've written about this tablet device once already, but take a look at the news from CES 2011. Tablets, tablets everywhere. Android, Windows 7, Linux...every operating system you can think of has a tablet made for it.

This happened last year with smart phones after the iPhone made them so popular. Also with LED TVs, 120Hz, 240Hz, 3D...I could go on and on. These aren't coincidences in the slightest. And its not just with consumer electronics. Cars, Manufacturing technologies, HVAC systems...practically everything follows this trend.

So again I ask: What's with all the secrecy? Car companies show off concept vehicles every year. Why can't other companies follow suit and show off what they're thinking up? It's often pretty wild stuff that often doesn't make it to the market, but the information gained from these early looks provides companies with a public voice letting them know what people like and don't like. Don't you think Apple would have provided a front facing camera in the first generation iPad if they showed off a tablet concept 1-2 years ago? I think so.

I think these companies should open up.
Sony: We already know all about the Sony Ericsson PSP Phone. We don't know what it'll be called or quite how the gaming aspect works, but the specs are out there.
Apple: We all know that the iPad 2 is coming and will feature a larger speaker and a front facing camera. We're not sure if there are any other changes coming, but how different can it really be?
Verizon: We know you're announcing your iPhone tomorrow. We've known for awhile. It's been rumored for quite some time, so why didn't you just tell us then? You'll still have the crazy lines at the door at midnight on the day of release. It'll be fine.

I'm quite sure there are more out there that we've know about for awhile. There are people who are out there every day scouring the internet for leaks and other information. No amounts of NDAs will stop this information from getting out there. So I would like to propose a solution.

This is the age of viral marketing. All kinds of companies should use this to their advantage. Show an early concept and get feedback and tweak your product to make it truly great. Don't rush to get your product out because people know about it. Face it, you can't keep your secrets locked up anymore because too many people have access to it. Embrace this and slowly build a buzz of a new product by "leaking" detail shots of your product. You'll have people drooling over your product for a year before it's even ready and then you'll see the lines around the corner of the building. And if your product is truly great, you'll sell out before you know what hit you.The time is now. Embrace it. You can thank me later.

Until then always remember
It is the Geeks that will inherit the Earth