Since this is the last column of the year I thought it would be fun to go back and take a look at the predictions I made back in January just to see how I did.
My first prediction had to do with location-based services. Who out there is the mayor of one or more of your favorite locations? Applications like Foursquare and social networking sites like Facebook allow you to “check in” at a location such as an office, coffee shop or pretty much anywhere. Check in often enough and you are rewarded with badges, mythical mayorships and possibly even coupons. You can find friends nearby and vice versa. This is very popular with folks under 40, and becoming more so with those of us north of 40. The industry of mobile marketing is burgeoning.
This location-based tech has gotten some bad publicity. There have been concerns that manufacturers of devices such as Apple, not to mention most — if not all — mobile carriers have been collecting your location information, then using it and/or selling it for various purposes. Folks concerned with privacy can supposedly turn off location services, but mobile carriers are required to be able to locate a 911 caller within a fairly narrow distance. We really don’t know what is being tracked.
In the coming year I believe we’re going to see more ingenious applications making use of the location data you choose to share. Likewise, I have a feeling there will be a great deal of discussion surrounding the issue of how your location information is shared and used.
I predicted your phone would become a dynamic form of currency and identification. Well, I missed on this one. So far. But I still believe we’re going to see more apps like Chase’s iPhone Mobile app. This app allows users to make deposits by simply photographing checks. It also allows you pay friends for your share of lunch (or whatever) with just a few taps. The ID options aren’t as forthcoming. Whether this is due to privacy concerns, technology issues or a combination of the two, it just isn’t happening. I still think we’re going to see some exciting innovations in the coming year when it comes to using your cellphone as some form of ID.
Free WiFi will be ubiquitous. I’m sticking by this one. More and more places are offering WiFi for their clients. Consumer-grade routers are even including an option for a separate wireless network for guests. This makes it easy for just about any business to allow patrons to access the Internet without compromising security.
I suggested that data plans for mobile devices will become a commodity. While that hasn’t truly come to pass, it seems most carriers are offering some kind of wireless hotspot option with their smartphones. Some even offer stand-alone wireless hotspots that can accommodate up to five devices. That’s handy for impromptu meetings or keeping the kids occupied while on a road trip. Still, most data plans are a bit pricey and somewhat limited in how much you can use before paying for overages or having your data rate reduced.
I’m happy to say I missed the boat when I said we would probably see higher cable prices and challenges accessing content from networks. I’m seeing more networks like SyFy and TBS (to name just two) offer apps that allow users to access shows, schedules and exclusive content from computers and mobile devices. Even folks without smartphones can easily visit a network’s Web site to play recently aired episodes and more.
The biggest thing I’ve learned from my attempt to guess the future is that more often than not the future will be full of amazing surprises. Even when you think the deck is stacked in your favor, there’s a pretty good chance a joker is going to pop out when you least expect it. For 2012, I plan to stay away from speculation. Most of the time, anyway. Instead, I’d like to focus on what you are interested in.
I invite you to drop me a line at focus@byteslaves.com and let me know what aspect of business and technology you’d like to read more about. You can also follow me on Facebook at facebook.com/ByteSlavesComputing for a more interactive experience.
Happy new year!
Sven Mogelgaard is president and CEO of Byte Slaves Inc. Contact him at 425-482-9529 or 877-972-7767 or go to www.byteslaves.com. To get more information on this topic or join in the discussion, please visit his blog (svensbiztalk.blogspot.com) or follow him on Facebook (facebook.com/byteslavescomputing).
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