What does the inventor of the cellphone, Marty Cooper, see for the future of the smart phone? 🤳 Watch as Biju Nair, EVP and President of Global Connected Living, sits down with Cooper to discuss #innovation in device technology, giving new life to used phones, and the importance of closing the #digitaldivide.
Years ago, I had the opportunity to get to know Martin “Marty” Cooper, an engineer and an absolute legend in the wireless industry. Marty's journey began with a dream to create a device that would allow people to stay connected without being tethered to a fixed location. His relentless pursuit of this dream led to the creation of the first mobile phone and, in 1973, Marty placed the first public call from a handheld portable cell phone. The rest, as they say, is history – though also our present and our future – as wireless communication has become integral to our daily lives. Recently, I asked Marty if we could get together to discuss invention, innovation, and the future of wireless communication and he agreed. In our conversation, Marty talks about the teamwork, grit, and sense of urgency that went into bringing that first cell phone to life. Marty's vision has paved the way for a world where connectivity is at the heart of our daily lives. His invention has led to an entire ecosystem, including the device lifecycle solutions and the device protection markets that Assurant leads in. We talked about Assurant's commitment to extending the useful life of connected devices to bridge the digital divide and make the industry more sustainable, which aligns perfectly with Marty's ethos of innovation for the betterment of society. I hope you’ll watch and then share your hope for how we’ll all thrive in our shared connected future. #connectedworld #digitaldivide #sustainability