mwc wrap-up march 23 2017 - deborah weinswig - the …€¦ · display (hmd) vr devices later this...
TRANSCRIPT
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Deborah Weinswig
Managing Director,
Fung Global Retail & Technology
US: 917.655.6790
HK: 852.6119.1779
CN: 86.186.1420.3016
KeyTakeaways:
1) TheFungGlobalRetail&TechnologyteamtraveledtoBarcelonatoattendtheMobileWorldCongress2017andgaininsightsintothelatestcutting-edgetechnologiesthatareexpectedtotransformtheretailindustry.
2) Inthiswrapupnote,wehighlightthetechnologiesthatstoodout:artificialintelligence(AI),virtualreality(VR),augmentedreality(AR)andconversationalcommerce.
3) WebelieveAIwillbethecenterofthenextdisruptivetechnology,whilechatbotsinmessagingarelikelytobethefrontendofthewave.VRandAR,onthehand,havesofarfailedtogenerateincentivesfornewbusinessdevelopment,despitecreatingalotofbuzzatthisyear’sshow.
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
TableofContents
ExecutiveSummary.........................................................................................................................................3
AIApplicationsatMWC...................................................................................................................................4
VirtualRealityandAugmentedReality............................................................................................................6
CaseStudy:HardwarechallengesofVRadoption...........................................................................................10
ConversationalCommerce.............................................................................................................................12
Otherhighlightsfromtheshow......................................................................................................................14
NoticeableStart-ups.......................................................................................................................................18
KeyTakeaways...............................................................................................................................................22
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
ExecutiveSummaryTheFungGlobalRetail&TechnologyteamtraveledtoBarcelonatoattendtheMobileWorldCongress2017andgaininsightsintothelatestcutting-edgetechnologiesthatareexpectedtotransformtheretailindustry.
Thisyear’sMWCpresentedanamplenumberoftechnologiesandnewideasthatattimesbewilderedtheaudience.Inthisreport,wetakeacloserlookintothreetechnologies―AI,VR,ARandconversationalcommerce―whichwebelievearethegamechangersoftheretailspace.
• AI―isheavilyinvested;chatbotsmaybethefirsttobloom:Whetherthecompanyisane-commerceorabrick-and-mortarretailer,itisinvestingheavilyintoAI.Ononehand,AIcanserveasapersonalassistanttoconsumers,helpingthemperformdailytasks,suchasshopping(i.e.,Alexa,Clove,GoogleAssistant).Ontheotherhand,AIwillsoonlikelyreplacestoreassistantsandprovideshopperswithamoreseamlessexperience.ThesamebenefitsofAIchatbotsalsoapplytoonlineretailerswhenconsumersnavigatethroughtheirwebsite.
• VRandAR―bothholdgreatpromise,butstillneedtimetoexcite:MostcompaniesappearedtobeshowcasingVRorARcontentatMWC,yetthequalityofthecontentvariedgreatlydependingonthehardware.WebelievethisyearmostconsumerswillactuallyexperienceVR/ARforthefirsttime―atlowercostsandwithbetteraccessibility.
• Conversationalcommerce―canturncustomerserviceintoloyalty:Retailersareengagingtheircustomersnotonlythroughtheirwebsites,butalsoontheirsocialmediaaccounts.Inthefuture,productsearcheswilllikelyexpandfromparametric-basedonestoincludedialogue-basedones,whichmeansproductofferingcanbeincreasinglypersonalized.
ThetriptoBarcelonaalsopresentedourteamwithnumerousopportunitiestomeetwithstartupsandseeproductdemosfirsthand.Inthisreport,wehaveselectedanumberofstartupsthatwebelievearegoingtohaveanimpactonretail―eitherintermsofproductofferings,customerengagementorpayments.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
AIApplicationsatMWCAIwaseverywhereatthisyear’sMWC.MasayoshiSon,FounderandCEOofSoftbank,deliveredakeynote,whichtouchedonthephilosophicalquestionoftheroleofAIoverthenext30years.SonbelievesthatwewillseeSingularityinthenext30years―i.e.,thepointatwhichAIbecomesmoreintelligentthanhumans.InSon’swords,“AIwillhaveanIQof10,000,”andeveniftheimplicationsofthisarestillunknown,weknowforsurethataworldwithAIwillbeevermoreconnected.
