5 Ways Mobile is Driving the Next Wave of Technological Innovation

For the last 36 years, mobile has taken the world by storm. As the epicenter for modern communication, mobile has created a new standard for communication, whether it’s person-to-person or person-to-application. Mobile has truly ushered in a new era where everyone expects a highly contextualized and personal experience that grants access to instantaneous information.

In order to keep up with these consumer expectations, mobile has become the primary incubator for emerging technologies and the de facto, device agnostic operating system to manage all aspects of communication. As the power of mobile continues to bring emerging technology to consumers, its ability to integrate the Internet of Things (IoT), Augmented and Virtual Reality (AR and VR), Blockchain, 5G and Artificial Intelligence (AI), will push society into the next generation of connectivity and communication.

1. Industry 4.0: The Confluence of IoT and Mobile

Industry 4.0 is underway, causing the supply and delivery chain to go through an unparalleled evolution. As a term that references the fourth phase of industrial innovation, Industry 4.0 has created an increased level of automation in the manufacturing industry. From changes with how goods are ordered and distributed to the growth of autonomous decision-making, the state of the logistics industry is changing drastically.

The key to staying competitive in this new era of innovation is the confluence of IoT and mobile. With IoT’s ability to combine data generation with connected devices, manufacturers can mine through more data than ever before. By combining that data generation with mobile’s ability to provide networks, mobile and IoT will enable increased visibility within the manufacturing market. For example, connected devices utilizing mobile’s network capability will allow facility managers to not only communicate with their employees, but also with machines. From automatic machine monitoring that alerts when equipment needs maintenance to the ability to track the status of a machine’s core infrastructure, such as buildings and bridges, within a project, mobile gives managers all the information they need at their fingertips.

In an era where manufacturing continues to undergo massive digital transformation, mobile allows manufacturers to rethink how they operate. Creating a system where managers and employees can access information with ease will allow mobile to work with factories to harness the power of emerging technology to increase efficiency and productivity.

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2. Growth of AR, VR and Other Forms of Richer Immersive Apps

Many businesses are turning away from a traditional workplace and operating model, embracing the nature of remote workers. As a result, they need more advanced mobile communication solutions to effectively connect with both employees and other stakeholders. Most forms of digital communication do not allow for verbal, facial or body language cues, but advancements in AR and VR technologies will change that, allowing people to have richer experiences communicating with mobile devices.

Mobile messaging apps that integrate AR and VR into the messaging experience will allow both enterprises and consumers to enjoy a more engaging, contextual form of communication that was once not at all possible with digital communications. Advancements in Augmented Reality have the potential to help enterprises provide remote employees with more contextual communication methods that will make it seem like they’re working side-by-side with colleagues in other locations.

Similarly, virtual reality has the potential to make mundane daily tasks a rich, fully immersive experience. Already compatible with a mobile device, affordable VR headsets are making the technology more accessible. In the near future, enterprises may embrace virtual reality in day-to-day communication. For example, instead of sitting around a table in a conference room, business leaders and associates will potentially take meetings, sales calls or give client presentations by putting on a headset and engaging from their remote workspace.

Integrating mixed realities with mobile devices will ultimately enhance business communication, bringing a richer collaboration and communication experience.

3. Digital Trust Fueled by Mobile – Security, Encryption, Regulations, Blockchain

As the world becomes more mobile-dependent, businesses are coming to the realization that digital trust is key to a successful enterprise. According to The Global State of Online Trust, digital trust leads to businesses seeing a 53 percent increase in customer spending. With connectivity playing a role in daily business operations and data breaches now a regular occurrence, innovation in mobile security is just as important as it is in an enterprise’s products or services.

In this mobile-centric world, engineers are being pushed to create new methods of security and encryption to lock down mobile-enabled technologies and instill digital trust. Encryption is the first step in creating a safe and secure environment for both consumers and businesses, especially when dealing in heavily regulated industries such as finance, medicine and law. For example, in order for medical professionals to share sensitive patient information while on the go, mobile messaging apps must be in compliance with HIPAA communication regulations, so medical information is not as subject to data breach. While not required by every industry, end-to-end encryption within mobile messaging is essential for any business that wants to add an extra layer of protection to sensitive information.

To take digital trust a step further, many businesses are also leveraging blockchain, as its decentralization provides a higher standard of security. Blockchain eliminates a point of failure in an enterprise’s technological infrastructure, making it more difficult for hackers to infiltrate the system. With IoT, everything from home devices to smart cities can be controlled by mobile devices. Using blockchain as an extra level of security for IoT ensures that the technology devices we now rely on both for business and everyday life are secure from hackers. Blockchain’s decentralized network can protect everything from sensors in the buildings located in smart cities to an office’s smart printer that automatically orders new ink from Amazon.

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4. 5G – the Future of Hyper-Connectivity

There’s a big reason why companies like AT&T and Verizon are racing to be the first to create 5G mobility. With speeds up to 10 times faster than previous networks and the ability to handle higher amounts of data, 5G is just beginning to shape a new era of mobile.

As a service that will improve network capacity, with GSMA predicting that it will be used by 1.2 billion individuals by 2025 worldwide, 5G will impact new aspects of consumers; daily lives. From the way entertainment is consumed to influencing how businesses interact with their employees, 5G will create a richer and more comprehensive communication experience.

The reason 5G will finally accomplish a more contextualized experience is its ability to combine AI and IoT. With an ability to scale IoT, 5G will help expand the number of connected devices. These devices will capture a variety of data, from how a street light functions to when an HVAC system needs repairing. In turn, artificial intelligence can use that data to improve how connected devices bring value to consumers.

As the number of connected devices expands, the network capacity of 5G will create dedicated networks that allow connected devices with similar infrastructures to utilize the same data. Increasing the amount of data connected devices have access to will allow them to provide optimized solutions for different markets, creating a more intelligently connected world of individuals and devices.

5. Embracing the Future of Intelligent Systems

As 5G continues to come to fruition, Artificial Intelligence is expanding in its capabilities. Mobile has trained users to expect an advanced personalized experience, which is in turn pushing forward AI’s ability to collect, store and process more data in real-time, so it can offer consumers a new type of personalization.

As an example, AI allows mobile app developers to mine through numerous amounts of unstructured data. With this information, they can gain a deeper understanding of how the app is used and a user’s responsiveness to the latest updates. Through this information, developers can determine what future features consumers want and require in order to continue re-engaging with the app.

Pattern recognition allows apps and notifications to be extremely personalized to each consumer. No longer will users receive updates on irrelevant information. With AI, restaurants will have the ability to personalize the user experience to recommend food options based on previous data and navigation apps will be able to recommend a location and route when a mobile device is hooked up to an individual’s car. With the influence AI has already made in industries such as healthcare, manufacturing and finance, it isn’t shocking that mobile will enable AI’s influence on customer’s experiences even further.

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