With the influx of cheap, but advanced mobile devices and improving connectivity, both wired and wireless, a deluge of information is being generated across many platforms. Each time we update our Facebook or Twitter status or access websites to keep ourselves updated with the latest developments, we contribute in creating new data. The way, this ever increasing information is processed and used and will spin new business opportunities in the future, Bharath Lingam, CEO of [x]cube Labs, Hyderabad said.
While earlier we had to go to a railway station or bus stand to reserve our tickets, the same can be done online now. But with the rise of mobile platforms and applications (apps), people will be able to avail specific services right from their mobiles without ever logging into a website, Mr. Bharath explained.
Be it booking movie tickets, recharging mobile phones, paying utility bills, buying books, movies, music or even groceries or availing of specialised services like monitoring heart rate and taking ECG, dedicated mobile apps are going to change the way we interact with the world.
“Several well-established and respected companies in US went out of business due to their reluctance in adapting to these emerging technologies. Similar will be the condition for Indian companies which fail to brace up to the developments in mobile technologies,” he explained. Thrust of the technological development will be in ‘humanising’ the applications, where they will be made user friendly and programmed to work intuitively, he pointed out. “Gone are the days when using latest gadgets was the preserve of geeks. With advanced gadgets becoming all pervasive, the technology should be simplified in such a way that even a person without technical background should be able to use it,” he observed.
New opportunities
It is in this area of humanisation that beacons beckons the entrepreneurs to create new opportunities. “Education is the best example. With the rise of online classrooms, like those provided by Khan Academy, students who could not get access to quality education earlier can now learn even complex subjects easily. The way these resources are delivered to the public can also prove to be a potential source of opportunities,” he maintained.
While the last decade was defined by the rise of Internet, this decade will be defined by the rise of mobile devices. Developing good mobile apps is the key to tap this potential, he said. “With handsets becoming cheaper, increasing connectivity and great apps, users can avail of services that we could have only hoped for in the past,” he explained.