NECtheWISE
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
KatsumiEmura,ExecutiveVPandChiefTechnologyOfficer(CTO)ofNEC,hostedasharingsessiononNEC’sproprietaryAI—NECtheWISE.NECtheWISEincludesfacial-,speech-andemotion-recognitiontechnologies,aswellascrowd-behavioranalysisandheterogeneousmixturelearning,amongothers.NECtheWISEishelpingNECclientsdealwithrealworldproblemssuchascrimeprevention,powerdemandforecastingandtheinspectionofdeteriorationinbridges.WhenaskedaboutthebiggestchallengestoAIdevelopment,EmurapointedoutthathardwarehasnotyetfullyleveragedthepowerofAI,addingthattheeffortandtimetoeducatepeopleaboutAIismassive.HealsostressedtheimportanceofqualitydatawhenitcomestoAI,asthisiswhatwilllikelydeterminethequalityoftheAIitselfratherthanfactorssuchascomputationalpower.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
DifferentapplicationsofAIshowcasedatMWC.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
ConversocialConversocialisaSaaScompanythatprovidessocialcustomerservicesolutions.Thesoftwarehelpscorporatesidentifycustomersthatrequireserviceviascanningsocialmediaplatformsandoffersaseamlesssolutionforserviceagentstoengagewiththem.WemetwithCEOandCo-Founder,JoshuaMarch,whosharedwithusthatthevisionofConversocialistoofferseamlesscustomerserviceonsocialmediausingchatbottechnology.HesaidAIwilllikelyrevamptheentirecustomerserviceindustryinthenext3–5years.Notonlycanchatbotsprovidecost-savingsolutionstoenterprises,buttheyalsoenhanceengagementwithconsumers.MarchsaidthatsolutionproviderssuchasSalesforceandOracledonotfocusoncustomerserviceviamessaging,whichhebelievedisthetrendgoingforward,andhencetheopportunityforConversocial.ThecompanyprovidesaglimpseintothepossibilityofusingAItoturncustomerserviceviasocialmediaintoloyalty.
Olay:ABeautyCompanyonanAIMissionWiththelaunchoftheOlaySkinAdvisor,OlayislookingtoleveragethepowerofAItotransformthewaywomenshopforbeautyproducts.shoppingforbeautyproductshasbecomeincreasinglymorecomplex,withmorebrandsandproductstochoosefrom.Thismeansthatone-thirdofwomenleavethestorewithoutfindingwhattheyarelookingfor,and60%ofbeautyshoppershaveintheircabinetathomethesocalled“skincaregraveyard”ofproductstheyboughtbutdon’tuse,accordingtotheprincipalscientistsatOlayDr.FraukeNeuser.ThepromiseAIhasisthatitcansolvesomeoftheserealpain-pointsforconsumers.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
TheOlaySkinAdvisorisaweb-basedappthatanalyzestheuser’sskintypeandmakespersonalizedrecommendationsonabeautyregimenandproducts.Howitworksistheuseruploadsaselfieandanswersasetofquestionsdesignedbybeautyscientiststohelpthealgorithmdeterminethe‘visibleskinage.’Theappthenrecommendsproductsbasedonitsfindings.Theapp’stechnologywastrainedonmorethan50,000facesandwillcontinuetolearneverytimeanewselfieisprocessed.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
NTTDoCoMoShowcasedAIforForecastingTaxiDemandinRealTimeBycombiningthehistoricaldataoftaxidemandwithlocationandexternaldata,suchaspopulationstaticsandweatherforecasts,NTTDoCoMo’sAIproductforecaststaxidemandinTokyo.TheprojectstartedinJune2016,andhasbeeninfieldtrialssinceDecember2016.TheAIcanpredicttaxidemandovera30-minuteperiodina500squaremeterareawithanaccuracythataveraged92.9%.NTTDoCoMoclaimsthereisa49%increaseinsalesperformancebetweenthosetaxisequippedwiththeforecastingtechnologyandthosewhichdonotmakeuseofit.
