|
 When I look back on 2009 a few years down the road, a number of things will immediately come to mind. First of all, 2009 (for me) will be the year that was defined by Twitter and Facebook. These two platforms have been around for a number of years but their exponential growth on the web is something that none of us have ever seen before.
Try to think of any other website or platform (outside of Google and their array of products) that has grown so much and so fast like Facebook and Twitter have grown and that also affect everyday life as much as these two platforms do. I bet that you won’t come up with anything because no other platform has the sheer amount of users nor the reach that these two have.
Think about it. One law firm in the UK that specializes in divorce claims that 1 in every 5 petition will cite Facebook as the reason for the divorce. “Tweeting” much like “Googling” might as well be added to the dictionary. And while I could go on, I really don’t need to explain that these platforms are beyond huge. Just look at your browser or on the screen of your co-worker or family member. It probably has Facebook open and odds are that they’re Tweeting about something.
2009 will also remind me of Windows 7, Microsoft’s “Bing”, Google Wave, Netbooks, the iPhone 3G(s), the continued rise of the Blackberry, Plasma TV’s, Android, Google Chrome for Linux, the Pirate Bay and Chrome OS. There is more, but if I think “tech” and 2009, these are the products and services that immediately come to mind.
However, when I think of tech in Curacao during 2009, the picture becomes very murky and disappointing. I had hoped that 2009 would bring more options in the broadband internet world but sadly, we seemed to only go backwards....
UTS never offered a package higher than the current 2MB connection and while their launch of “Fiber Power 8MB” caught everyone’s attention a few weeks ago, it only brought bigger disappointment when we heard that the price would be about 400,- guilders a month.
If I had to pick one company whose image took the biggest hit in 2009, it would definitely be UTS. To recap. Their 3G can’t seem to handle the “heavy” user load, to the point where they call paying customers and tell them to use the product less. The usual reliable ADSL connection was downright horrible during the months of September and December, with DNS issues, constant drops and even worse service.
When I moved earlier this year, I was left without my connection for about 6 weeks. A process that was supposed to take no more than 2 weeks for some reason took 6 weeks in my case. My next move saw me stay without a connection for 3 weeks (an actual improvement).
And while I can cite the 400,- guilder 8MB connection, the bad service, the 3G issues and the DNS issues low points for the company, nothing was lower than forcing a fixed fee on your pre-paid Telefasil customer. In my opinion it’s the lowest moment of any local company during 2009.
But UTS isn’t alone in disappointing customers. Scarlet drives their customers to insanity every single day and even Columbus, our hopeful Internet savior is starting to raise questions and eyebrows.
So, what’s on tap for 2010? Well, I think we all want to know what’s going on with Columbus and when they’ll start to operate here in Curacao. Everyone obviously wants higher speeds and lower prices but even if this is not possible, I guess we all would just be happy with good service and reliable performance. If you can’t lower your prices, at least give me a connection that won’t drop every time I sneeze.
It would be nice to have reliable 3G service and “voice” to go along with the “data”. When you insert your 3G chip in a 3G enabled phone, all you will be able to do is browse and receive/send data. Calling is out of the question and that is sad considering that we are entering 2010.
I could go on and on about what I want to see and hope to see in 2010 but in the end it just comes down to everyone stepping up their game. Local companies need to bring more to the table. Give better service, broaden the horizons and use the available tools to connect with your customers in ways that they haven't done before.
I’d love to see improvements on the web and a more dynamic approach to everything. The potential is there but a big majority doesn’t see it or just doesn’t care enough to do anything about it.
From that angle, 2009 was a pretty depressing year.
Are there any gadgets, platforms, devices or services that stand out for you in 2009? Any local companies out there that surprised or disappointed you? Feel free to tell us in the comments…
|
To place FREE classified ads that target the market in Curacao, please visit 
Does you company sell Blackberries in Curacao? Visit 
