Mobile: Today's Global Platform

Mobile is now shaping the lifestyle of more than 2 billion people in the world. This is not just for millenials. Nor is it just for travel or business. The world becoming mobile, you are either on the bus or under it!

Smart Phone Use

Mobile is today's business platform. It is the greatest productivity enhancer since computer applications to technology began in the 1970s. Companies that will still be here in 5 years are hiring the skills necessary to put their business services on a mobile platform.

Did you know that many people who were marginal internet users are now Facebook freaks? My 60 year old sister has a very active Facebook page maintained by her children. Another sister uses the Facebook quite comfortably but her son also has her password to do things she is still learning.

So now the younger generation think of Facebook as the domain for older folks. And what do young people prefer? Texting is their major choice of sending messages and pictures. They find there is more privacy in this than the social media.

The feeling of connectedness is an epiphany for many and is building a general comfort with 24/7 access and contactability. The social networks have captivated many who were non-PC users and the expectations for everyone in the connected world are changing...fast.

Now, the smart phones are doing more and more PC functions and there are millions of people who do not use a computer but are cell phone addicts and are step by step being skill-upgraded to comfortable computer use as their cell gives them social reasons to learn.

This is why smart phones that only ask you to push a button for the apps you use will become more popular while those that make you go back and change settings will be as popular as recycled bathroom tissue.

Employees have new options opened in how to be more creative in designing their work life to suit their own personal preferences and with the latest technology, employers are more open to allowing these.

Not only have these employees shown greater productivity and effectiveness, they seem to become more creative and begin to add to the brain "horsepower" of their company.

For those working on their own, the mobile platform just makes small business easier and better. Now, we do not have to be tied down to the job in great fixed blocks. We can enjoy life as well and in some ways go back to a pre-industrial time when work, learning and leisure were all twined together into what would be a well integrated life.

My sister and her husband can now enjoy traveling together. As small business owner/managers, they always had to take holidays at different times and plan their work hours so one was always "available". Now, they can enjoy themselves as they can be in constant touch. But you know what? Most of the time, the staff can deal with most of the problems and take pride in "taking over" when the boss is away.

Average employees are now part of the brain horsepower of the business because of the ability to be in instant access if help is needed.

I know of people who are managing their businesses while having a snorkel or dive in the Maldives. Others don't even have a physical base. Their real estate is online and you can always find them, leave them messages, chat or call. In fact, they have a presence 24/7.

No longer are we to lug all those various mobile tech gadgets we need to have. One gadget is now able to do more tasks. By having a smart phone, you can call on skype anywhere for free or less, take pictures or videos, post these immediately, access your emails, listen to your favourite music and change your social media status. That is the good news. More and more, one gadget will be able to do many tasks for us.

We have not used a desktop for many years now. My sister no longer even use a laptop. Everything she needs is done by her Smartphone. With new apps coming to the market now, we can access the latest information on almost anything. With cloud computing, we can share files, store files in the cloud, have our pictures and videos hosted and more apps are coming.

Mobile Platform

Or how about the amazing use of Twitter to let clients know when your service is in the neighbourhood and where you'll be. Cupcakes!

How can you advantage yourself or your business with this exponentially growing mobile technology? Are you on board the mobile business platform? Has your enterprise adopted wireless technologies to enhance converged communication in your network? Companies are now struggling to make sure they are found and seen when people go mobile.

Smart phones keep upping the ante. Unless your site is smart phone friendly, you are losing as more and more people just use their mobile devices for most of their online surf.

Constantly, they are on these to get direction to a store, to pay for products or services, to do their banking, to compare prices while shopping for similar products.

Forget about blogs. People are on G+, Facebook, Line, WeChat or Twitter or any other social media. These social media are now moving users to do blogs right on their site. With most people just frequenting social networking sites, this is the move to follow.

What about your money transactions? Has your business gone mobile yet? Looks like mobile finance is hot. Now, just waving your phone to pay has become standard currency.

I know that an application developer relation has been very busy preparing banks and airlines to get ready. And in some of these apps African countries are way ahead of the Northern world.

And it looks like this is the latest clincher in the mobile development. The wearable mobile.

And remember, what social media sites are doing now is just the beginning. And just recently, other social media apps are getting closer to overtake Facebook. Are you in Snapchat or Instagram?

These social media are getting closer to home. Pictures of your neighborhood restaurant visits get uploaded and people see what places you use in your area. Instant interaction takes place right there and then. Some restaurants hate this, some see these as ads. Voila, more coming.

If you are not yet on board this skyrocketing mobile platform trend, get on now. You're either on the bus or under it.