Samsung’sNexshopSolutionWesawdemosofSamsung’simpressivein-storeretailsolutionsuiteNexshop.Thecompanyhasdevelopedthreeapplications―NexshopSales,NexshopMarketingandNexshopTraining―whicharefocusedonimprovingin-storeperformancebyprovidingstoreassociatesamobilePOSsolution,amarketingtoolandatrainingappwithitsveryownAIlearningassistant.TheNexshopsolutionprovidesdetailedanalyticsonfootfalltogetherwithheat-mappingvisualizations,which,insomecases,canbebrokendowntotheproductlevel.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
VirtualRealityandAugmentedRealityInapanelbymoderatedbyDavidMacQueenfromStrategyAnalytics,HugoSwart(Qualcomm),EricTrabold(Avegant)andTonyChao(AppliedVentures)discussedthehardwarechallengesforVRandARadoptionaswellastheirpredictionsforthedevelopmentofthetwotechnologiesgoingforward.
Thepanelistsagreedthatwearelikelytoseestandaloneheadmounteddisplay(HMD)VRdeviceslaterthisyearasthenextstepintheevolutionofmobileVRhardware.However,thetechnologyisstillboundbylimitationsofGPUspeed,displaycapabilitiesandbatterlifepreventingitfrombeingmadeavailablethroughastandalonemobiledevicethatallowsfreedomofmovementanduseoveraprolongedperiodoftime.
EricTraboldfromAvegantdiscussedthescreenlesstechnologybehindAvegant’sfirstproductGlyph,whichisaportablepersonaltheaterdevicethatwaslaunchedatCES,theglobalconsumerelectronicsandconsumertechnologytradeshowinLasVegas.Thetechnologyoffersonewaythe
VRandARarestillthisyear’sbuzzwords.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
displayissuecouldbesolvedforVRcontentrendering,asitusesmuchlesspowerthantraditionaldisplays,whileprovidingahigherqualityviewingexperience.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
HugoSwartdiscussedhisviewthatthefutureofARandVRisforthetechnologiestoconvergefromauserexperiencepointofview―entirescenesofdigitalcontentwillbeaccessedthroughamobiledevicewithaqualitythatwillbenearlyindistinguishablefromreality,whilefullVRimmersionislikelytobecomejustone“mode”ofthetechnologythatwillbeusedoccasionally.Inthissense,VRandARholdgreatpromisetoaugmentrealityasweknowit,however,allexpertsseemedtoagreethatthisfutureisstillalongwayout
Google’sAR:ARetailUseCase
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
WeexperiencedGoogle’sTangotechnologyinretail:thecustomermakesaproductselectionandthedigitalitemissuperimposedonthephysicalenvironmentinaccurateproportionsandcorrectorientationviaAR.ThetechnologyworkedsmoothlyandtheexperiencebenefitedfromthedisplayqualitiesofGoogle’snewsmartphone.Inthisusecase,ARtechnologyonmobileallowscustomerstobrowse,viewandpurchaseamuchwiderrangeofproductsthanthebusinessphysicallyhasinstock.
WirecardTheGermany-basedpaymentprocessingandITcompany,Wirecard,showcasedaVRshoppingexperienceandnext-generationmobilePOShardwareproductthatcombinesatablet,cardscannerandreceiptprinter.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
PredictionsonfuturedevelopmentofVRandARadoptionInapanelmoderatedbyDavidMacQueenfromStrategyAnalytics,HugoSwart(Qualcomm),EricTrabold(Avegant)andTonyChao(AppliedVentures)discussedthehardwarechallengesforVRandARadoptionaswellastheirpredictionsonthedevelopmentofthetwotechnologiesgoingforward.
