Fathers Day. A great time to focus on family. And for those lucky enough to still have dad around – time to determine what gift to give. I know that over the years we gave my dad a full complement of ties, books, and anything with the New York Mets logo. 
My dad has been gone for a few years now and he was not a technology guy. He preferred a typewriter to a PC, and never had a cell phone. My mom on the other hand, recently traded in her flip phone for an iPhone 4 (to go along with her MacBook). I even helped her load the ING Direct banking app yesterday. If my dad were still with us, would he have jumped onto the smart phone bandwagon?
I’ve commented in prior postings about the convergence of consumer and enterprise technologies – specifically around mobility. This is not a new trend, nor do I take credit for identifying it. As I’m in daily conversations with business and IT leaders in major enterprises regarding mobile strategies, I hear the impact on the enterprise technology world. I do believe that following these trends will provide insight regarding employee and consumer expectations for mobility.
Considering what was promoted for Father’s Day 2011, I notice a very interesting and somewhat subtle change. In past years, there was a great amount of focus around purchasing dad a device for Father’s Day. It was all about, “Give dad an iPad, Tablet, Droid, iPhone…. for Father’s Day.” The device was the gift. While the idea of giving dad a device has not disappeared, the vision is expanding.
Many of the gifts I saw this year were focused on what the device can do – NOT the device itself. The focus shifted from the device to the solutions provided by the device. The presence of the device is now expected, so now the goal is to expand the use of the device beyond just phone and Web browsing. It’s a recognition that the device is a mainstream part of many dads’ lives.
This has broad implications for enterprises. Consumers will no longer be excited by the average app. If you’re putting out a consumer app, and it consists of a simple set of pages providing product descriptions and a store finder, don’t expect to have your app garnering five-star ratings from your customers. Those types of capabilities are table stakes in today’s mobile world.
Here are a few of the mobile solutions I came across this past Father’s Day. (And no, I’m not being paid to recommend any of these products.):
- The iGrill is a grill thermometer. Not a new idea – right?. This is described as “the world’s first wireless cooking thermometer for iPod touch, iPhone and iPad via a long-range Bluetooth® (over 200 feet) and App-enabled connection.” And according to their Web site, Android support is coming in Q2 2011 (I guess it’s late – another example of the need for a solid multi-OS strategy, but that’s a topic for another day.) This is another company with ‘i’ as part of their name that recognizes that the world is not just Apple-centric.The solution is really pretty cool – it has two components. The thermometer is Bluetooth-enabled and gets stuck into the meat while it’s cooking, and the app sits on the device. The app also offers recipes, shopping list functions, and various options for timing and tracking the cooking. So the company has taken the simple concept of a meat thermometer and expanded it to a full solution to assist with selecting the menu, shopping and freeing the chef from standing at the grill. I have to imagine that some social networking aspects have to be coming in future releases. (I hope my family is reading this one.)
- The GoPoint GL1 is a gadget that enables your iPhone or iPad to read and decode data coming from your car’s onboard systems – a do-it-yourself approach to auto care. The Web site says: “Touch to decode the Check Engine Light, view your fuel economy, reduce your carbon footprint, and determine if your vehicle is safe.” I’m not an auto mechanic, but this seems like it would make a lot of sense even for me – just to get a read on potential issues before I go to the repair shop. Another example of mobile technologies arming consumers with information they may not have otherwise been able to access.
This is all very exciting. I see it as a further sign that consumer expectations around mobility are maturing and the understanding of what the mobile devices can deliver are expanding. I wonder if my dad was still around, would he have used a smartphone? At least to follow the Mets.
Tags: Android, Apple, B2C, Customer Mobility, Enterprise Mobility, GL1, Human Centered Mobility, iGrill, iPad, iPad apps, iPhone, Matt Torgersen, Mobile Apps, Mobile Gadgets, Pragmatic Mobility
