Convergence in Digital Lifestyle
Brands and service providers should look beyond network access
March 16, 2006
There is a distinct differentiation between multimedia and network service providers in the developing and developed countries. While both blocs continue to have under-served areas within their respective countries, the former keep their sight on rolling out telecommunications infrastructure, and the latter focus on providing solutions to emerging communication needs, which see a rapid change in digital lifestyle.
The business case behind this lifestyle change is the convergence of information and communications technologies. Leading brands in the world, the First World to be exact, have been swift in tapping into this emerging trend, and come out with new gadgetries, applications and lifestyle solutions to excite and humour the digital generation. Some of these big names form strategic alliances to tap into each other’s strengths and dominance in the life of their respective end-users. Novelty, an oft-tried and perishable form of trapping customer loyalty, has been rudely replaced by old paradigms honey-coated with new flavours. Buzzwords: Mobility, Innovation, and Day-to-Day Problem-solving.
For most of us in the productive generation, we are living in a world signified by Blackberry, 3G, blogs and Google search. Our lifestyle has become an undetachable part of the big rat-race. We need information on the tap to make informed decisions in business and in privacy, incessantly. Solving day-to-day problems and myriad challenges, both in the office and at home, is now a lifestyle by itself. So much for digital generation, you may say.
But that’s precisely the business case for the Big Brands and Digital Lifestyle Solutions providers.
Ever thought of having a blogging tool built into your mobile phone? Recently, Sony Ericsson Mobile Communications announced that it is to integrate into Sony Ericsson mobile phones preloaded with the relevant software that features Blogger.com and Google Search, two assets owned by Google Inc.
The rub-off is that subscribers of Blogger.com will soon be able to update their personal blogs from mobile phones. It is a fact that blogging has experienced exponential growth over the last few years – I know this well as I have been blogging religiously for the past three years – and the digital generation, aka information consumers, are decidedly turning to the Internet as a means of receiving and sharing information and images in personal blogs.
Hence, marriage is made in heaven for bloggers and their mobilephones. Built-in camera just made it even sweeter.
Check out Sony Ericsson’s K610 (the 3G model), alongside K800 (3G/GPRS Dual-band) and K790 (EDGE Tri-Band), which come with integrated 3.2-megapixel digital cameras with autofocus, flash and new imaging technology. With Google search functions built-in, these Sony Ericsson models may herald the day when Google search engine is the standard search engine for all Internet phones in the future. Already, Vodafone and Motorola have also announced that their phones will use Google's search tool. That’s besides earlier innovations that has already made a mobile phone a Walkman.
Riding on the roaring success of iPod + iTunes portfolio, the Apple took personal computing a step closer to digital nirvana recently. After introducing the range of personal computers with Intel processors that are much faster than the previous PowerPC G4 processors, the new frontier is in the arena of competitive compact entertainment solutions. With the new Mac Mini, the user can connect it to a TV, complete with other Apple supremacies -- a remote control that commands Gigabit Ethernet, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, DVD burner, enhanced Front Row software with Bonjour file sharing and streaming, and some robust display options for better image and graphics output. Hey, since when had a PC become a powerful entertainment hub with a mid-range pricetag?
On the other hand, the grand nanny of personal computing, Microsoft, is not letting up and it recently joined the ‘Me Too’ bandwagon to announce the Origami Project. As specifications are scarce, we could only rely on media releases to learn about the Origami, which means the art of paper-folding in Japanese. Geek pundits called it a handheld "ultramobile" PC that's also a media player (iPod-wannbe?), a PlayStation Portable (PSP), and a Tablet PC rolled into one.
Call that convergent digital lifestyle? Precisely.
You know this better than me, but let me repeat. The digital trending is pointing to a new world of demographics and psychographics that old paradigms in marketing can hardly survive. Consumers’ wants and needs have been distorted with chaotic bursts in changing tastes and personal preferences. My admiration and respect for Sim Wong Hoo remains intact, but why is it that Creative Technologies’ early leading edge in soundcards and media player markets was only to be displaced by iPod’s dominance?
That’s the same question I want to ask strategic planners in the local mobile network who thought 3G is all about video-calls and watching CNN and Bloomberg on the handset. Think out of the box, guys!