Thepanelistsagreedthatwearelikelytoseestandaloneheadmounteddisplay(HMD)VRdeviceslaterthisyearasthenextstepintheevolutionofmobileVRhardware.However,thetechnologyisstillboundbythelimitationsofGPUspeed,displaycapabilitiesandbatterlifebeforeitcanbemadeavailablethroughastandalonemobiledevicethatallowsfreedomofmovementanduseoveraprolongedperiodoftime.
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
TraboldfromAvegantdiscussedthescreenlesstechnologybehindAvegant’sfirstproductGlyph,whichisaportablepersonaltheaterdevicethatwaslaunchedattheConsumerElectronicsShow(CES).ThetechnologyoffersonewaythedisplayissuecouldbesolvedforVRcontentrendering,asitusesmuchlesspowerthantraditionaldisplays,whileprovidingahigher-qualityviewingexperience.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
SwartfromQualcommdiscussedhisbeliefthatthefutureofARandVRisforthetechnologiestoconvergefromauserexperienceviewpoint—entirescenesofdigitalcontentwillbeaccessedthroughamobiledevicewithaqualitythatwillbenearlyindistinguishablefromreality,whilefullVRimmersionislikelytobecomejustone“mode”ofthetechnologythatisusedoccasionally.Inthissense,VRandARholdgreatpromisetoaugmentrealityasweknowit,however,alltheexpertsseemedtoagreethatthisfutureisstillalongwayout.
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
CASESTU
DY
HardwarechallengesofVRadoptionInordertoachieveahighlyimmersiveVRexperience,theVRheadsetneedstoachievethefollowing:highresolution,highpixeldensityandhighframerate.ThereisanissuewithcurrentlyavailableVRheadsetscalledthescreen-dooreffect,whichmeansthepixelsareactuallyvisibletousersbecausethelensmagnifiesthemacrossawiderfieldofview.
Source:Shutterstock
HigherPPIresultsinhighersystemmemoryconsumptionTosolvethescreendooreffect,onesimplesolutionistoincreasepixels-per-inch(PPI).Mostoftoday’sflagshipswithaVR-enabledfeaturehavePPIupto600pixels.Sharprecentlyannounceda1,000PPIIGZOdisplay.However,higherhardwarerequirementsareneededtopowerhighPPIdisplays.
Figure1.RelationshipBetweenPhonePixelDensityandSystemMemory
Source:Micron
HigherPPIcangreatlyincreasethequalityoftheVRexperience,butitislimitedbycurrenttechnologylevels.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
CASESTU
DY
Theoretically,A1,000PPIdisplaywitha90HzrefreshratewillbesufficienttodeliveraseamlessVRexperience.AccordingtoMicronestimates,inordertoruna1,000PPIdisplay,atotalof12GBDRAMisneeded(comparedto2GBDRAMintheiPhone7and4GBDRAMintheGalaxyNote7).Obviously,alongwithhighersystemmemory,thesystemwillalsoneedbetterprocessingpower,batterycapacity,andthelistgoeson.
Source:Shutterstock
VRremainsthecenterhubofinnovativeapplicationsofmanysectorsinthefuture,yet,thereisstillalotofimprovementneededtodeliveratrueVRexperience.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
ConversationalCommerceConversationalcommercereferstoamessagingapplicationthatenablesshopping,customerserviceorinquiries.Tobettercopewithchangingcustomerbehaviorandcreatebetterdigitalengagement,Chatbot,afront-endtoolinconversationalcommerce,integratesthefunctionofadvancedmessagingwithplugins.
ThroughAIandnaturallanguageprocessing,achatbotcanmimichumaninteractionstogiveconsumersaccesstoserviceprovidersandbrandsattheirconvenience.
