Since the advent of SMS messaging two decades ago, this method of communication has become a solid revenue stream for operators with over 350m SMS messages sent every day in the UK alone[1]. More recently, the rapid adoption of smartphones and the increasing demand for mobile data – which soared fortyfold in the three years leading up to 2010[1] – means a new platform has been created for ‘always-on’ instant messaging. Mobile operators are already experiencing and acknowledging a change in consumer needs with the development of high-speed, 4G networks that will enable and facilitate VoIP[2]. They will also need to brace themselves for a shift in demand towards the enhanced experience provided by mobile instant messaging services.
In the latest edition of The GfK TechTalk magazine, Richard Preedy looks at the issue of switching between smartphones (differentiated by their OS e.g. Android) and why it’s becoming increasingly difficult for consumers. When benchmarked against everyday services and utilities, consumers worry more about having to switch the type of smartphone they own than their insurance, home telephone or pay TV providers.
In this video blog, Richard Preedy explains why simpler, integrated user experiences are playing a huge role in driving this aversion to switching. These user experiences are no longer just device-specific, but relate to the wider ecosystem of digital content and devices.
You can read the full article by visiting the latest GfK TechTalk online magazine here.
Mobile technology used in everyday life has become the equal of, and in some cases has surpassed, the mobile technology businesses are giving employees for work purposes. This has brought unprecedented challenges for businesses as employees increasingly access work email and data from personal devices, and take the lead on demanding which technology they are provided with by their employer. The approach businesses take to resolving this issue will significantly influence their IT policies over the coming years.
With consumer smartphone usage growing rapidly, and an equally rapid growth in the number of businesses providing smartphones to their employees, there are many ‘employed consumers’ who now use two smartphones in daily life. Similarity in the form and function of these devices has lead to questions regarding the necessity of carrying both, and as a result there is increasing pressure on company IT departments to either allow employees to use their personal devices for work purposes or provide consumer friendly devices.
The youth market is accelerating technological adoption in Brazil which is radically changing consumer needs especially in how they’re entertained and how they socialise.
The internet and technological innovation has firmly gripped the new youth generation in Brazil. The Brazilian youth are using the internet in very similar ways to mature markets. It is becoming a primary source of entertainment and a means to communicate and make their voice be heard. The core values and needs of young consumers in Brazil are very different to their predecessors. As a result, the Brazilian youth are redefining consumerism in this exciting new country and what is clear is that their hunger to consume will create opportunities that previously did not exist.
The radically different needs of Brazil’s new youth generation
Increased productivity, or increased stress?
New findings by GfK NOP show that, although modern workers are embracing technology right now, there is evidence that the pace of change is risking a divided workforce. This situation presents significant challenges for policy makers and business leaders, creating a need to ensure the workforce is adequately trained and can manage the increased pressure and stress levels of working in an ever-connected environment.
Teleconferencing, BlackBerries, smartphones and, now, tablet computers mean it has never been easier to be in contact with the office. As technological advances alter the way we work, a debate has emerged between those that stress the unhealthy blurring of the boundaries between work and personal lives, and those that see technology as empowering the modern worker to fit their career around other demands on their time.
The smartphone market has been growing rapidly over the past few years, with smartphone adoption spreading across the population. The youth market is also picking up this trend and the numbers who want or own a smartphone device are growing. So which smartphones are being adopted by future generations and why?
A smartphone for Christmas
The youth market for mobile devices is swiftly rising, and the age at which children acquire their first mobile phone is getting younger and younger. It is estimated that over 90% of 12-15 year olds already have a mobile phone and the number of smartphone acquisitions in this market is also growing [1]. Considering that a large amount of mobile phones acquired by the youth market are being gifted and are often from the medium to high-end price range, it is not surprising that the youth market are picking up the smartphone trend. Also, considering that most of the time it is the end-user that is influencing purchase of the gift, it is interesting to find out what are driving these decisions [1].
NFC technology has the ability to transform smartphones into virtual wallets, where users pay for transactions simply by waving their phone at an appropriate receiver terminal. However, it also has much wider applications, allowing for synchronised content and services across the mobile ecosystem [1]. The reward for owning this relationship in the mobile space is enormous, and as a result everyone, from mobile operators to device manufacturers, is fighting for a share.
The industry message seems clear; mobile payments will be big over the next five years – big news and big profits. The technology has been around in various forms for years and, now that leading names such as Apple, Google and RIM are designing and manufacturing NFC-equipped devices, many commentators predict that mobile payments will skyrocket [2].
However, while this will undoubtedly be a major growth area for the future, such reports seldom address the fact that the journey to full consumer adoption is not without its pitfalls.
The Western European technology sector continues to grow, according to the latest GfK Retail and Technology TEMAX report, which showed Q4 year on year growth of 0.2%. This equates to 2.1% growth for 2010, driven by innovation in IT connectivity and Smartphone sales.
Looking back to establish future trends
Rapid innovation in the technology sector has continued to drive consumers and businesses to adopt devices that enable increasingly mobile and connected access to their favourite content and services. In addition, the overwhelming growth in the smartphone market has resulted in year-on-year growth in the Telecommunications (TC) market. The growth trends established at the beginning of the year continue to strengthen, and influence businesses and consumers to invest in the latest technology.
Using customer ideas to help develop realistic and appealing new products
Crowd sourcing can produce a rich pool of exciting product concepts, as the unfettered thinking and creative time that consumers enjoy means that they often come up with more innovative designs. Plus you’re getting NPD ideas that the consumers themselves have already endorsed as a good concept. But how do you balance desirable innovation against keeping the ideas realistic, and how do you spot the winning ideas? The answer is by combining crowd-sourcing, co-creation and standardised product testing.
Using crowd-sourcing in technology NPD
A recent crowd-sourcing study, run by GfK NOP in partnership with co-creation community eYeka.com, recently asked consumers to imagine their “ideal communication technology of the future”. Participants had the freedom to create a new device, a new service for an existing device, a piece of software or an application. Their solution could be designed to make their lives easier, more fulfilling, more productive, or just more fun – the only limit was that it had to be something that could conceivably exist in the next five years.
Many mobile companies and big brands are ready to launch mobile payment services this year. Although there is a healthy amount of consumer scepticism, there is also enough interest among early adopters and smartphone users to make this a success.
Last month TechTalk published a post about NFC (Near Field Communication) based mobile services becoming adopted among a wider consumer base in 2011. At the time of publishing we highlighted a number of new services and advances being made, from small start-ups to smartphone giants such as Apple, Google and Nokia. Now we’re almost one month into 2011 the news and developments on NFC, in particular mobile payments, continues to hit the headlines in the technology press. Most notably, O2[1] is beefing up their m-payments team ahead of its NFC based mobile payments service launch later this year, whilst Google announced the launch of Android 2.3 OS (Gingerbread)[2], which adds support for NFC.
The evolution of messaging
