A few days ago, one of our clients — Brazil-based outsourcer Stefanini IT Solutions — was asked by Computerworld to comment on the new NBC sitcom, “Outsourced.” That got me thinking about other examples of technology on TV. One of CBS’s most popular shows is The Big Bang Theory, about a group of engineering grad students. And a few months back, one of my favorite shows, Modern Family, centered an episode around one character’s obsession with the then soon-to-be announced iPad (in another episode, one of the kids sat on his grandfather’s electronic book). What do all these TV comedies have in common? They reinforce a point I’ve made in the past around the personalization of technology. Just as outsourcing is a now a mainstream subject, we’re seeing technology play a larger role in our lives. When I first started in the tech PR business, the products I was promoting (technical workstations) were used only by scientists and engineers. And the software running on them was used to design cars and airplanes and manage massive databases. That’s all changed, with the PC, laptops, smartphones, the web, online games, Facebook and other technologies we the public use every day. In addition to making it possible for us to do more, learn more and interact more, the personalization of technology has made tech PR more fun and interesting. We can relate to the products and services we represent — not just those we use ourselves, but even those more technical products that have more of connection to our personal technologies. I think technology has always been the most interesting backdrop for PR people, with the pace of change giving us new material to focus on. Now we can appreciate the personalization of technology after we return home from work, shut off our cellphones and relax in front of the TV.

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