Source:business2community
TheFutureofChatbotsisVoiceJohnPulverdeliveredasessiononchatbotsandthefutureofcommunication.PulveristheInternetpioneerwhoismostfamousfor“thePulverOrder,”whichisarulingbytheFederalCommunicationsCommission(FCC)regardingInternetProtocol(IP).Theorderruledthatcomputer-to-computerVoIPisnotatelecommunicationsserviceandsoisnotsubjecttotraditionalvoicetelecommunicationsregulation.Hecommentedthat63%ofpeopleengagewithcompaniesthroughtextormessagingandoutofthoseinteractions,50%arehandledbybots.ForPulver,thefuturebelongstothefurtherautomationoftheseinteractions.However,theevolutionheisexpectingisthatratherthanusingtext,peoplewillmoveontousevoicetoconversewithmachines.Infact,hecommentedthatGenZwillseethemovebacktovoicecommunicationfromthecurrenttextualnorm,andthatAItechnology,suchasAmazon’svirtualassistantAlexa,willplayabigroleinthat.
TheFutureofMessaging:Engagement,E-CommerceandBotsWeattendedapanelorganizedbyOvum,whichdiscussedthefutureofmessaging.ThepanelwasmoderatedbyPamelaClark-DicksonfromOvumandfeaturedMattAsay,VPofMobileatAdobe,MitaliDhar,DirectorofGlobalProductPartnershipatGoogle,BeerudSheth,Co-FounderandCEOofGupshup,HarperReed,SeniorDirectorofSoftwareDevelopmentatPaypal,andRyanSullivan,VPofProductEngineering&DevelopmentatSprint.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Thepanelistsbeganbydiscussingthescaleofglobalinstantmessaging(IM)—thecombineduserbaseofWhatsapp,WeChatandMessengerisunder5billionandthetrafficisover68trillionmessagesperyear.DiscussionthencontinuedaroundwhyChinaandKoreaareseeingmoresuccessinmonetizingIM.BeerudShethcommentedthatAsianIMappsareacombinationofsocialmediaportalandcommunicationtool.MitaliDharaddedthereisaneedtointegrateintooneapp,whichincludeschatbotsinthefuture.Messagingappsnowincludecorporate/brandaccounts,ads,browsers,chatbotsandpaymentfunctions.Companiesandbrandsarelookingatmessagingplatformsastheirprimaryengagementplatformfortheirnow24/7customerrelationships.Onthedevelopmentofchatbotswithinmessagingapps,Dharmentionedthatinteractingwithbotsisstilldifferentfromchattingwithfriends,andsheexpectsthiswillbewillbethenextphasechatbotsneedtoadvancetoinordertoestablishamorenaturalwayofcommunication.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
Customerserviceandcommerceviamessagingappscreatesauniqueopportunitytosimplifyhowbusinessesandconsumersinteract.Consumershaveadoptedthisnewplatform,butmostcompaniesstillneedtotakethesteptomessagingandconversationalcommerce.MattAsayexpressedconcernaboutthenegativeimpactofinformationsilosonmessaging—itwillbehardtoachievemonetizationorevenimplementchatbotsinthecurrentmessagingecosystemduethefragmentationofdatabecauseofsilos.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Otherhighlightsfromtheshow
TheDisruptiveImpactofBlockchainsBrockPierce,ManagingPartnerandChairmanofBlockchainCapital,discussedhisviewontheopportunitiesthatblockchaintechnologiespresentforentrepreneursandcorporates.Inhisview,blockchaintechnologyisprobablythemostimportanttechnologyaftertheInternet,asitwilldemocratizeaccesstofinancialservicestoalargedemographicinthecurrentlyunderserveddevelopingandemergingmarkets.Furthermore,blockchainsand,morespecifically,thetokensusedtotransactonblockchaininfrastructure,arelikelytorevolutionizethewaybusinessesgetstartedandhowtheyraisecapital.In2016,therewere64ICOs(InitialTokenOfferings),whichraisedover$103million,and,insomecases,fundingroundswereraisedinminutes—forexample,Golemraised$8.5millionbysellingtokensin19minutesandSingularDTVraised$7.7millionin17minutes.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
E-Commerce=Content,Community,MarketplaceUriLevanon,FounderandCEOofHasteMedia,deliveredapracticalguidetotheevolutionofthee-commercebusinessmodelthatincorporatescontent,communityandcommerce.HelookedatexamplessuchasHouzz,PolyvoreandTicTailwhichallleveragethepowerofcontentandcommunitiestodrivetrafficandengagement,whichleadtomonetization.Oneexampleforasuccessfulengagementstrategyisthenow-globalplatformforinteriordesign,Houzz,whichgenerates25millionmonthlyuniqueviews.AccordingtoLevanon,successfule-commercebusinessesfallalongthe“trifecta,”whichisdefinedasthecontent,communityandmarketplacesegmentsofthebusinessmodel.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
Hefurtherpointedoutthatthereareplentyofopportunitiestocreatebusinessesfollowingthismodel,andhighlightedexamplessuchasGoopandBrit+Co,whichwerecreatedbyGwynethPaltrowandBritMorin,respectively.Bothbusinessesofferuserslifestyleguidelinesthroughanauthenticvoice,lotsofcontent,curatedbrandsand,eventually,privateones.
