Alexa use cases establish voice-controlled applications as the next-generation interface [5 Reading Tips]

Bild: Amazon Video
Source: Amazon Video
Artificial intelligence (AI) and conversational systems are going to be the “next big thing” in 2017. Not only because the renowned research firm Gartner has included both within the most important technology trends of the year, but also because Amazon is making big moves to integrate Alexa in every part of the customer daily life.

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10 years with iPhone – From exception to ubiquity [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com

Exactly 10 years ago today, Steve Jobs gave his keynote at the MacWorld Expo 2007 in which he intended to show Apple’s vision regarding the role the phone was going to play in defining our society. With an expectant audience, Jobs unveiled the core characteristics of a device, that was said to be revolutionary. “An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator. An iPod, a phone, an internet mobile communicator…. these are NOT three separate devices! We are calling it Iphone!”, Steve Jobs described at that time.

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Gartner’s most important strategic tech trends for 2017 [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: Gartner
Quelle: Gartner
A new year is always synonymous with new objectives, strategies, and projects. Since mobile has ceased to be a trend to becoming a natural state for an increasing mass of people and a must for organisations, the main challenges organisations should face in order to lead the race towards innovation during this new year are both to wisely handle the strong emergence of smart digital technologies, and to be able to provide competitive advantages. Having said that, what are the main technology trends for 2017 that no company should miss out according to Gartner?

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(2 vote(s), average: 3.00 out of 5)
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Smartly connecting the dots to succeed in the data era – A look back to the International VDI Congress on IoT

CESIS_Banner_Blog With an increasingly connected world, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become more than a buzzword. High expectations have been raised, but also many questions are coming up. To respond to many of these questions and discuss the real potential of this technology, the first International VDI Congress on IoT took place in Berlin during 13-14 of December.

According to McKinsey, IoT has a potential economic impact of $2.7-6.2 trillion until 2025. Taking this into account, the general feeling that I could perceive during this 2-day congress was a mixture of excitement and scepticism.

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Is the subscription economy here to stay? [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: Screenshot von OTTO Now
Quelle: Screenshot von OTTO Now
More and more people are subscribing to replenishment programs for razors or coffee, to streaming services for music or series, or to co-working spaces. Access over ownership is a demand that drives the consumer behaviour of millennials and younger generations, challenging the status quo. The potential is tremendous beforehand and the first big player that has made a big move was OTTO, with the awaited platform OTTO Now, through which consumers can rent households appliances such as washing machines, e-bikes, or play stations for a minimum period of 3 months. Will it be successful? Time will tell.

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Why do CRM systems matter in e-commerce? [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Source: pexels.com
We are living in the consumer era. Digital consumers are better informed, more demanding, and more impatient. It is a challenge for companies to target, acquire, retain, and understand them. This is why a CRM system has become more necessary than ever. How is the CRM market performing? How does its future look like?
 
According to Gartner’s ‘Market Share Analysis: Customer Relationship Management Software’, the CRM market is in good health and continues its rapid growth, reaching a market value of $26.3B worldwide in 2015, what corresponds with an increase of 12.3% in comparison with 2014.

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Mobile, AI, and AR hit 2017 UX trends

Quelle: pexels.com
Quelle: pexels.com
Amazon have just presented their new business proposition with which they want to revolutionise the shopping experience in the physical world. ‘Amazon Go’ is a new kind of supermarket. There are no cashiers. Nor queues, but a lot of sensors that detect every product that leaves the shelves to fill the customer’s digital shopping cart. Shoppers only need an Amazon account, a smartphone, and the ‘Amazon Go’ app to come inside, pick up what they need, and walk out the door.
 
The shopping experience Amazon offers is as fast, easy, and seamless as it is online. To achieve that, the smartphone is again the integrative element that, together with a great sense of UX, allows the connection between two worlds and between different technologies with the objective of benefiting consumers.
 
Amazon inspire us with their commitment to innovation but also show us the right track: scanning codes, sensors, in-app mobile payments, and (especially) smartphones. The digitalisation of marketing and sales is also driven by mobile. The optimisation of businesses of any kind for mobile is, more than a need, a competitive advantage, and the 2017 UX trends confirm it as well.

