Mobile messages.

Just as you've rolled out the tenth iteration of your Internet or intranet, and you think you've figured out how to make this communication tool sing, someone comes along to remind you that not everyone can sit in front of a computer screen for hours a day as you do just to navigate your great creation.

Of course you knew that. But what are the options?

PDA 

"Although many people work in an office environment where an Internet-connected computer is as common as a phone, there are many occupations in which people don't have an office -- or don't use it much. Examples are sales reps, physicians and nurses, environmental engineers, factory workers, and field repair technicians," said Diane Gayeski of Gayeski Analytics and professor of organizational communication at Ithaca College in New York.

For people like them, PDAs -- personal digital assistants -- are another communication option just breaking through the technology toy stage. "PDAs are a great medium for training and employee communication," Gayeski said. "PDAs can display text, graphics and even video and audio on some models, so people can see a miniature version of intranet screens, repair manuals, books or little job aids."

Here's how: PDA owners download a file from an Internet or intranet site and move the file from a desktop or laptop computer to the PDA during "syncing." For the techno-sophisticated people who have PDAs with wireless cell phone connections, the file can go directly to the PDA.

MP3

If audio communication reminds you of Books on Tape that you listen to during long driving trips, here is an update. MP3 is the new format, offering tightly compressed (that means lots and lots of information into a very tiny size) audio in the form of computer files. Teenagers use it to swap rock online, but you can use it to move information.

"Years ago, many corporations used audio tapes to provide news and training updates to people who spent a lot of time in their cars. You can do the same thing with MP3 files," Gayeski said, only better. Instead of having to distribute cassettes physically, users download files from your Web site to their MP3 players.

Even without a portable MP3 player -- something like a Walkman -- people can listen to files played on their desktop computers.

Real Life

Gayeski speaks of one semiconductor company posting executive speeches, files from annual stockholders' meetings, and other news updates on internal and external web sites. Employees, the press, and other stakeholders access the information in MP3 format.

Training -- which in Gayeski's mind merges with corporate communication -- is leading the way with PDA applications. "Some terrific job aids are tools for physicians to help prescribe medications, see files, and look up information on various pharmaceutical products. And there are some terrific applications for knowledge management for repair technicians," she said.

Training and corporate communications morph into human performance improvement with new technology, she said. "The lines between a course, a job aid, a news story, and a motivational tool have blurred now that new technologies are delivering information and collaboration tools online," Gayeski said.

"For employees to remain motivated and to make the right decisions, they need information tailored to their needs and they need it quickly. And they need to know how it relates to the goals and environment of their company. Corporate communication should serve this function, and new technologies like PDAs can help them do this inexpensively and fast."

The technology infrastructure is there. It's up to the technology-leading communicators to create the applications that make these tools sing.

For Details

* "Learning Unplugged: Using Mobile Devices for Training and Performance Improvement" by Diane Gayeski, Ph.D., will be published mid-year 2002 by AMACOM.

* www.dgayeski.com

Sheri Rosen, ABC, invites you to share your digital knowledge, sheri,[e-mail]. She is assistant vice president, Employee Communication, at USM, a leading financial services company based in San Antonio.