How are you using technology to improve your customer's experience by replacing pain-points with faster, cheaper, simpler options?  Put customer needs first to identify the pain points.  Then test tech to figure it out.

“A lot of our members are saying, ‘I want to skip the front desk,’ ” said Geraldine Calpin, senior vice president and Hilton’s global head of digital.   “It’s superefficient,” he said. “Hold up your iPhone and, zoom, you’re in.”  Hotels say their research tells them that the prospect of being able to skip line at front desk is appealing to business travelers, well any traveler really.

“I’ve stayed in a lot of hotels where, at the end of the day, you’re tired and you’re waiting in line,” Mr. Monk said. Being able to go straight to his room saved him time and hassle, he said. “It made everything a lot easier.”

Starwood offering smartphone key apps at 10 hotels in its Aloft, Element and W hotel brands, including 5 in US.   

Hyatt Hotels and Resorts started testing mobile keys at 1 hotel in New York City.  Pilot expected to conclude early 2015.  This quarter, 

Hilton Worldwide starting test of  mobile keys at 10 hotels in US, a project expects to finish early 2015. By middle of 2015, loyalty program members in US visiting Hilton, Waldorf-Astoria, Conrad and Canopy by Hilton brands will be able to use phones as keys.

Source: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/04/business/hotels-test-turning-guests-smartphonoes-into-room-keys-.html 

CKB Solutions is all about real solutions for the real world.  To learn how we can help your business, contact Greg Kovacic in Hong Kong.

Samsung’s new Galaxy S IV is reported to have a very cool feature: eye scrolling.  The phone will track a user’s eyes to determine where to scroll.  E.g. when a user reads an article on their phone or tablet, and their eyes reach the bottom of the page, the software will automatically scroll down to reveal the next paragraph of text.

In January 2013, Samsung filed for a trademark in Europe for the name “Eye Scroll” (No. 011510674). In February 2013, Samsung filed for the “Samsung Eye Scroll” trademark in the U.S., where it described the service as “Computer application software having a feature of sensing eye movements and scrolling displays of mobile devices, namely, mobile phones, smartphones and tablet computers according to eye movements; digital cameras; mobile telephones; smartphones; tablet computers.”

Samsung also filed for the trademark “Eye Pause,” without describing what the feature does.

But Samsung may not be the only player with this cool feature.  A tech company called Tobii, which received $21 million in funding from Intel last year, has been working on a technique that uses infrared sensors to track precise eye movements.

Although eye tracking systems have been in development for a while, it seems Samsung has finally cracked it. Current capabilities use the front-facing camera to know when a person is looking at the screen to keep the screen lit instead of 
automatically dimming.

Interested to see how practical and accurate this feature will be.

Source: "Samsung’s New Smartphone Will Track Eyes to Scroll Pages", New York Times, March 4, 2013.http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/samsungs-new-smartphone-will-track-eyes-to-scroll-pages/

CKB Solutions is all about real solutions for the real world.  To learn how we can help your business, contact Greg Kovacic in Hong Kong.

STMicroelectronics unveiled a screen-sensor technology which uses motion sensors to allow users to control a device without actually touching it.  Users simply hover their hand a few inches above the surface. The technology is expected to go into a tablet to go on sale this year.

The inspiration for this technology originated with a Russian invention from 1919, yes, nearly 100 years ago.  In 1919, a Russian named Leon Theremin (aka Lev Terman) invented the termenvox (aka theremin), an electronic musical instrument built around two antennas which allows users to play music by hovering their hands above the instrument without having to touch it.

STMicroelectronics' clients include Samsung, Apple, Nokia and Blackberry.

I do wonder how practical and accurate this technology will be.

Sources: 

1. "STMicro Lures Samsung With Hover Screen Amid Venture Exit", Bloomberg, February 27, 2013.
   http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-26/stmicro-lures-samsung-with-hover-screens-amid-chip-venture-exit.html
2. "How an Old Russian Invention Inspired STMicro’s Hover Screen", Bloomberg, Febrauary 27, 2013.
   http://go.bloomberg.com/tech-blog/2013-02-27-how-an-old-russian-invention-inspired-stmicros-hover-screen/
   

CKB Solutions is all about real solutions for the real world.  To learn how we can help your business, contact Greg Kovacic in Hong Kong.

