As the year comes to a close, like so many, I wanted to share some of the mobile trends to watch, as well as a few predictions for 2012 – that is if the Mayan calendar doesn’t impact us. (By the way, my first prediction: the world will not end in 2012. I know, a bold statement.)
Many are predicting that 2012 will be the year of mobile. It’s odd that many of the very same folks noted that 2011 would be the year of mobile. There is this tendency to try and find an exact point in time when something tips. And while that’s great for timelines and year-end recaps, it rarely happens that way. Especially in technology and mobile, the space evolves. And while there are periods of acceleration, there is rarely the “year of,” “month of,” or “week of” any technology… unless it is created by your PR department.
So in no particular order, here are some mobile highlights to look at in 2012:
- Tablets
2011 was great for the tablet. But let’s be honest, it was really great for the iPad. Another year passed and we have yet to see a true competitor for the “magical” device bestowed upon us by the late Steve Jobs and the team at Apple. The recent release of the Kindle Fire is the first real competitor for the iPad and the Amazon device will continue to evolve as a strong Android answer to iPad. While it currently stands as an e-reader on steroids, look for Amazon to build it out.
- Windows Phone
It should be a good year for our friends at Microsoft. In addition to Windows 8 rolling out in late 2012, Redmond will see plenty of new Windows Phone offerings. Windows 8 will focus on syncing all desktops (including mobile) and I believe that the Windows Phones will pick up where RIM will sadly be leaving off. By no means will Windows Phone overtake RIM’s market share, but the gap will narrow.
- Bring Your Own Device
Speaking of RIM, as this workhorse of enterprise mobile continues to decline, Android, iOS and even Windows Phone 7 will more readily find a solid foothold in the workplace. Accelerated by the BYOD trend, your IT department will find ways to provide better security for all of these devices, and they will have to, so that the cost savings and convenience can truly be realized for companies and employees.
- Malware!
With the growth of all the “good stuff” will come a spread relative evil. 2011 has seen more and more issues with bugs, viruses and even transparency (Carrier IQ) in the mobile space and it will only multiply in 2012. It’s easy to point to Android as being most vulnerable because of its openness; however, no single platform will be exempt. IT departments will need to stay on top of this issue across all platforms.
- Data Plans
Mobile providers will continue to modify their business models as they transition away from voice related services. Wrangling bandwidth will be a big job moving forward and the big three providers will seek tiered pricing plans and throttling to help keep things moving. Building out their networks will be a priority, but managing what they have will keep everybody up at night. Your accounting department already starts to visibly shake when they think about their phone (mobile and landline) bills. Get ready for some real headaches.
On a side note, I encourage you to keep the aspirin flowing to them and keep scouring those bills. There is plenty of cost savings buried in them.
- 2D Codes and NFC
The QR code, that funky black and white box that many keep saying is “taking off,” will continue to plod along as a way to make it “easy” to jump from the real world to the virtual with the click of a button. Oh, I’m sorry… make that the download of an app-remove device from your pocket-find and launch that app-focus on the code-click the button jump from the real world to the virtual. That’s even if the consumer knows what that black and white box does. Surprise, I’m not a fan yet. However, 2012 will see more understanding of exactly what a QR code is by consumers and increased adoption to some extent. But I think that new technologies are more likely.
Near Field Communication (NFC) stands a better chance by offering a hands-free experience. This is not without its problems, including privacy issues. However, if we can keep our marketing departments focused on opt-in of communication with NFC rather than another outlet for unwanted advertising, I think 2012 will see some great advances in NFC.
2012 will offer us some exciting advancements and moves. There will be mergers and acquisitions, technological advances, security breaches, huge growth for some and loss for others; iOS, Android and the other platforms will continue to offer points of differentiation and growth. But 2012 will also be another indication that our technology will further match our lifestyles by becoming increasingly mobile.