DIGITAL TECH TRENDS ARNAB MITRA

#trendspotting

#1 - CONNECTED CITIES – FACEBOOK TO PLACEBOOK

The modern city is becoming a pointer system, the new URL, for tomorrow’s hybrid digital – physical environment. Today’s Facebook will be complemented by tomorrow’s Placebook. Explosive Innovation and adoption of computing, mobile devices, and rich sources of data are changing the cities in which we live, work, and play. Targeted, Focused social-check-in centric campaigns at an all time high. California Pizza Kitchen, offering special discounts on Pizza’s going by the mood of the cities like Mumbai based on people’s check in data.

#2 - TAKING COMPUTER OUT OF COMPUTING

A pattern of computing is emerging where interactions with technology will be conversational. We’ll literally talk to them and they to us. Voice Recognition is a key enabler of this. Apple’s Siri is the headliner, of course, but Ford has been employing Microsoft Sync – which also uses voice control extensively – in its cars for a few years. MICROMAX’s voice command service Aisha is turning the SEC B Indian on! 2012 is truly the year of experiencing “design for human” in India.

#3 - QUANTIFIED SELVES

We are seeing the launch of open data aggregation platforms that provide API’s for 3rd Party sensors, front-end applications, and analysis engines. A self tracking enthusiast will be able to merge spotify, nike+ and withings data to see a comprehensive overview of her health and life style. Humanized suggestions that prompt and guide individual actions will be higher than ever before. KINGFISHER will be offering the 1st beer free across all pubs in India to people who carry a specific QR code in their mobile phones as a gesture of being a brand fanatic and supporting their IPL teams!

#4- CONVERGENCE CAUSING SPECIALISATION

For the past decade we have been seeing a convergence of multiple pieces of hardware into fewer generalist devices. The smart phone is the almost perfect example of the convergent digital device as the Swiss Army knife. It has absorbed much of the most common use cases for portable devices like music and video consumption, digital photo and video capture, email and calendar, and of course voice. But because of this, when users are purchasing a dedicated device, they are gravitating towards product with higher quality and better design to elevate their experiences. Against popular belief India is no more a cost-sensitive market. Facebook phone is well awaited along with a growth of high end camera sales in India. Canon’s growth has been significant in this market.

#5 – INTERACTION CHOREOGRAPHY

User interaction with technology is going above the glass. Its raining tech here in india. We no longer need an explicit tool or even direct manipulation to drive user interface. With the ability of technology, like the kinect, to see user’s movements in space, gesture are being added to traditional layers of interaction. Samsung’s SMART TV which reacts to hand waving is well received and has already been a talking point of the town since its launch. Our marketing initiatives will also have to be around such newer, richer experiences for the consumers to take part. India has arrived in embracing such tectonic shifts in the usage pattern.

#6 – BASE OF THE PYRAMID: MOBILE INNOVATION

SMART phones are making significant in-roads into an entirely new segment: the lower end of the mass market and the “base of the pyramid”. Sub US$ 100 android phones from MAXX, MICROMAX has already made significant dent in the business of the Nokia’s of the world. These smart phones will not be notable for hardware innovations, as they’re stripped down versions of their more expensive and feature-packed brethren. However, they will be notable for over 130 Mn+ people of eager Indians will be discovering the world of smart phones and apps for the 1st time through these devices. App App all the way! For almost everything we will have a new app. Starting from OpenGarden, the internet sharing app on mobile!