From Tablets to Ultrabooks, To TVs and Phones, Innovation in Convergence and Connectivity at CES Hints To Cultural Shift
by Michael Dowd ~ February 21st, 2012 |
Amidst the countless tablets, Ultrabooks, and televisions debuted last month at CES 2012, there were hints that an important cultural shift is finally beginning to happen – something that will benefit consumers, marketers, and manufacturers all at once. This shift toward “unification” is a combination of software convergence and device connectivity, and it promises to make the technological world a much simpler place.
Tablets continue to diverge into a ridiculous array of designs – larger than a laptop, smaller than a smartphone, waterproof, equipped with handlebars, etc. But soon the delineation between laptop, Ultrabook, tablet, and smartphone will be completely obsolete. While there is room for multiple winners in this revolution, the industry may want to accept – once again – that Apple did it correctly right out of the gate.
The most prevalent symbol of convergence and connectivity at CES was the iPad. While the device itself is nothing new (by CES standards), its impact across the show floor was unparalleled. Entire companies have emerged based upon the power of the iPad. They use them to measure home energy consumption, to operate companion robots for the elderly, and to drive skateboards. They use them instead of proprietary software because the iOS platform is established and easy to develop for, and benefits from continuous third-party support through Apple. In a word, it is stable.
This single-platform system works well for startups. They often have good ideas, but lack the resources necessary to develop new hardware or software. However, convergence becomes significantly more difficult when dealing with companies that are not accustomed to sharing technology. These companies often do more to hinder the simplification of technology than to facilitate it. The television industry is a prime example of this problem.
Televisions dominated the CES buzz, where every major manufacturer presented a large-screen OLED or 4K resolution model. All were visually impressive, but none are ready for the consumer market – at least not for the typical consumer. As televisions get more and more sophisticated, there are increasing demands on the consumer to take advantage of new innovations. The truth is that Smart TV technology is outpacing consumer adoption by a large margin. These “Outsmart” TVs are loaded with features that neither consumers nor marketers can get their heads around. This is largely a software issue. Every major manufacturer has its own interface design, and often times this design isn’t even consistent between models. This creates a barrier to entry for marketers, application designers, and consumers. While Smart TVs are now equipped with some unique peripheral functionality (such as motion control), adoption will not be widespread until the experience is seamless to consumers. As such, advertisers should avoid creating anything too gimmicky or esoteric and focus their future efforts on applications that have greater continuity across devices.
Enter Microsoft and Google. The most significant software advancement shown at CES was the working interface for Microsoft Windows 8. Whether you love tiles or hate them, Windows 8 is going to change the way users interact with their computers. By porting over the “Metro” design, which Microsoft popularized with Windows Phone 7, Microsoft is aiming to create a consistent user experience across all of its devices. Microsoft accelerated this process this past December, with the release of the new UI for their Xbox 360. Users noticed two conspicuous changes to the interface: 1) video games now take up a tiny amount of real estate on this “video game” console, and 2) advertisements now occupy most of the available real estate. While most of this advertising content is currently related to Microsoft (On Demand video, Windows Phone promotions), the potential is great. Similar advertising opportunities will be available within Windows 8 applications, allowing advertisers and developers to maintain a consistent look and feel across smartphones, computers, and gaming consoles.
Historically, Microsoft has struggled to compete in the smartphone market, which has limited the distribution of their OS on mobile devices. However, the best new phone at CES – the Nokia Lumia 900 – was built on a Windows Phone OS. In addition to a sleek design and brilliant Super AMOLED screen, the Windows software runs brilliantly, with a responsiveness that rivals that of iOS devices. The release of the Lumia 900 should mark the beginning of mainstream success for the Windows Phone OS, which will advance Microsoft in their efforts to connect their services across all screens.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, Google Android is already well-established in both the tablet and smartphone markets, but is looking to simplify their OS distribution. The recent release of Android 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich) now unifies the OS across multiple devices, including tablets and Smartphones. The surprisingly-relevant Lenovo booth presented their K91 Ice Cream Sandwich-powered television at CES, which shows the potential for OS unification across all screens.
Ultimately, we can expect several companies, from Microsoft to Google to Apple to Sony, to vie for this omni-screen experience. Marketers should take note and focus their efforts on developing applications for those platforms which will gain maximum adoption from both a technology perspective and a consumer perspective. It’s still too early to declare any company the frontrunner in this vision, but their progress toward unification will no doubt be the headlining story of CES 2013.
