By Anton Le Saux, Head of Connectivity and Partner Sales at O2 Telefónica UK: We attended this year's Mobile World Congress at the beginning of March. It reminded us again about the influence and growth of new technology and the transformative power of the Internet of Things and m2m.
Did you know there will be over 50 billion connected devices by 2020? Even more by some predictions. These m2m solutions are already creating 9.5 trillion bytes of data every day. That means more and more opportunities for businesses to keep control of their assets and provide added value to their customers in a myriad of ways.
Some of the leading tech players brought their newest devices to the event in Barcelona. Many will assist m2m solutions for businesses, keeping 'things' connected and contributing to the growth of the IoT. And even more devices will keep business itself connected with consumers, including wearables. It's clearer than ever that the business landscape is in the middle of a massive transformation, with the two strands of tech combining into a truly mobile workforce, with access to greater insight than ever before, greater control and the ability to offer ever better experiences to their customers, who are researching, shopping and engaging with brands globally, 24/7/365.
As some brands adopt these new technologies early they will raise the bar for the rest. Consumers quickly expect a higher level of service and brand engagement, and woe betide those who fall behind the curve. It's going to be interesting to watch this year which brands get there first and which lag behind. It's often in these periods that new front runners appear and the market sees a shift towards smaller, more agile businesses.
For more information emailanton.lesaux@telefonica.com or visit partnersdigital.telefonica.com