EthereumEnterpriseApplicationsandHowOrganizationsShouldThinkaboutDataThesessionweattendedat4YFNofferedakeynotefromJPRangaswami,ChiefDataOfficeratDeutscheBank,andadiscussiononEthereum,thegeneralpurposeblockchain,withtheFoundationCouncilPresidentoftheEthereumFoundation,VitalikButerin.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
Rangaswamicommentedonthe“digitaltransformation”resultingfromtheexponentialgrowthofdataandsomeofthechallengesassociatedwithit.AccordingtoRangaswami,therehasbeenafundamentalshiftfromsellers’markets,wheremarkettransactionsaredefinedbyasingleprovidertomanyagents,todistributed,ornetwork,models,wheretheagencyisinthe
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
handsofconsumers.Oneexampleistheblockchain,whichoffersanalternativetocentralizedbook-keepingandverificationofvirtualtransactionsandassets.Thispowershiftfromcentralizedorganizationstoconsumersnecessitatesthatorganizationsbreakthroughsilostructuresinordertoadapttothenewmarketparadigm.
Oneofthemostimportantaspectsofthefutureroleoforganizationsishowtheycollect,filterandusedata.Withtheincreasingspeedandvolumeofdata,theneedtoverifyitsaccuracyandguaranteeitsprovenancebecomesparamount.Themainissuestemsfromthefactthat,atpresent,thetimeittakessystemstoveritythetruthfulnessofdatais,insomecases,longerthanthetimeittakesforthetruestateofthedatatochange.Inaddition,thesheervolumeofdatacreatesafilteringproblem,ifthedataisnotlabeledandorganizedfromthesource.Asaresult,theorganizationofdatahasbecomeapriorityforbusinessesacrossindustries,togetherwiththeabilitytoexplainwhyapieceofdataistrue;inotherwords,tounderwritetheimmutabilityofdatathroughoutitsjourney,fromitssourcetoitsenduse.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
TherewasadiscussionbetweenButerinandMontserratGuardiaGüell,DigitalChallengeDirectorofBancoSabadell.WiththeannouncementoftheformationoftheEthereumAlliance,whichincludescompaniessuchasIntel,MircosoftandJ.P.MorganChase,thebigquestiononpeople’smindswashowfarawaywearefromseeingscalableenterprise-levelapplicationsrunonEthereum.ButerinwasquicktopointoutthatEthereumisstillfacingchallengeswhenitcomestoovercomingthecurrenttechnologicallimitationsaroundthenumberoftransactionsandusersonitsblockchain,butthatovercomingtheseisontheroadmapforthedevelopmentofEthereumoverthenextthreetofiveyears.Healsopointedoutthattherearemultiplepilotsandprojectsalreadydevelopedontheblockchain,suchasapplicationsgovernanceandvotingmechanisms,supply-chainsolutionsthattargetprovenanceandapplicationsinhealthcare.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
AnotherAmazonEchoCompetitorTheCEOofLine,TakeshiIdezawa,announcedtodaythattheJapanesemessagingcompanywillbepartneringwithSouthKorea’sNavertolaunchthedigitalassistantClova.Inturn,theassistantwillpowertwosmartdevices,theWaveandtheFace,whichwillbelaunchedlaterthisyear.ThestrategyofthenewpartnershipistoleverageNaver’sdominantpositionasaleaderinsearchinSouthKoreanandLine’sdataandchatcapabilitiestodeliverdevicesakintotheAmazonEchoandGoogleHometargetingtheAsianconsumer.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
PanasonicPanasonicisshowcasingitsconnectedairportconceptatMWC17,and,atthesametime,isalsoexhibitingasuiteofhardwareandsoftwareforretailers:
• Atransparentscreenwhichusesprojectiontocreatewindowdisplaystopullinandengageshoppers.
