The thin line between mobile as a standalone offering, and as a part of the digital solution will cease to exist in a couple of years. Mobile will become an end-to-end solution with a comprehensive set of technologies, tools and services that provide the consumers a unique user experience. Digital solutions shall enable corporates to redefine how they serve connected consumers and enterprises – Digital marketing, mobility and analytics – to deliver tangible results for the virtual world.
This led me to speculate the future of mobile technology. As the working world drifts further away from desktop computing, I wanted to capture what the future holds for Digital Mobility.
Intelligent applications: Service providers are targeting at providing personalized experiences. Users will want exclusive offers along with enhanced application experience. Personalization further facilitates tailored marketing, and will also lead to long-term engagement.
Lifestyle coaches: In my experience of working with one of the leading healthcare content providers, I see a great take up rate for lifestyle coaches that help them take advantage of their strengths and work on their weakness.
Gamification: A lot of investment is going into gamification of regular mundane chores that make it much more interesting, track your progress automatically and offer a creative way to track goals with different types of incentives.
Wearable technology: With iOS venturing into, and concentrating, on smart watches, there is a lot of anticipation in and around this area. Smart watches, smart glasses, smart gear, smart cities – you name it, you have it. Recently, I read an article where your clothes (with the help of beacons) will act as your coach and provide information on how you are performing an activity. Wearable technology will transform healthcare, industrial automation, health, safety and environmental needs and many more.
Retail stores: This is one of my most favorite topics. Being a woman, I love shopping. Sometimes, when I have a time crunch, I still want to pick what is necessary. New low-cost technology like iBeacons that can communicate with my mobile device over bluetooth within 50 meters from the shopping malls, with interactive maps and real-time updates and notifications will enhance my shopping experience.
Connected cars: Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Microsoft have started a war in the connected car space. Telsa must have paved way with its disruptive infotainment and sustainable mobility strategy, that the concentration is high on connected cars. 2015 will see several partnerships and connected car solutions in the market. Your mobile device will be a part of the vehicle.
Unified communication: With an explosion of devices, phones, tablets, televisions and many more, a unified communication will emerge that will provide a unified user interface and user experience across multiple devices and media types. Unified communications will ensure optimization of business processes and enhance human communications.
Education: Smartphones and tablet computers are radically transforming the way we access our shared knowledge sources by keeping us constantly connected to near-infinite volumes of raw data and information.
Augmented Reality: Augmented Reality has been around for quite some time. However, with wearables becoming cost-effective to consumers, Augmented Reality services will start booming. Augmented Reality is poised to change the way we work, study and consume. Flexible displays and Augmented Reality help us redefine how information is presented in the marketing space. A lot of hope is riding on Biometric Face Recognition technology as well.
Payments: Consumers are seeking safer, quicker and simpler ways. Self-checkout is a setting stone towards a self-serve option with mobile devices. Fingerprint scanning will replace security pins and signatures very soon. P2P money transfer system (BitCoin) will gain more adoption with secured transactions and analytics to avoid double spending.
It’s going to be a great wave to ride!