As we mark Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee, we look at six of the technologies and trends that have shaped today’s mobile and business communication.
As Queen Elizabeth II celebrates her 70-year reign and retailers gear-up for a bumper Bank Holiday, we look back at some of the key technologies that helped to shape today’s mobile and business communication…
From the earliest smoke signals, drumbeats, and carrier pigeons to the invention of the telephone and the introduction of email and mobile phones— we have been on a constant quest to shape how we communicate and interact with each other.
As we mark Queen Elizabeth II‘s Platinum Jubilee this week, we look at six of the technologies and trends that have shaped today’s mobile and business communication and will continue to have an impact on organisations into the future.
How we communicate & share information
Today’s communication environment is faster, easier, and more efficient than ever. Thanks to SMS notifications, social media, chatbots and WhatsApp for Business, it’s never been easier to proactively manage and track buyer-seller conversations. User analytics can also be used to strengthen brand presence and customer relationships.
Two-way, always on customer communication is helping organisations to personalise automated messaging across multiple channels to boost productivity and reach.
The rise of mobile-first
Smart devices or tablets preloaded with the right communication software can now support everything from sales enablement, content marketing, and customer relations through to back-end processes like shipping and invoicing. And mobile suits customers too. More people than ever are using mobile devices to buy, sell, shop, find local businesses, and share their experiences with friends – as well as with potential customers.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)
AI is completely reshaping our world – from machine learning (where massive amounts of data is processed at speed and made more digestible for people) to security and from workflows to CRM, AI is helping companies to stay competitive. AI is also being used to track consumers and predict their likelihood to purchase by examining search patterns and what is viewed and opened online.
Social media
Social media came onstream in the early noughties and in the past 20 years has completely changed the face of business communication. Originally used as a way of connecting with families and friends, it’s now key to how businesses engage with customers.
Platforms like the WhatsApp Business Platform and Facebook allow for direct communication with customers and for seamless sales without the need for a website, while video-based platforms like Instagram and TikTok can support organic advertising through conversation and influencer recommendations.
Cloud computing
The rate of change is accelerating with cloud technologies providing the foundation for businesses to become more agile, collaborative and customer focused. Communications Platform as a Service (CPaaS) in particular is providing access to communication capabilities (for example, voice, messaging and video) that would have proved too costly for small and medium sized business in the past.
Buyer enablement
The process of buying and selling has become increasingly complicated in today’s hyper-noisy marketplace. Organisations that supply relevant information, across the right channel at precisely the right time while keeping their customer’s needs in mind throughout the buying journey, will be able to position themselves successfully as a credible brand and trusted advisor.
We’ve come a long way since the first computer was invented. Now, we all think nothing of pocket-sized computers or of smartwatches that allow us to make payments with the flick of a wrist. And gone are the days when we had to sit around waiting for letters to arrive or for our phone to ring.
We can now send a message across our choice of platform – and get a response within seconds.
The good news for business is that you don’t have to rebuild from the ground up to benefit from these advances, as software and hardware can be added to existing infrastructure without the need for an army of developers to deploy it successfully.
If you’d like to tap into the additional benefits of a richer and more targeted customer communication experience, talk to one of our expert team today.
Mary Henry
Brand & Communications Manager. Email: [email protected]