• Amonitoringandmanagingsystemthattrackstheusageandperformanceofin-storedigitalequipmentsuchasdisplaysandsignagetooptimizemaintenanceandminimizecost.
• AconnecteddisplaycoupledwithfacialrecognitionandRFIDproductidentification.
• ParcelPickingDirector,whichusesbarcodetechnologytomanagekeyparcelinformationforasmoothlogisticsoperation.Itprojectskeyparcelinformationontotheparcelsthemselves,makingitviewablefromadistancebyworkers.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
GenesysThecompanydevelopedanomnichannelplatformthathelpsretailersinteractwiththedigitalconsumer.Genesysshowcaseditschatbotandcustomerservicesolutionsaswellasitsplatform’sabilitytomakeuseof360-degreeviewoftheconsumerwithdatacollectedfromdigitalandphysicalcustomertouch-pointsandIoTsensorsinretailenvironments.Marks&Spencer,IKEA,H&M,NikeandFalabellaareamongtheretailersthatusetheGenesystechnology.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
NTSRetailNTSRetailisanAustriancompanythathasdevelopedanall-in-onetechnologyretailsolutionusedprimarilybymobileoperatorsacrossEurope.TheplatformintegratesPOS,inventorymanagement,aftersalesserviceandretailanalyticstoallowtransactionsinboththephysicalanddigitalenvironments.
Source:Ntsretail.com
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
NoticeableStart-ups
Company: AiQSmartClothing
Sector: Apparel
NotableClients: N/A
Website: http://www.aiqsmartclothing.com
AiQSmartClothingisaTaiwanesetechnologyandapparelcompanywitharangeofproducts,includingatextileRFID,textileheating,washableLEDsandhealthtrackingsolutions.
Company: Bitrefill
Sector: Paymentservices
NotableClients: Vodafone,AT&T,Verizon,Orange,T-Mobile
Website: https://en.bitrefill.com
Aservicethatallowsprepaidcardrefills.Thetechnologysupportsover140countriesforinternationalmobilerechargingbyleveragingtheBitcoininfrastructure.
Company: BrandYourShoes
Sector: Footwear
NotableClients: SAP,Allianz,Bioderma
Website: http://brandyourshoes.com
ThestartuphasbuiltaB2Bdigitalplatformforcompaniestobrandandcustomizefootwear.AllproductsareproducedlocallyinSpainandtheminimumorderquantityis30pieces.BrandYourShowshasalreadyproducedfootwearforcompaniessuchasSAP,AllianzandBioderma.
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DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Company: Combyne
Sector: NFCTechnology
NotableClients: Gucci,Topshop,Mango
Website: http://www.combyne.com/about-us/
Combyneisafashionappthatletsusersstoreanddiscoverstyles.Oncetheycreateanoutfituserscanshareitwiththeirfollowerstogainfeedback.Thestylesavailableontheappcomefromover800brandsandonlinestores,andtheproducthasgottenpositivereviewsontheiOSappstoresinceitslaunchin2016.
