Six Product Flameouts to Haunt Your Dreams

As IT continues to import consumer technologies, one has to wonder how vulnerable enterprise operations will become to the whims of the mass market. Looking at the current dominance of products like iPad and services like Facebook, it’s easy to forget how quickly consumer tastes can change, and how often today’s must-have becomes tomorrow’s “Are you really still using that?” The history of consumer tech is littered with market-share winners that enjoyed moments of glory and then got lapped by newcomers. That means businesses in the age of consumerization need to be careful about getting locked in with vendors and brands that might not be around in the near future. Here we take a walk down tech-memory lane and consider six technologies that once reigned as consumer favorites – even icons of their eras --to remind us that tech fads come and go, but putting all of your business’ eggs in one basket could leave you waiting for your dial-up to connect while everyone else is moving along in a broadband world.