Why is England a Hotbed for Mobile Technology?

I'm 31,000 feet above Reykjavik (moving 577mph and it's -46C outside), digesting the last week in England and reflecting on the narrowing mobile data gap I mentioned. Three immediate impressions, all summed up by the George Bernard Shaw quote: "America and Britain are two cultures separated by a common language."

1) Geography: England (and most European countries) are small by American standards. That means more than just narrower roads and mini cars. It also means shorter travel distances and smaller corporate campuses. Both have a big impact on mobile solutions.

Less time between end points means less time away from a PC but less distance from customers also lowers the threshold for what issues get dispatched. For instance, I met a financial services customer that supports 1,500 end-users in an 11-story building. Every medium or high-priority issue gets dispatched. Don't hear many customers doing that in the states.

2) Transit system: Europe has less of a car culture than the states. As a result, more people spend more time commuting. Commuters have idle time that can be filled with mobile data in ways drivers can't. You see all kinds of creative time-filling (wasting?) techniques on tubes, trains, and buses. My favorite (and I'm not making this up): the foursome of 20-somethings that packed a three-course meal in a backpack (white tablecloths and all) and dined on hen stew right there on the Piccadilly line.

3) Affinity for new technology: in the birthplace of Luddism and the home of Stonehenge, you'd expect widespread disdain for technology. Not so. Some of the most innovative products and services I've seen anywhere all cropped up in London since my last visit.

One simple example: Oyster Cards, debit cards with a magnetic strip that track all transit activities for Londoners, calculate fares automatically, and save incredible amounts of time and waste vs. the paper ticketing system. London's progressive culture, strong economy, and well-educated population all make testing, refining, and diffusing new technologies amazingly easy.

So what does this all mean? Well, mostly, it reminded me why England has been on the leading edge of mobility for so long. It also explains why it's a bit of a crystal ball for all of us in the US. Bring on those cool gadgets but please, all Britons reading this, keep this "innovation" to yourselves.

We'll get back to tips in the next post.