Advancements in telecommunications technology tend to garner much attention in the markets at large as both consumers and businesses rely on a number of different devices and channels to stay connected. Sometimes it’s all about the latest app; sometimes the focus is on the latest device; and every time, the targeted party is focused on, “what can you do for me?”

At ITEXPO, companies making waves in telecommunications gather together to answer this question, demonstrating their latest innovations and sharing keen insight into current market challenges and how their solutions help solve these issues. At the same time, they’re demonstrating how users in all walks of life can take advantage of the latest offerings to make work and life easier.

Yet there is a challenge in the market today when seasoned professionals are blended with millennials. The former may be experts in their fields, but the latter have been raised on the latest technologies and channels. This points to a generational gap in technology literacy, something that is affecting the potential positive outcomes throughout the marketplace.

To better understand the impact, TMCnet talked with Carlos Aragon, Senior Manager of Solutions Marketing for Unified Communications at GENBAND, an ITEXPO (News - Alert) participant.

Aragon shared his take on closing the generation gap, as well as the impact wearable technology will have on the enterprise and the consumer segment. As more companies are introducing solutions to meet the demand in this space, it’s a growing opportunity for a number of brands. At the same time, gamification is an opportunity to increase engagement for customers – but are all potential targets on board?

Keep reading to get Aragon’s take on each of these elements, as well as a sneak peek into his planned ITEXPO session.

How important is it that the generational gap in technology literacy be closed?

The generation gap in technology literacy is a real issue.  Most of us probably think about the productivity losses that come with a failure to adopt to new devices or new user experiences, but it can have quality of life or even life or death consequences.  Simply consider the importance of teaching a doctor to access medical records from a mobile device or to connecting to a specialist in another city for a consultation.  Unfortunately, no government campaign is going to fix it.  It is incumbent on device and software vendors to focus on improving the user experience.  Not many years ago many older people found Windows PCs, the internet and e-mail to be big hurdles.  Thanks to a wave of smartphones and easy to use tablets, many of those same people are now completely connected.  There is no reason we can’t close the gap.

Will wearable technology have a more significant impact in the enterprise or consumer segment?

In the short term, it looks like wearables will have a bigger impact on the consumer segment. They are already showing some success, although most of the wearables today focus on information gathering (steps, calories, distance, time, exercise, location, etc.) and very little in presentation and delivery of information.

Near term we could see this change if one of the market leaders manages to launch the right kind of wearable, one that re-defines the concept entirely. Some rumors suggest Apple’s (News - Alert) iWatch will replicate Apple’s success redefining the tablet space but that is just speculation. It’s not clear that they are aiming to impact the enterprise nor that they could do it by accident even if this was not their goal. Certainly, if a wearable can recognize their owner and validate his/her identity, it could be used as a way to provide access in enterprise environments, rendering magnetic and RFID access cards obsolete. Surely there are more such ideas and history has shown that it is foolish to sell innovation short.

What one wearable tech product do you most want to see on the market?

A wearable that could better leverage voice commands to overcome the limits of a small UI would certainly be compelling. Likewise if it could connect to a larger display for some tasks, that would also be compelling.

Is gamification an effective tool for increasing engagement with customers?  Explain.

Gamification has the potential to increase customer engagement but it has to be applied selectively to be effective.  As an example, gamification has shown some value in the customer support domain, where Q&A forums are built so users can ask questions and any user of the services (as well as the enterprise that sells them) can respond. Some examples of gamification, with varying levels of success, can be seen on Amazon, the SAP (News - Alert) Community Network and even Yahoo! Answers.

Most gamification attempts to date have been based on altruistic impulses, trusting the users’ natural desires for socializing, self-expression or learning to drive them to contribute and engage in the discussions. However, if techniques are combined with real incentives the results may become more effective (for example by providing discounts or credit if you bring a friend over to your cable or electric provider, or when sharing your passion for a product on your social networks) or may lead to abuse of the system (when providing direct compensation for product evaluations or for responding in user forums).

In summary, it is an effective tool if it is applied to the right environment and with the right strategies; there’s no cookie-cutter solution, each scenario is unique.

What will attendees learn from your session?

Attendees will learn that having top of the line UC services doesn’t mean having to get a doctorate in nuclear physics just to know how to use them. UC can be simple, yet powerful and deliver 21^st century communications at a fraction of the 20^th century costs.