In a conference presentation in mid-2005 I described the contributions of SDI and geospatial information to the knowledge economy and went on to speculate on the potential contributions of the ‘millennial generation' to the future of SDI. Six years on, how have these predictions played out?

Called the ‘Millennial Generation' by researchers Neil Howe and William Strauss, this group represented those (mostly) North Americans born between 1982 and 2001: the under-30's generation. Millennials are more affluent, better educated and more ethnically diverse than members of any previous generation. Raised by ‘Baby Boomers', Millennials have been made to feel they can accomplish anything in their lives and careers and calibrate their job expectations accordingly. Involved in organised activities (competitive sports and day-care) since the age of three, most have enjoyed a very structured upbringing.

Howe & Strauss suggested this made Millennials strong in teamwork skills, more respectful of authority, collaborative, achievement-oriented, and sensitive to multiple cultures. Raised on home computers and the internet, they are far more locally and globally connected than any previous generation. Brought up too on a diet of television and video games, Millennials are accused of requiring constant stimulation. Even Howe and Strauss suggest that this generation displays a "drive-through" mentality: things must be quick, easy to access, and anonym-ous.

While still outmatched by an aging Baby Boomer generation in terms of sheer numbers and buying power, Millennials now have the most influence on driving the market. And, unsurprisingly, they want reliable and authoritative products and services that are quick and easy to access, can be used anonymously, and that facilitate information and experience sharing.

In 2005 I wondered whether the ‘look & feel' of SDI services would change as Millennials began to dominate the market; my answer has arrived with speed and variety. Some great personal positioning and way-finding smartphone apps have already been built atop Google and Bing platforms. But I certainly underestimated the degree to which more general applications like Facebook and services like Flickr would add a geospatial dimension to their services.

I also underestimated the degree to which Millennials would be prepared to share their personal location information with a widening circle of acquaintances. It has been left largely to the ‘Boomers' to raise concerns over the extent to which personal location data from smartphones may be collected and shared for commercial purposes.

Are current SDI indicators and success factors appropriate for a market increasingly dominated by Millennial tastes? If not, how should we be measuring success? More good examples are needed of how SDI programmes are engaging this user generation.

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