Cell Phones Will Centralize Our Lives

04 Oct Cell Phones Will Centralize Our Lives

Our phones continue to transform the way we perform day-to-day tasks. New developments in mobile technology have revolutionized business, shopping, communication, transportation, and what was once manual functionality.

Think of your smartphone as the master remote control to your life. If your spouse is locked out of their car, or your child forgot their house key, you can now unlock those doors with an app from a million miles away! And as more phones are built with near field communication technology (NFC), we’ll be able to  get rid of key rings entirely – unlocking our world with a simple tap of a phone. Imagine what phones will be able to do in 20 years!

Wallets are changing as well; consumers can store all of their credit cards and make payments via NFC-enabled devices. Research firm Juniper predicts NFC transactions will triple to $74 billion by 2015.

Smartphone add-ons like the Square put point-of-sale (POS) systems in the hands of small businesses owners. Square is particularly innovative because it can process credit card transactions anywhere – a crucial necessity for businesses that are on-the-go (food trucks, farmers, artists, to name a few).

Retailer, Urban Outfitters, recently announced they will be replacing all of their cash registers with iPads &  iPod touches. CIO Calvin Hollinger claims the Apple devices cost about 1/5th as much as a cash register and enhance their customer’s shopping experience.

Try not to feel overwhelmed by all of these technological changes (they’re designed to make your life easier) – but be prepared if you’re a business owner. Start by updating any archaic in-store technology. Make sure your business can be found online and has a mobile-friendly website. Connect with your customers through social media, manage your brand’s online reputation, and learn how to utilize the web to market your business in new ways.