So whats the skinny on mobile messaging?

Here is a question, is "new" a perception that is only in the eye of the beholder? For how long is something considered to be unique or novel? For example, lets say that a consumer has used a phone for a number of years and presumes to know everythign about the phones capabilities. Then, the consumers child barrows the phone and shows the consumer that a virtual attendant is available for a commonly used service.

The consumer had spoken about and even had conversations with the company who provides the service and still had no idea that the service was available. So, after a number of years the consumer is finally shown that there is a virtual attendant that can be accessed via his mobile phone and is capable of providing all of the services that had been wished for.

The question again is, for how long is something considered to be novel or unique to a person? Is it when the technology or tool was developed, or is it when the consumer discovers (in this case through a serindipitous discovery) the item regardless of the time that has elapsed since the products introduction to the market?

I can see that there will be a number of wheels that are turning in regard to this question, so Ill come clean. Did mobile messaging pass me buy with the virtual attendant from Delta airlines? I use Delta every week and have continuously for almost 3 strainght years. I have had conversations with Delta representatives regarding ideas for virtual attendants and mobile updating that fall outside the standard, "your flight has been canceled" updates.

I wanted the meat and potatoes virtual attendant that will help me navigate the Atlanta airport in a more efficient mannner. I want this virtual attendant to tell me to "hurry, because your plane is boarding in concourse C", while Im in concourse A!

Until this week, I had no idea that this was such a widespred already in use almost out of date service (in a wordperfect 1.0 kind of way) that is no longer considered to be new, novel, or unique. As a matter of fact I still have not seen this service in application, but evidentlly it does exist because I was told so.

I would think that being a "Gold" level member (2 years running) that I would have been alerted to this feature. I receive multiple email messages and texts from Delta on a variety of topics and for a variety of reasons. None of which has ever notified or alerted me to the availabiliy of a virtual attendant. So, to me, this is a very new and state of the art development. To others, appartently, this is old news and is yesterday's dirt sock.

In this case, who failed? Was it the consumer (me) that failed to inquire or ask the proper questions in order to be informed of the availability of such a product, or was it the fault of Delta for not responding to the demand and inquaries of a valued consumer (me) to provide them with the most recent and available technology for travel assistance? I just wish I would have known about this tool in order to avoid or, at a very minimum, diminish my travel angst during high volume and delay filled days in the Atlanta jungle!!

Thoughts?