Colorado Day: 149 Years of Communications in the West

By Jaime Gardner

Colorado will celebrate 149 years of statehood this week, and the Novitas team wanted to take the opportunity to reflect on how communications – the ways we talk to each other, communicate with each other, and convey messages between each other – have changed or stayed the same during that time.

Realistically, people still talk to one another. Those of us in the “mom” generation (this author is proudly in Gen X), often think our kids only communicate through their phones – and only on Snapchat or text. However, my kids know where each of their friends are and what they are doing, all the time.

The mediums we use today are far different than were available in 1876. The telegraph was invented in 1844, and the system was well in place by the time Colorado became a state. Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone in 1876. The supercomputer (Cray) was not invented until nearly 100 years later, in 1964, and the Apple Macintosh launched in early 1984. The internet did not come into being until the 1990s, and the iPhone was not invented until 2007.

Think about this – 25 years ago, fax machines were one of the most heavily used devices in day-to-day business to send information back and forth from one office to another. Large, clunky desktop computers were still the norm in most offices around the world, and having email on a mobile device was a fairly new thing (I still miss my BlackBerry, honestly).

Several weeks ago, we reflected on how long it took for word about Emancipation to reach slave families in Texas after President Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation (more than two full years). Today, we celebrate Juneteenth, in honor of and to recognize freedom.

As we acknowledge and celebrate Colorado Day this week, we also want to recognize that while communications have come a long way from that first telephone invented by Mr. Bell – even a long way since the first iPhone came out 18 years ago – everyone on the planet finds a way to reach out and talk to one another.

Our job here at Novitas Communications is to help our clients tell their stories. We do this by leveraging  the technology at our fingertips to reach people in every medium they use today. Fortunately, we enjoy some of the most remarkable tools in the history of the world, literally at our fingertips.

Alexander Graham Bell was the premier innovator of his time. His invention changed communication for everyone who has lived on this planet ever since. It is very fitting that our great state shares its birthday with that of the telephone. Colorado companies are at the forefront of the tech industry today and are driving new innovations in their sector all the time.

149 years ago, Mr. Bell could not have conceived of social media, the 24/7 news cycle, or having the capabilities of that first supercomputer in the palm of your hand. Sometimes, we counsel our clients to NOT get out in front of the crisis of the moment, or to simply issue a statement, disclose the facts, and own any mistakes. Other times, we are our clients’ biggest cheerleaders, shouting your success stories from the metaphorical rooftops.

Just this week, our client, the Patrick Surtain II Foundation, announced that it is gifting 40 full college scholarships in partnership with Campus. Applications are open now for those scholarships. This joyful news is one of the best things we’ve been able to work on all year.

On a more serious note, we won and lost battles at the state legislature this year, supporting our clients’ work to maintain a free market and provide more housing for residents of this state (and thus drive housing prices down).

Novitas Communications is proud to support Colorado companies, and we look forward to continuing to promote and help drive the success of innovative leaders large and small around the region for years to come.

Colorado has always had a rich history, built on hard work and fresh ideas. As we head into Colorado’s 150^th year, let’s all look for ways to foster good will and build on the great innovations that have come before us.

Our team tries to bring that same spirit to what we do every day. Let us help tell your story – contact us today to schedule a consult. We look forward to hearing from you.