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(3 vote(s), average: 5.00 out of 5)
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What do bots have to do with fakeness in Internet? [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: pexels.com
Source: pexels.com

Bots started their activity in Internet in the early years of the World Wide Web and continued their evolution while modern search engines were emerging. Bots have always been there. However, it seems that we are starting to realise their presence, for better or worse, as a result of Donald Trump’s election victory and, in hindsight, the discovery of thousands of fake news that went viral on Facebook, Google, and Twitter, potentially giving Trump unfair advantage.

Behind the circulation of this misinformation are algorithms and bots, which can be configured with good or evil intentions. Spamming, scamming, and ads fraud are consequences of the activity of malign bots. However, bots are also very beneficial. Are bots blessing or curse? How can webmasters, social media, online retailers, and governments fight against this fakeness and misinformation spread?

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How fast is Internet of Things developing? [5 Reading Tips]

Quelle: vege - Fotolia (bearbeitet dotSource]
Source: vege – Fotolia

The wide spread of everyday connected devices, appliances, and gadgets has brought the benefits of the Internet of Things (IoT) into the spotlight. This technology enables consumers and companies to interact with the physical world, and to smartly and efficiently manage the big amount of data generated to improve customer experiences and business processes.

By 2020 there will be 34 billion devices connected to the Internet, what requires the reinforcement of the relations human-machine. Precisely, although IoT is still in its infancy, there are great expectations placed in relation to the implications this technology will have not only in the human-machine duo, but also in our daily lives.

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Updated white paper: Success in mobile commerce – Optimisation and best practices

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Thanks to the wide spread of smartphones and mobile Internet, consumers are more accessible than ever and shopping takes place wherever consumers happen to be. Some facts indicate that mobile commerce is and will be the most important growth driver within e-commerce and that the smartphone is the cornerstone to succeed in an omnichannel world.

The figures are clear: The smartphone revenue is predicted to surpass tablet for the first time during this shopping season, the global mobile traffic grows unstoppably, and conversion rates are also enhanced as a result of the implementation of new customer experience models in which usability and web design, in all its forms, play an important role.

It is a fact that mobile impacts digital commerce and influences in-store purchases. A good mobile strategy can drive traffic and conversation rates. For instance, Zalando , Burberry , and Lensbest are doing very well in this respect. And Adidas has recently shown its commitment to this channel with the launch of its mobile Glitch-App in UK.

Therefore, the question here is not anymore whether or not a mobile commerce strategy is necessary, but how to implement it.

The essential guide to success in mobile commerce

In order to resolve this question properly, our updated white paper “Success in mobile commerce: Optimisation and best practices” aims precisely to give a comprehensive overview of the most important aspects to take into account to design and carry out a promising mobile strategy.

To do so it is primarily necessary to come up with a whole string of decisions and requirements that only an agency is able to manage properly:

  • How often and why do my customers use a smartphone?
  • What do my customers want? Mobile website or app?
  • What are the differences between native, hybrid, or web apps?
  • What determines mobile shop usability?
  • How does responsive web design work?
  • How does a mobile-optimised checkout process work?
  • How can smooth performance be achieved?
  • What are the main challenges of mobile payments?

By using a hands-on and simple approach, these and other relevant questions will be fully explained and answered along the pages of this essential mobile commerce guide.

Better be mobile first

On the basis that 6 out 10 consumers believe that their expectations of mobile experiences are not completely satisfied and that high performance is a must to not lose customers, this white paper gives shop operators ultimate tips for usability and optimisation of all forms of web design to beat the main pain point of mobile commerce: the current low conversion rates.

Furthermore, the most relevant facts and figures provided let readers know how the current state of mobile commerce is. There is also room for looking towards upcoming mobile trends and the challenges of mobile payments, which are being improved to conquer customers’ hearts. If you want to know the formula to win the mobile commerce race, download this whitepaper now for free! The update is currently available in German.

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