Megatrends is a phrase made popular in the 1980s by John Nesbit and emphasized that you needed to understand the 10 major trends changing the business world so your business strategy was prepared for them. In the 21st century it’s a little more complex because EVERYONE is aware of the importance of mobile technology, but the idea of analyzing the major directions it’s going can be a valuable exercise for everyone from business managers to non-profits to clubs and organizations.
Megatrend #1: SmartPhones replace cell phone by 2014
Greater than 50% of all cellphone sales are already smart phones in 2012…Gartner and many others have indicated that by 2014 50% of the installed base of phones will be smart phones. While there are a lot of ramifications to this, the main one is that the “mobile web” is here now. Most users access the web from their phone as much as from their computer, but unlike computer usage, mobile usage is very task-directed and ripe for new products and services that haven’t been possible on computers.
Megatrend #2: Location Detection creating new types of applications
Many people have seen some of the new mobile applications like Bump or FourSquare that have allowed entirely new types of interaction by being location-aware…but there are thousands of these to come as location technology begins to invade individual verticals.
Megatrend #3: Augmented Reality
Coming Soon…
Megatrend #4: Voice-based applications
Coming Soon…
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