Technology and the elderly – a growing market

Posted On June 26, 2014

Older workers sometimes feel displaced by younger workers who are more tech-savvy, having grown up in a mobile-oriented world. But those same aging Boomers are creating business opportunity for technology companies.

As this San Francisco Gate article points out, Boomers want to be using technology to make their lives better and more enjoyable…but they have different challenges with it than the younger generation of developers personally encounter. So savvy tech companies are turning to seniors as consultants in new technology development. It’s not rocket science – companies have been using focus groups to understand their target audiences for years. But what is interesting here is that these are businesses created and led by Xers and Millennials, but focused on serving the technology needs of Boomers. It puts the younger generations in the driver seat in terms of leadership, but the Boomers in control in terms of customer service expectations – the reverse of many work environments today.

Categories: Baby Boomers, Product Design