iPods Invade National Semiconductor

Here's a news item that I ran across today that made me wonder, "How on earth will this add value to the organization?" Don't get me wrong, I love the iPod, but I don't see it enabling value for their customers. Bravo to the sales team at Apple for getting this deal.

National Semiconductor said today that it is giving each of its 8,500 employees a 30GB fifth-generation iPod. The company said the iPods will be used as communication tools at National, allowing employees to download National podcasts and other communications. “We’re looking for new and more effective ways to communicate with our employees—and the iPods will help us do both,” said Brian L. Halla, National’s chairman and CEO. “Our employees were vital contributors to our most successful year in National’s 47-year history, and we wanted to equip them with the tools to help us create more value for our customers,” said Halla. “The Apple iPod exemplifies the next stage of the consumer electronics revolution as content such as downloadable music, movies and digital photos—as well as a compelling user experience—takes center stage.”

With the advent of Web 2.0, and Learning 2.0, etc. the iPod is indeed a part of this evolution of the digital learning space. There are some incredible learning solutions being offered via podcasts and the iPod's video capabilities (see podTraining as an excellent example), but can National Semiconductor ensure that the iPods are used exclusively for business-related activities (is that even a requirement)? It remains to be seen...