Mobile World Congress - a conclusion to a week in history
What a show, five days and 80k delegates. Judging by the business cards and notes I have collected it would seem I met most of them.
The coverage of new handsets such as Samsung’s S5 launched at MWC show that the industry is continuing to develop new features and applications for handsets. It’s clear that the focus is on usability and connecting everyone through mobile.
Wearable devices may be the mobile extension that receives the most attention over the coming months, exciting our imaginations and measuring everything from position to personal health.
But it’s not all about the future. The Connected House exhibition at MWC highlighted the capabilities that our mobile device already offer today.
Parents can now act as domestic NSA or GCHQ enforcers – imagine being notified by a push notification to your handset that despite being put to bed at a respectable time, little Timmy is in fact on his iPad watching YouTube. Imagine being told you've left the fridge door open (again)! OMG the Cava isn't at the optimum temperature.
As we become more reliant on our devices to keep us informed, we can look forward to a more organized life. Such benefits will, in turn, addresses some of the concerns that came up during Q&A sessions with regards to privacy.
As consumers continue to share details freely, there will be continued assessment of the uses of is data. It's important for brands and advertisers to communicate in a relevant form. There is a fine line between timely promotion and the Minority Report experience and the winners will be those who demonstrate best practice in creating a dialogue between brand and consumer.
I am already planning next year’s event. Curating MWC for clients gave me a different perspective, it made me proud to be part of this industry.
Having spent more than a decade in the mobile business, I have seen it develop and mature, I look forward to discovering what else it can offer and find new ways to enhance what we already have.
Ben Phillips is global head of mobile at MediaCom