latest smartphones stats

According to emarketer Smartphone Adoption Tips Past 50% in Major Markets Worldwide

More than half of Americans now own a smartphone, according to the latest poll by the Pew Internet and American Life Project.

Nielsen MOBILE MAJORITY: U.S. SMARTPHONE OWNERSHIP TOPS 60%

Canalysis  Smart mobile device shipments exceed 300 million in Q1 2013

comScore Reports April 2013 U.S. Smartphone Subscriber Market Share

Asymco Measuring US Mobile Platform Shares: Kantar vs. comScore
Asymco Measuring Platform Churn

Internet of Things, how it will evolve

A great article on Wired Magazine, May 2013 on the hot topic of the Internet of things, WELCOME TO THE PROGRAMMABLE WORLD.

It starts with an introduction to a vision on what to expect when all these sensors are    around us:

In our houses, cars, and factories, we’re surrounded by tiny, intelligent devices that capture data about how we live and what we do. Now they are beginning to talk to one another. Soon we’ll be able to choreograph them to respond to our needs, solve our problems, even save our lives.

but more importantly, in the article is described the evolution of the Internet of Things from standalone sensors, to sensors that talk to each others (M2M machine to machine, another buzz word),  to platforms that are able to make sense of all these data.

the article states that for the Programmable World to reach its full potential, we need to pass through three stages.

  1. The first is simply the act of getting more devices onto the network, some of which are    listed in the Mobile and Sensors page of this blog.
  2. The second is to make those devices rely on one another, coordinating their actions to carry out simple tasks without any human intervention. (M2M communication)
  3. The third and final stage, once connected things become ubiquitous, is to understand them as a system to be programmed, a bona fide platform that can run software in much the same manner that a computer or smartphone can. (Big Data).

M2M (machine to Machine) communication requires standard protocols for the exchange  of data or information. A couple of emerging standards, AllJoyn, spearheaded by Qualcomm, and MQTT, pushed by Cisco and others.

Big data is another buzz word, but nevertheless a very important topic, used when there are a lot of data and the need to make sense of them. It is a very hot topic and defined as a competitive advantage,  the next frontier for innovation, competition, and productivity by Mckinsey.

And while we have discussed the vision and the technical part, there is the business part to be included. The technology is important, but to have an impact it must be used by people, be useful and generate rewards and profits for the entrepreneurs and companies that purse it.

For companies doing business, the technical part is the easiest of the components  that are needed to become successful. Once you have an innovation, you to need distribution to give it to the hands of the customers. And if you really want to make profits, you need to establish a recognized brand. A brand that stands for what you represent and make customer choose you over the competitors.
This image summarizes these concepts:

 

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