Out at movie theatres or while at home watching television, people like to sit back and see stories unfold on the biggest screen possible; IMAX, 3D, big-screen TV, HD – you name it. When it comes to the interactive computing experience, however, people like to use a device that can fit in their pocket (or on their wrist, even, depending on how the smartwatch trend levels out). People still use laptops and tablets (a few even have desktop PCs), but if your call center software does not enable a premium mobile customer service strategy, your clients may believe that you’re still living in the pre-Y2K era.
Using its worldwide new media market model, International Data Corporation (IDC) believes that the number of mobile users will increase from 174 million in 2011 to 265 million in 2016. Even more, by 2015, there will be more people accessing the Web using a mobile device than a wireless computer.
Some other findings by IDC about the move to mobility include:
· Mobile advertising will rise from $6 billion in 2011 to $28.8 billion in 2016 – more than tripling in growth.
· By 2016, B2C mobile commerce will grow six fold to $223 billion.
· In addition to the expansion of mobility, it’s also predicted that the use of social networks on PCs will decline from 66 percent in 2012 to 52 percent in 2016.
For the average call center, this news can come as something of a shock. While telephony has always been a huge part of call center software, it can feel as though it was just yesterday when desktop computers were becoming the norm. It’s time, though, to take a deep breath and get ready to move: mobility is here to stay.
