By Sunil Lalvani, Managing Director, BlackBerry India
The early 90s saw 24x7 news channels, the turn of the millennium saw 24x7 web, followed by 24x7 mobility to catapult 24x7 shopping/ chatting/ interacting/ working to almost everything, all within the power of your palm!
What has enabled this revolution, put the power of the internet within your palm, it's the all-powerful smartphone. The internet has changed what we want to do with our mobiles, using them more and more to connect digitally to people, places and information. This has seen innovative new input methods, menus and new interfaces that fit and bring alive the new internet experiences.
With user interface intuitiveness becoming a critical factor, we have seen technology being used to create shapes, textures, features and new interactions that people love and want to use. Complementing the growth of smartphones has been this digitally savvy population that's consuming media, information, entertainment on the go, looking for 24x7 access, redefined experience all packed within the convenience of their ubiquitous device.
Today, India is the third largest internet user in the world. The usage of internet is constantly increasing and according to a report released by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) and IMRB by June 2014, there will be around 243 million internet users. It is more relevant and a ubiquitous tool for today's generation, be it the youth or the professional mobile workforce.
In fact, according to a recent report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), the number of current base of mobile subscribers is pegged at 130 million. While the report suggests that out of 130 million, 91 million are actually using their smartphones for communication, largely in the form of email, instant messaging, other reports suggest that the most popular smartphone usage tends to be entertainment driven- games and social media.
Given the industry estimates, it is pretty evident that the smartphones have transcended the device form factor to simplify lives, making it an intrinsic part of our daily routine, both personal and professional.
The smartphone industry which was once really dominated by the hardware specifications is now looking at applications, features and software services to drive the next phase of growth for mobility. As the attitudinal shift in consumer behaviour comes to fore, smartphone companies will introduce products and services that are more user friendly, adaptable to ever-changing consumers who are looking to stay connected 24/7 from their device(s) whether it's at home, in the car, or on the go!
Owing to this, smart devices stand to provide both business opportunity and an opportunity to build communities ranging from improving healthcare services, banking andretail experiences etc. As this happens, a lot of companies will begin to build social issues into their overall business strategy.
For example, a few companies today are offering mobile tickets that help collect all tickets right from movie coupons, travel passes, coffee shop loyalty cards, in one easy to use tool or are offering smart technologies that help connect TVs, PCs, air conditioners , cars, home and electronic products to the smartphones, making it the ultimate converged and interactive device.
According to the market researcher IDC, India is set to become the third largest smartphone market by 2017. Opportunities exist in abundance with the market likely to see more innovations for privacy, permission and preferences of consumers and smartphone manufacturers need to recognize that ultimately the mobility sector will have to evolve around providing ultimate value exchange for the consumer.
There is definitely an opportunity for the mobility industry to cash in on various other industries like healthcare, automobiles, banking, etc to create WOW effect and offer experiences to consumers letting him personalize content- on the move that fits his /her tastes. Companies will have to focus on services that are device and OS agnostic, as users start basing the purchase of their smartphones on the range of services and software that meet their unique requirements of ACE (access, convenience and experience.)
Access: Think about what we do on the Internet every single day. We keep track of news, watch some entertaining videos on the go, keep a tab on weather, and check sports scores. We love to take pictures of the people and moments that matter to us and share them with friends and families. These activities have become more than just actions - they are the daily habits of millions of people around the world. A smartphone is uniquely positioned to do this and more. It connects people with what matters most to their daily lives, whether it's news, sports, finance, weather, email, instant messaging.
Convenience: Today's digital generation believes in the power of "now" immediate. If you look at India, it is a market of young users - people who are perpetually plugged in, for whom the mobile phone is a connection to their own world. It has to deliver them content relevant to their interests multiple times a day, all at the click of a button. It has to be the all-pervasive power source that takes care of their information/ entertainment and content needs agnostic to their location, quickly and effortlessly!
Experience: Users today want to consume more and more content and they want it tailored as per their interests and preferences. A smartphone offers the ultimate gateway to making daily habits inspiring and entertaining, providing users with personalized content and interface they care about.
The next few years are likely to see huge explosion of growth and a new mobile services economy catapulting this further. Interesting times lie ahead that would change a consumer's life and like how!!
