Introduction to the Mobile Era

Introduction to the Mobile Era

It’s no lie that the first thing most modern people do when they wake up, is check their smartphones, that’s excluding how many times consumers in emerging markets check their phones throughout the day.  Research suggested that approximately 78% of global consumers have smartphones, 95% of these consumers in emerging markets use their devices while at work and 93% use them while shopping and spending leisure time with friends and family.

The very first portable cell phone commercial was released in the year 1983 with the Motorola DynaTAC being the only handheld phones in that time. The classic devices weighed over a kilogram, earning their famous name “brick phones”. As mankind we have moved from an era of brick phones, were only a certain population of people could afford to own a cell phone, to the new dawn where surveys have proven just how valuable phone time has become to people…so much so that some of us would turn halfway enroute to go get our forgotten devices at home. Not something most of us would necessarily do when we realise, we have forgotten our wallets at home.

Across the world, the trends of global mobile consumer have spiked. Cell phones have become an integrate part of people’s lives. The U.S supreme court even ruled phones an extension of people’s personalities. With modern technology making headlines and new features being introduced to the market, chances of these trends decreasing are more than highly unlikely.

Despite its disruptive attributes mobiles contribute to the improvement of overall human lives.  Because initially in design, most devices were made for the mass-market, they do not always meet the individual needs of consumers, but recent mobile trends have shown the emerging era of specialized devices being launched. Along with specific and unique technological collaborations like the Internet of things (IoT) focused on simplifying and optimizing the medical, educational and business field, it’s no question that we have moved from an era of devices simply made for making and taking calls, to what we now call smart devices era with many more features to offer.

But what is IoT?

The Internet of things (IoT) simply refers to the network of physical things that is meant to exchange data with each other over the internet. This network of things has improved the way of living for mankind and will continue to do so for years to come. People’s lifestyles have changed from what we know to high-tech lifestyles. Through this connection and communication between sensors and electronic devices, IoT has continued to use innovative solutions, to solve various challenges within various fields like the medical, security and surveillance, automation, traffic management etc.

Furthermore, IoT has also made its mark in economic and industrial growth. Health monitoring systems like Smart Health Sensing system (SHSS) has made it possible for the health and fitness level of people to be tracked, supported and recorded. Additionally, it can even be used in hospitals and trauma unites for people in critical conditions or simplifying the lives of elderly groups or the disabled.

It’s all about mobile ability!

The term mobility simply means ability to move. In the context of mobile technology mobility means technology that can move with the user. IoT along with smart device technologies are known as major enablers and drives of digital transformation, offering different enhanced smart levels of mobility.

In today’s world, mobile devices serve a variety of needs and purposes, we now speak of wearable mobile devices, near-field communications and even biometric readers. How many of us have waited in the que and subconsciously expected someone to take out their bank cards to pay but instead use their phones to pay? Ever wonder how it even happens? Well, the integration of mobile devices and technologies alongside IoT features have made it possible for people to move from their old traditional ways of doing things to modern and developed new ways of doing things, despite some existing concerns some people may still have like data security etc.

Certainly, this evolved technology has not yet been fully available to everyone, but research shows that approximately 47% of consumers in emerging markets, and 20% in developed markets, use their cell phones to make payments, meaning that developments like mPayment options are gaining more traction globally. Not only that, ‘mobile ability’ or mobility has the potential to make an impact on a B2B level too, making it possible to transform, allow for flexibility, innovate, and promote organization development through timely realised business and consumer needs or even leverage smart mobile technology at work to optimize strategic outcomes.

So what kinds of benefits does smart mobile technology offer?

Smart mobile technology has benefits in many different fields. In the retail sectors, businesses can optimize their mobile relationship between with their customers, analyse their clients’ buying trends and enhance their consumers overall shopping experience. In sectors like the healthcare sectors where there was little mobility due to stationary computers, this new era of mobile devices have offered mobility to health care professionals (HPC), easy accessibility to resources and improved communications and clinical software applications.

The use of mobile devices in HCP has been shown to be 85% on a daily clinical and educational purpose, patient care, or accessing medical information and files.  For sectors in supply chain productivity is enhanced, rugged floor visibility on daily operations in warehouses is enhanced, security, enterprise and customer data. And for transportation and logistics, benefits like ability to track employees, merchandise, and vehicles while also enhancing storage tracking, goods delivery conditions and improved site safety.

There are many ways in which this development has and still will impact lives and business as we know it. Question is: How are you going to leverage these new tools to enhance your business?

Article by Michelle Lebelwane