Summary:

• Nokia lost the consumer smartphone market to Apple and Samsung/Android.
• Nokia is targeting Blackberry's business customers in its bid for survival.
• Samsung and Apple are also targeting Blackberry's business customers.
• Nokia is betting on a third software ecosystem for smartphones.  The history of the software market shows this rarely happens in mass markets. 
• When smartphone markets converge, consumers not businesses set the standard.
  

When Smartphone Markets Converge, Consumers Not Businesses Set the Standard

Nokia, once the global leader in mobile phones, missed the smartphone market.  Blackberry finds itself on the ropes after misjudging how smartphones would open cracks in its stronghold with business users.  Building a dominant position in the business market is crucial for both Nokia and BlackBerry as they fight for survival since Apple and Samsung have built dominant positions in the consumer smartphone market.  Unfortunately, Apple and Samsung and are now targeting business users.

In targeting Blackberry's stronghold, Nokia is betting its partnership with corporate-computing giant Microsoft will help it win business users.   Nokia, as the biggest seller of handsets running Windows, is trying to appeal to IT chiefs seeking easy synchronization between smartphones and company computers, which most often use Microsoft’s operating system.

Unfortunately for Nokia and Blackberry, the iPhone and Android have already captured a combined 78% of the business- smartphone market in 2012.  BlackBerry 16%.  Nokia 4%.  The reality is Blackberry missed the impact people choosing their own phones for use at work, and they were choosing Apple and Samsung, would have on its business. 

Classic Case of Disruption: Consumer Smartphones Ultimately Become Smart & Secure Enough for Business Users

Apple and Samsung are not standing still. In January 2012, Samsung, acquired a stake in security software company Fixmo Inc. In February 2013, Samsung introduced its Knox security software, which it teamed up with General Dynamics, a military contractor, to develop to ensure its phones met the strict security standards of government agencies.

As tablet computers become more commonplace, the company which is strong in both tablets and smartphones will have an advantage with business customers.  This favors Apple and Samsung over Nokia and Blackberry.

Third Ecosystems Rarely Exist in Operating Software

Nokia insists there can be a “third ecosystem” in the smartphone business.  Unlikely.  Smartphones are smart because of the software.  In every other software business, especially operating systems, one or two become dominant and everyone else is relegated to a small niche on the sideline.  Think Windows and Apple for computers.  Of the two dominant software systems, one is an open system (e.g. Windows), and the other is proprietary (e.g. Apple).  Symbian, Nokia's own attempt at a smartphone operating system, was unsuccessful for several reasons.  Symbian was late to the party after iOS and Android.  Google gave Android away and Nokia stuck to charging royalties.  The result is iPhones and Android devices together account for about 90% of smartphone sales.  Blackberry 3.2%.

Blackberry Missed Being Disrupted Because it Mis-Defined the Market's Needs

BlackBerry insist the BlackBerry is still the top phone for professionals. And yet in 2012, according to IDC, Android phones and Apple iPhones replaced BlackBerrys as the most-used phones among workers all over the world.  More businesses are buying iPhones for their employees.  Android phones the most popular among workers buying their own phones. Nokia and Blackberry are competing for a far distant third place after Samsung and Apple in both the consumer and business smartphone markets.

Will Blackberry be the Next Iridium?

If Blackberry is not acquired by Nokia, it will likely go the route of Iridium, which was re-built targeting use in environments and locations other phones could not reliably provide service to.  Blackberry may become the dominant niche in corporate and government communications requiring THE ultra-secure network.  But this will be a small market.

Sources:

• "Failing to Beat Apple, Nokia Aims for BlackBerry", Bloomberg, February 27, 2013.
  http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-02-26/failing-to-beat-apple-nokia-aims-for-blackberry.html
• "Samsung Armors Android to Take On BlackBerry", New York Times, February 27, 2013.
  http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/28/technology/samsung-armors-android-to-take-on-blackberry.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0

CKB Solutions is all about real solutions for the real world.  To learn how we can help your business, contact Greg Kovacic in Hong Kong.