According to the latest Gartner Report – Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies 2010 – the adoption of virtual assistant services and technology is currently in the “Trough of Disillusionment”. Even worse, according to the report this market is not going to mature for another 5 to 10 years.
A reason for this may very well be the fact, that most virtual assistants use fragmented IT solutions, which often do not consider client needs. Offering integrated technology which considers client needs and offers clients real time access to the work done by virtual assistants, will get the client and the VA out of this trough of disillusionment. Currently many virtual assistants, like so many accountants, are a road block to the adoption of new technologies.
Interesting to see that “Cloud Computing” is heading the same way, just giving 15 year old technology a new name every one to two years is just not going to show people that delivering “old technology” in a “new way” is going to make the technology any better.
As far as small business is concerned, business solutions and business success, are the order of the day – not the old ” this is what I got – so buy it” mentality.
Image Source: Gartner 2010.