The early 90s saw 24x7 news channels, the turn of the millennium saw 24x7 web, followed by 24x7 mobility to catapult 24x7 shopping/ chatting/ interacting/ working to almost everything, all within the power of your palm!
What has enabled this revolution, put the power of the internet within your palm, it's the all-powerful smartphone. The internet has changed what we want to do with our mobiles, using them more and more to connect digitally to people, places and information. This has seen innovative new input methods, menus and new interfaces that fit and bring alive the new internet experiences.
With user interface intuitiveness becoming a critical factor, we have seen technology being used to create shapes, textures, features and new interactions that people love and want to use. Complementing the growth of smartphones has been this digitally savvy population that's consuming media, information, entertainment on the go, looking for 24x7 access, redefined experience all packed within the convenience of their ubiquitous device.
Today, India is the third largest internet user in the world. The usage of internet is constantly increasing and according to a report released by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI) and IMRB by June 2014, there will be around 243 million internet users. It is more relevant and a ubiquitous tool for today's generation, be it the youth or the professional mobile workforce.
In fact, according to a recent report by Internet and Mobile Association of India (IMAI), the number of current base of mobile subscribers is pegged at 130 million. While the report suggests that out of 130 million, 91 million are actually using their smartphones for communication, largely in the form of email, instant messaging, other reports suggest that the most popular smartphone usage tends to be entertainment driven- games and social media.
Given the industry estimates, it is pretty evident that the smartphones have transcended the device form factor to simplify lives, making it an intrinsic part of our daily routine, both personal and professional.
The smartphone industry which was once really dominated by the hardware specifications is now looking at applications, features and software services to drive the next phase of growth for mobility. As the attitudinal shift in consumer behaviour comes to fore, smartphone companies will introduce products and services that are more user friendly, adaptable to ever-changing consumers who are looking to stay connected 24/7 from their device(s) whether it's at home, in the car, or on the go!
Owing to this, smart devices stand to provide both business opportunity and an opportunity to build communities ranging from improving healthcare services, banking andretail experiences etc. As this happens, a lot of companies will begin to build social issues into their overall business strategy.
For example, a few companies today are offering mobile tickets that help collect all tickets right from movie coupons, travel passes, coffee shop loyalty cards, in one easy to use tool or are offering smart technologies that help connect TVs, PCs, air conditioners , cars, home and electronic products to the smartphones, making it the ultimate converged and interactive device.
According to the market researcher IDC, India is set to become the third largest smartphone market by 2017. Opportunities exist in abundance with the market likely to see more innovations for privacy, permission and preferences of consumers and smartphone manufacturers need to recognize that ultimately the mobility sector will have to evolve around providing ultimate value exchange for the consumer.
There is definitely an opportunity for the mobility industry to cash in on various other industries like healthcare, automobiles, banking, etc to create WOW effect and offer experiences to consumers letting him personalize content- on the move that fits his /her tastes. Companies will have to focus on services that are device and OS agnostic, as users start basing the purchase of their smartphones on the range of services and software that meet their unique requirements of ACE (access, convenience and experience.)
Access: Think about what we do on the Internet every single day. We keep track of news, watch some entertaining videos on the go, keep a tab on weather, and check sports scores. We love to take pictures of the people and moments that matter to us and share them with friends and families. These activities have become more than just actions - they are the daily habits of millions of people around the world. A smartphone is uniquely positioned to do this and more. It connects people with what matters most to their daily lives, whether it's news, sports, finance, weather, email, instant messaging.
Convenience: Today's digital generation believes in the power of "now" immediate. If you look at India, it is a market of young users - people who are perpetually plugged in, for whom the mobile phone is a connection to their own world. It has to deliver them content relevant to their interests multiple times a day, all at the click of a button. It has to be the all-pervasive power source that takes care of their information/ entertainment and content needs agnostic to their location, quickly and effortlessly!
Experience: Users today want to consume more and more content and they want it tailored as per their interests and preferences. A smartphone offers the ultimate gateway to making daily habits inspiring and entertaining, providing users with personalized content and interface they care about.
The next few years are likely to see huge explosion of growth and a new mobile services economy catapulting this further. Interesting times lie ahead that would change a consumer's life and like how!!
