When we talk about the "last mile" in technology, we're usually discussing that final stretch of cable, wire, or air that connects a cable firm, Internet provider, or satellite company with its customers.
This final leg – for instance, the cable that runs from a telephone pole to your set-top box – is a well-known "bottleneck" and a stiff expense for service providers.
The nearly $2 trillion-dollar global e-commerce business is even more dependent on that last-mile delivery, particularly massive outfits like Alibaba and Amazon.
They can build expensive, elegant global supply and logistics chains and track inventory with the latest bleeding-edge technology. They can know what customers want before they know they want it.
But if they can't get that physical package into customers' hands… it's all been for nothing.