Cognitive Computing with Mobile: Are You Ready?
NEWS FLASH: As if you didn’t know already, “mobile is taking over the planet!”
So let me throw at you some simple facts and see if you believe that your infrastructure and Cognitive Computing power is ready to handle it.
1. In multitudes of studies we know that over 90 percent of mobile users keep their device within arm’s reach 100 percent of the time.
2. There are three times as many mobile phones in the world as there are computers.
3. Research firm IDC expects total smartphone shipments of nearly 1.3 billion units in 2014, which would indicate a 26.3 percent increase over 2013.
4. Combining online and mobile devices, eMarketer in 2014 expects U.S. adults to spend 5 hours 46 minutes with digital media daily in 2015, increasing digital’s lead over television to well over 1 hour per day.
5. Mobile band width continues to outstrip supply, as video is consuming over 90 percent of the usage.
Companies are allowing employees to bring their mobile devices to work, and are allowing them to be interfaced with the enterprises systems. This BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) strategy is great as it keeps us workers on the clock 24/7, while reducing the hardware costs of the company. However, the enterprise does have to review its security and authentication protocols very rigorously. That said, people can work anywhere, at any time. Productivity goes up, work-life balance comes down.
Now let’s look at another trend, that of device-to-device connections or should I say mobile device to other things, like your car, the parking meter, home monitoring and security solutions, etc. With this trend come even more data, and opportunities for the savvy marketer to get in front of the consumer. Imagine driving down the road, your mobile device knows its lunch time, finds and displays deals on the cars map as you drive along; you click, purchase a deal, and viola, one more satisfied customer.
Wait a minute, how did your mobile device know you were hungry? Oh that’s right, it was interfacing with your wearable technology such as watches, jewelry, fitness bands and health monitoring devices. How could we have forgotten about that? So, the marketer of NOW needs to be able to firstly dream and then assimilate all the information that she will need in order to influence the right purchase decision, at the right time.
So, mobile commerce or m-commerce is going to be the driver! With the increasing awareness of mobile wallet (Google, PayPal, Apple, Android), 2015 will see the global m-commerce market’s boosting to reach a new record high level. Research and Markets analysts forecast the Global m-Commerce market to grow at a CAGR of 32.23 percent over the period 2014 to 2019. Online retail sales will grow 10 percent a year for the next five years, accounting for 53 percent of all U.S. retail sales by 2014, according to Forrester Research. With IBM estimating that overall global sales will grow from approximately $230B in 2013 to $370B by 2017.
Are we thinking Big Data yet? Are we thinking Cognitive Computing? Are we thinking, YIKES!? Yup, thought so. This is not for the faint of heart, but there is hope in them hills. There are more and more applications and Big Data solutions coming on to the market that will make this all easier, and faster. But, as I have written about before, it’s about having the right people manning the controls, not just the fastest computer whiz bang.
Being a Coach Mentor at one of Atlanta’s premier incubators (Atlanta Tech Village) is providing me with a unique glimpse into what entrepreneurs and start-ups are trying to do, while keeping my eye firmly fixed on the big players. The big players will always be able to invest heavier to scale something, but will they remain quick enough. Time will tell . . .
Thoughts? Comments? Wisdom?
ABOUT THE AUTHOR 
Tony van der Hoek has had an 18-year career with the Coca-Cola Company, developing and leveraging their Big Data and advanced analytics with large global customers (Walmart, 7-Eleven and McDonald’s to name a few). In 2013, he was recognized by Consumer Goods Technology as one of their industries Visionaries. Today, van der Hoek has now entered the entrepreneurial space by being a Coach Mentor at one of Atlanta’s premier incubators the Atlanta Tech Village. In addition to consulting, van der Hoek is pioneering work with start-up companies in the BI space for sustainability, and daily deals aggregation. Visit www.hoeksinternational.com for more information.