Posted on February 25, 2015
It has long been said in the mobile industry that end users want service, not technology. But because smartphone connectivity has always been delivered by the cellular network, the separation of service and technology has never really been tested. In 2014, with the arrival of Wi-Fi First, which demonstrated an alternative service model, things began to change. In 2015, as cable operators and internet giants are realizing the benefits they might be able to bring to their core businesses with a wireless connectivity offering, the change is accelerating. These new players don’t see connectivity as restricted to the cellular network, they see it as deliverable across a range of networks; cellular, domestic Wi-Fi, commercial Wi-Fi and amenity Wi-Fi. This model of service provision, rather than being Wi-Fi First, or Mobile First, is Connectivity First. It is a recognition that no single technology in isolation can deliver the optimum connectivity experience to the end user. I believe it is a direct response to the entrenched thinking that technology is more important than service. The reality is that the emergence of a Wi-Fi First movement committed to disruption was actively facilitated by the mobile operator community’s tentative approach to Wi-Fi. By thinking…
Posted on January 17, 2012
One of the bigger stories from last week’s CES was the Ultrabook. Whether or not you agree with the oft-repeated dialog that Ultrabooks are merely Macbook Air copies — and imitation is the sincerest form of flattery – you probably feel it’s a good thing that the PC makers are trying hard to make better products. Although I’m all for sharp design, lower weight, instant on etc, my own personal belief is that the PC world is somewhat missing the point with the current emphasis of the Ultrabook. The big picture isn’t about competing with Macs, it’s about the mass transition to mobile and how that affects the PC industry as a whole. So, what’s my issue? I think that the least important difference between notebooks and today’s mobile devices is weight, design, and instant on. Those are all things that the PC industry should have been working on anyway. Even touch, which isn’t in evidence in the current crop of Ultrabooks but shows up in the roadmap, isn’t such as big of a factor given the rich interface of the PC. No, to me the biggest issue is around connectivity and the constant availability of the network. Think about…
Posted on December 1, 2011
Black Friday has come and gone. As usual, the yearly craziness ensues such as all night shopping sprees, near-riots at retailers, and sadly, the occasional assault for merchandise or in this year’s case, pepper spray attacks. Now, the craziness will only continue as Chanukah and Christmas are upon us. Here at Devicescape we took it upon ourselves to analyze Wi-Fi usage and trends that emerged across our network during this year’s Black Friday frenzy. Since our virtual Wi-Fi network is made up of publically accessible Wi-Fi hotspots found around the world in places such as cafes, department stores, restaurants, hotels and airports to random shops that offer Wi-Fi as an amenity to their customers, we are able to track activity and connections within these available Wi-Fi network environments. What did we find? The obvious insight was that because of our millions of users, connections to in-store Wi-Fi spiked dramatically versus the week before. While the rise in connectivity is interesting, what gets my attention are the stores that offer some type of Wi-Fi service. Stores like Macy’s, Nordstrom’s and Barnes and Nobles bubbled up to the top of our network location list. So is it a surprise that these stores…
Posted on November 30, 2011
The case for data offload onto Wi-Fi becomes clearer to me every day. comScore just released its October statistics from its Video Metrix report and the current findings are astounding. For the month of October, they cite 42.6 billion videos have been viewed which translates to approximately 21 hours on average per viewer. It’s unclear how much data that really is but I think it’s safe to say that it constitutes A LOT. Admittedly, these stats don’t break out what type of device is streaming the content. Therefore, it’s most likely a mix of desktop and mobile devices but in what quantities is uncertain. Even if streaming to mobile i.e. smartphones and tablets is the lesser of the two, we’re still talking large amounts of data being streamed across wireless networks. I can’t say with great certainty that the wireless operators are capable of handling the data presently across their networks without issue or even efficiently. We’ve all experienced problems when streaming content at one point or another, and I’m not just talking about movies or music. When it comes to simple web browsing, who hasn’t experienced lag? But what happens in five years or even ten as data usage…
Posted on November 29, 2011
That sounds like a loaded question doesn’t it. By hearing that question out of context, one would most likely answer yes. Now let me bring it into context. A recent CNN article reported two malls in the US are axing programs that would track and survey shoppers in their venues through their mobile phones. The creators of the technology iterate that personal data like name or phone number aren’t captured. What are tracked though are movements which could be used to analyze shopping patterns and any other qualitative information such as survey answers which can also be collected. Now assuming your data is anonymized, would you still be ok with a retailer tracking and communicating with you? What if through these mobile means, you would be able to receive in-store coupons or incentives? What if the opt-in/opt-out process were more obvious? If the privacy concerns are eased, wouldn’t these incentives add value to the customer shopping experience? The proprietors of this mobile technology, Path Intelligence, compare it to online retail tracking. Online retailers are able to track customer habits, purchases and the overall user experience while still protecting the privacy of their consumers. By this rationale, it seems to make…
Posted on November 23, 2011
The holidays are almost here and Black Friday, a retail phenomenon during the holiday season, signifies the kickoff of retail madness. That day is slowly being overshadowed by Cyber Monday, the following Monday where retailers are encouraging customers to shop online. As stores are trying to find other selling channels and methods to attract customers, mobile commerce is soon becoming relevant to the retail industry. Now where does Wi-Fi fit in all of this? Wi-Fi has already been a common staple in coffee shops and various eating establishments. In fact, whenever one walks into a Starbucks or McDonalds, it’s almost expected to see someone browsing the internet on their laptop, tablet or smartphone. Scanning the 5 million global hotspots in the Devicescape Virtual Network, I can see that’s it’s more than just coffee shops or fast food restaurants. I’m surprised to learn that retailers like Home Depot, Macy’s and Safeway are constantly showing up in the network. So what does this mean? It means that Wi-Fi is more pervasive that we think. It means that it’s not just in your home or at some select store. It means that retailers are giving access to their Wi-Fi network to add customer…
