“Get Mobile 2012” was our third conference for DICE. This was held on Tuesday, the 4th of December 2012. This conference was all about the whole mobile marketing spectrum. The topics covered at this conference ranged from mobile app development and mobile payment solutions to mobile medical technologies.
The conference was opened with this video:
Theo Lynn then took to stage with the opening remarks of the conference. “Mobile as a term is just a reference to an eco-system that phones are a part of.” – Kevin Slavin. He talked about mobile apps and how they are becoming very vital to the mobile industy. Mobile is essential to ‘The Internet of Things.’ He explained Cloud computing in DCU. He also outlined Mobile landscape. Mobile market is a big opportunity for Ireland. The mobile market is constantly growing. He showed us this with the example of the ‘in-cloud car’. The car company ‘Mercedes’ are making this car model. In this car you can access social networking sites through the cloud network. I was looking forward to this conference as I have a huge interest in technology and how it is constantly evolving. Mobile is the future.
The first guest speaker was Dominic Muldoon from Púca. Púca is Ireland’s leading mobile marketing specialist. Dominic went through the history of mobile. He informed us that Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone in 1876. 91% of the population has a mobile today and the mobile industry is continuing to grow. In Ireland the mobile penetration is 100% and the smartphone penetration 71%. This shows how Ireland is a big part of the mobile industry. It touches almost everything in our lives these days. People believe that devices will constantly change. This is in fact a very true statement in my eyes. For example, mobile phone to smartphone and in the future mobile to Google glass. Mobile is good for marketing as we live in a multi-channel world. “Mobile is the glue that is holding human experiences together” – Samsung. Social media mobile marketing has become huge. You can access social networking sites on your mobile. Advertising is also growing in the mobile industry; local mobile search is very strong. Dominic then began to talk about SMS. He explained how it is interactive and ubiquitous. There are over 200 SMS sent per month per mobile user. Privacy for SMS is of prime importance. I found this speaker actually quite interesting. I hadn’t heard of the company before and I was almost unaware of the power of SMS. I found it fascinating to see how mobile has evolved. Finally, Dominic gave us tips for mobile marketing:
-Be device ready.
-There is an audience.
-Use simple tools first.
-Integrate with other media.
-Measure/go again.
The next speaker was Eoin Cruise, from Nokia. He was here to talk to us about the new smartphone; the Nokia Lumia. Nokia made a deal with Microsoft to start a new journey. This was a strategic decision from both companies. Nokia decided they had to change their range to smartphones. Microsoft helped them to do with their new software, Windows 8. Within 12 months Nokia have completely changed their smartphone offering. Eoin told us that innovation is everything. He showed us a video on the new Nokia Lumia. It outlined all the features of the new phone. I liked the new camera feature for the new Nokia Lumia; Pureview (new camera technology). This means goodbye to blurry. There is also an augmented reality feature which I found truly fascinating. This means you can rewind your curiosity. I really enjoyed the video for the Nokia Lumia. It was really eye catching and I think it was a good marketing technique to show all us students. It made me want to use the phone straight away and check out it’s new, amazing features.
The next speaker was Patrick Ward from Microsoft. This was a speaker that I had anticipated the most. He was here to talk to us about Windows 8. Windows 8 is the new software on computing devices. It is a personalized experience that contains many apps. There is also the new Windows 8 phone and tablet, which Patrick kindly showed to us all. The Windows 8 phone is the most fundamental redesign of a product. Patrick showed us Windows 8 on his tablet. Patrick’s speech was short and sweet but I think it was very effective. I found Windows 8 extremely interesting. Windows 8, in my opinion, looks amazing. It is a whole new redesign of software on the computer. It enables you to completely personalize your desktop. It has plenty of new apps, including Skydrive. This is similar to Dropbox. I will definitely be purchasing a new laptop/netbook with Windows 8 in the new year.