Company: CopSonic
Sector: CommunicationTechnology
NotableClients: N/A
Website: http://www.copsonic.com
CopSonicisaFrenchcompanythathasdevelopedanultrasonicalternativetoNFC.Thetechnologyallowsthetransmissionofdatathroughsoundwaves,whichmeansitonlyusesthespeakersandmicrophonesofsmartdevices.Retailusecasesofthetechnologyincludeidentityverification,paymentsandgeofencing.
Company: Lechal
Sector: FootwearComponent
NotableClients: Hi-Tec
Website: http://www.lechal.com
Lechalproducesawearablecomponentthatcanbeintegratedinthesoleoftheshoeorthelaces,whichallowsGPSnavigation(viavibration)andfitnesstracking.Theproductwasoriginallydesignedforpeoplewhoarevisuallyimpaired,buthasnowbeenmadeavailabletoallconsumers.ThecompanyhasalreadypartneredwithshoebrandHi-TecforitsHi-TecNavigatorShoes.
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Company: OpenBack
Sector: Apputility
NotableClients: N/A
Website: https://www.openback.com
Atechnologythatmanageshowmobileappnotificationsarepushedtotheuser,redefiningtheappcustomerexperience.
Company: Reply.ai
Sector: Chatbot
NotableClients: Starbucks,Vaio,Hilton
Website: https://www.reply.ai
Aplatformtobuildandmanageyourconversationalstrategy.Thecompanybuildschatbotsthatallowcompaniestohave1:1interactionwiththeconsumer.
Company: Sentio
Sector: Hardware
NotableClients: N/A
Website: http://www.sentio.com
DevelopedtheSuperbook,aUniversalLaptopShellforAndroid,whichtransformstheandroidsmartphoneintoafullPC.
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
Company: SplitFy
Sector: P2Ppayment
NotableClients: JustEat,RNE,Wallapop
Website: https://www.splitfy.com
AservicethatallowsusersinSpaintomakepeer-to-peermoneytransfers,suchassplittingbills.
Company: Whisbi
Sector: CommunicationService
NotableClients: T-Mobile,Vodafone,Audi,SEAT
Website: http://www.whisbi.com
Thiscompanyshowcasedaone-to-oneandone-to-manyvideochattoolthatintegratesdirectlywitharetailer’swebsite.Thetoolallowscompaniestobroadcastpromotioneventsorprovidelivevideocustomerservicedirectlyontheirwebsite.Thisboostsengagementandthetimeusersspendonthesite,whilea lsoremovingfrictionfromtheuserexperience,sincesitevisitorsdonotneedaseparateapporlog-intoenterthevideochat.ThecompanyisalreadyworkingwithmobileoperatorssuchasT-MobileandVodafoneandautomakerssuchasAudiandSEAT,amongothercompanies.Thesebrandshaveatleastdoubledtheirsalesconversionrateandexperienceda600%increaseincustomerengagement.
KeyTakeawaysThisyear’sthemeismoreabouthowapplicationscantakeadvantageofthewell-establishedmobileecosystem.WebelieveAIisgoingtorevolutionizetheretaillandscapeandbringtoconsumersahighlyconnectedandefficientshoppingexperienceinthecomingyears.TheveryfrontendofAIapplicationsislikelytobethechatbot,andwealreadysawanumberofcompaniesincorporatingchatbotsintheirproducts.VRandARarestillinthespotlight,yetagainwefeelitisnomorethanagimmickatthispoint.
Source:FungGlobalRetail&Technology
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March23,2017
DeborahWeinswig,ManagingDirector,FungGlobalRetail&[email protected]:917.655.6790HK:852.6119.1779CN:86.186.1420.3016Copyright©2017TheFungGroup.Allrightsreserved.
DeborahWeinswig,CPAManagingDirectorFungGlobalRetail&TechnologyNewYork:917.655.6790HongKong:852.6119.1779China:86.186.1420.3016deborahweinswig@fung1937.comKirilPopovSeniorAnalyst
SimicChanSeniorResearchAssociate
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