Innovation vs. Imitation

With technology thrusting ahead everyday and the demand for the next best thing from consumers, many businesses have become caught up in the "wow" approach to business.

A recent example is the SmartPhone industry. For many years, Blackberry(RIM) held the market with very little real competition. Over the past 5-7 years, Apple's iPhone has dominated the market and has kept AT&T cellular in business.

Today, Google has become the new front runner and shows little signs of stopping their massive growth and dominance of the Smartphone market. The flexible Android OS has allowed many companies to successfully enter the smartphone market with many carriers. This has posed a serious threat to the loner iPhone and AT&T who seem to prefer solidarity rather than expansion (due to the limitation of only one cellular carrier and saturated market).

The newest addition to the smartphone marketplace has been Microsoft's Win7 phone. This phone was promoted as the ideal phone to socialize with the real world again because it streamlined the phone time with its "innovative" OS. Sadly for the Win7 phone, in less than 3 months, it has already been classified as a failure. In only a few short months, due to struggling sales, Win7 phones where discounted 50% for black Friday in a desperate attempt to boost sales. I personally have dubbed this phone as the Microsoft's final nail in their smartphone coffin.

There is a difference between real innovation and mere imitations. Businesses must consider what they are creating and offering their customers. Is your product and service innovative? Does it bring something new to the user that will improve their business, lives, or position, or does it simply recreate the wheel in a new package?

With the surge of the Android OS, the popularity of the iOS, and the legacy of the RIM-OS, it is a wonder that Microsoft is shocked at the failure of this recent smartphone attempt. The Win7 is a recreation of other Operating Systems.

Corporate Triage provides a clear direction for businesses and innovations. DO NOT reinvent others ideas. DO NOT attempt to become the "iPhone Killer" for your industry. Imitation is not Innovation. DO create new and needed products and services. DO improve upon other products and services without the braggart idea that you cannot be improved upon.

Develop your own proven methods and strategies. Think outside AND inside the box all the time expanding the lines of your box! You create the direction, develop the vision, and outline the processes that will make your products or services successful. Remember, desperation in triage is only successful when luck is involved. Tried and true methods will sustain through trials and success.