The next speaker was Louise Phelan from PayPal. She was there to talk to us about Mobile shopping. She showed us some trends and data on mobile shoppers. Online purchasing can be done on tablet, laptop and phone. Nearly 40% of smartphone users have purchased something online. 80% use their smartphones to shop. This is an amazing figure and it shows how much online shopping is growing. PayPal are growing faster than the market. Digital goods are being purchased the most online, with a figure of 46%. Online shopping can be done anywhere on a smartphone. This encourages mobile marketing. Instead of having to go into a shop, people can purchase this online with a few simple steps on their phone. This shows that almost anything can be done on mobile phones nowadays. I find I can sometimes underestimate the power of mobile. However, online shopping on mobile can also be held back for reasons such as:
- Security – “It’s not secure.”
- Convenience – “I prefer to shop in person.”
- Usability – “Screen’s too small.”
Louise informed us that 32% start one device and finish on another, for example, Phone to desktop. Louise then went on to talk about Showrooming. 60% of ‘showroomers’ planned to purchase at the store but changed their minds and bought online. I feel this is a handy strategy. If you are showrooming you will know what the product is like in person and therefore will not have to worry about changes you fear they are not showing online. I think it is also clever as you will not have to go back and attend the store again, you simply just go online and purchase it. Louise told us that payments are vital to capturing mobile shopping opportunity. Payments must be secure, simple and innovative. This is essential to online shoppers as they need security to keep their credit card safe. If the process is simple, more mobile users and more likely to shop online. In the US, In-Person Payments is a device that on phone or tablet that takes payments. I find this device very interesting and I think it should be introduced in Ireland. It would make online shopping a lot more simple and faster. It would encourage online shopping in my opinion. Fewer steps for easier shopping: Check-in – Log-in – Review. Louise also talked about QR codes. These are bar codes found on products that you are able to scan on smartphones. You can scan them on an app on a phone. They bring you to the product’s company online. I think they are excellent. They are quick and very efficient. I think online shopping on mobile can be very convenient. Nobody wants to stand in line anymore. This talk was helpful and influenced more mobile shopping in my eyes.
The panel discussion was up next. Eric Weaver introduced this. There was 5 members of the panel; Joe Drumgoole from FeedHenry; James Howell from Microsoft; Michael Barr from JamPot; Conor Winders from Redwind software; Sylvie McDermott from Paddy Power. Joe talked about Irish mobile market. This was all about connecting and enterprise mobility. Sylvie talked about e-commerce and how big Paddy Power in online. Michael informed us how people want content. Apps and platforms are expanding. The main discussion on the panel was mobile apps. Apps are becoming huge and used on mobiles almost all the time. Every smartphone contains apps. Apps can be used in our every day life. A very good question was asked to each members of the panel: “What is your favourite app?” I enjoyed hearing the different answers and why each member found the app fascinating. I was aware of each of the apps and contain some on my smart phone also.
The last speaker was Johnny Walker, founder and chairman of Global Diagnostics Ltd. Johnny is a fun and interesting character. He used a lot of humour which made his talk more enjoyable. Johnny had an international journey: ‘Dare to Dream’. This was a medical “Mobile” enterpreneurial experience. Johnny was trained in Sydney, Australia. He spoke about his background; the different hospitals he worked in. He wanted use mobile in order to help medical patients. He had a twist of fate: The Visa Saga! This enabled him to travel outside of Australia. His idea was to use mobile ultrasounds. He used a “bit by bit” evolution. Global Diagnostics main advantage was that they were not afraid to embrace technology. They had a motto which was essential to them: “If in doubt, don’t fly out!” Johnny iformed us about the global concept: A vision – A concept. He told us about the Techshop which is also known as a ‘Dream’ shed. You literally go in and design your dream. 3D printing was another topic covered which I found unbelievable. I had never seen or heard of anything like it. I think Johnny is a really inspiring person. He was not afraid to talk risks and do whatever it takes to get what he wanted. He used all his knowledge to think of something brilliant in order to help people. He was not afraid to follow a dream which is very inspirational for young people today. The way he used technology and medicine together is truly fantastic.
In conclusion, I found this conference very interesting. I am truly aware of the power of Mobile and I will implement it in my everyday life.
DICE 