Communication channel / device matrix

It is a fun time to live in. The way we communicate with each other has changed dramatically the last couple of years. We are online 24 hours a day with our PC’s, laptops, mobile and smart phones. And it feels good to be a part of this change!

But how do we manage all this new channels of communication? And are we able to stay connected with our (mobile) devices? I made a channel / device matrix for myself to answer that question that I like to share with you.

My channels of communication

I use the following channels of communication:

• E-mail: three business accounts and two private accounts.
• Facebook: my personal page and the likealot page (the latter one, I have to work on soon!)
• Hyves: a Dutch version of Facebook. I will let this one out in my analyses as I am focussing on Facebook.
• Twitter: my personal account (frankvdniet) and the likealot account (ilikelot).
• Skype: my personal account and two business accounts.
• LinkedIn: my personal profile.
• Mobile number: just one (for speech and SMS).
• Land line number: one personal and two business numbers.
• Blackberry Messenger: one account to chat with my wife.

I dare not to mention here that I also use a fax number :)

My devices

To manage all this I own the following devices:

• Macbook Pro (15”, latest model) with a flat rate mobile data subscription.
• Macbook (old one, the children use this one to video conference with me, when I am at work).
• Blackberry Bold 9700 with a Blackberry Enterprise Server account.
• Ipod Touch.
• Good old land line phone (at home)

As said before, I will leave the fax out of the analyses.

My channel / device matrix

In the image that I posted with this likealot you can see my channel / communication matrix. Managing accounts via the browser on my Blackberry or iPod Touch do not count as manageable. There must be a specific App to get a Yes in my matrix. And too often these Apps are limited to manage just one account, like the App for Skype.

As this matrix shows I will have to take all my devices with me to be able to keep connected to all my channels. And that is not acceptable for me. My next step is therefore the figure out ways to get it all on one (mobile) device.

Ideas about this are more than welcome!