The way we interact with the Internet is changing. At warp speed. We’re transitioning from the days of “going online” using desktop computer to an age of 24/7 interconnectivity, where the INternet is becoming less like a tool you power on. . . and more like an ambient element similar to oxygen (and some would say, just as critical). It’s just there. Sensing you. Assisting you. And now; thanks to innovations like nanosensors, being an actual part of you. The question is. . . where is all of this leading?
Several years ago (or ice ages in Tech Time), accessing the Internet meant leaving the “real world” – sitting down at a desk and “going online.” Going to a place where passwords unlocked the front doors to treasure troves of information and entertainment. Today, the lines between the online and offline worlds are blurring thanks to smartphones and wearable devices – not to mention smart appliances and grocery aisles that send coupons to your smartphone as you walk past products on sale.
The Internet’s plumbing is becoming less relevant with regard to how people connect to it. Now, we simply expect the Internet to be there when we pick up our smartphone or tablet. And we’re annoyed by having to actually search out a hot spot. Sure, this qualifies as a first-world problem, but businesses shouldn’t think of offering Wi-Fi as a perk. Think of it as you do electricity – people expect it, free of charge. Nothing ticks off guests and customers like not having Wi-Fi access (or having to pay for it).
You’re probably well aware of this already. After all, businesses that get this wrong don’t just stub their toe. They slit their own throat.
Syncing With Your Digital Life
The progression towards an “always-on” Internet has led every man, woman, child and grumpy cat to create a robust digital life for themselves – a digital life that’s becoming less and less distinguishable from “real life.” Your smartphone isn’t as much a phone as it is a lifeline to your calendars and contacts. Emails and IMs. News feeds and streaming playlists. Weather forecasts, traffic pattern alerts, restaurant ratings…and so much more.
Naturally, we want to bring all of the content comprising our digital DNA with us wherever we go. And savvy companies are catching on quickly. Every new car, truck or SUV is coming equipped with technologies like Bluetooth, Siri Eyes Free, Apple Car Play or Android Auto – tech that seamlessly syncs with your smartphone and let you bring your digital life along for the ride.
Seamlessly. That’s the key. In the Internet Everywhere Era, typing and tapping commands on your device is, as my sons might say, “so 2014.” Now, technology is allowing your surroundings to respond intelligently to your movements. Think of a hotel suite where the lights come on automatically as you enter a room. And whatever channel you’re watching (or rather, “content” – channel is so 2014) automatically follows you from room to room.
Context Is King
This kind of cognitive computing is already here. An app called Google Now plugs into your email, calendars, preferences, and geodata to proactively send you driving directions that avoid a nearby traffic accident as you’re walking to your car after work. No need to ask your smartphone for directions. No need to tell it where you live. Google Now already knows.
The truth is, virtually everything about you, me – all of us – is being recorded, shared and analyzed. Living off the grid in the age of big data is becoming increasingly difficult to do. The companies that emerge as leaders will be the ones that embrace this reality and reimagine big data as “intimate data.”
Today, there is access to more data – better, more granular and precise data – than ever before. Marketers have the ability to not only distinguish who their most promising prospects are, but to interact with them in more relevant ways at given points in time. Example: The evening forecast calls for rain? Hotels can message their guests about tonight’s specials at the restaurants on-property. (For purposes of this blue-sky discussion, privacy concerns will be put aside. It’s a can of worms we can open in another column.)
The possibilities of customizing your products and services on a more personal level are endless. To get your creative juices flowing, here are a few examples that show how the idea of intimate data is already being used:
Look What’s Talking
You’re just as likely to receive a message from a device or an appliance these days, as you are a Facebook friend. A valet parked your Hyundai? Your car can automatically message you if it moves outside of a predefined area while you’re at dinner. Running low on butter at home? Your refrigerator can send you a message and add it to your smartphone’s shopping list (in some cities, it can automatically place orders with nearby grocery stores, too).
High-end resorts can use this predictive computing approach to create systems that recognize when a guest is at a decision point during his or her day, and offer suggestions based on the guest’s preferences, schedule, time of day, etc.
Nano Intelligence
Clever clothes (i.e., garments with small sensors woven into them) are catching on quickly, and not just with the six-pack abs crowd. A company named Athos has created a line of smart fitness apparel that records muscle activity, heart rate and respiration in real time while you’re working out.
Based on your personal goals, it tells you if you’re working hard enough, training the right muscle groups, and using proper form to achieve optimal results. Movement is translated into meaning, so you can fine-tune your workouts with precision and take steps towards achieving better results.
Face It – You’re A VIP
And then there’s Face First, a technology company headquartered in Los Angeles that has developed advanced facial recognition capable of taking your business to an entirely new level of personalized service. The technology was originally developed for airport security, but has expanded into retail and is already being used in eight countries.
Gaming companies will appreciate the ability to spot con artists and those headlining the black list upon entering their casinos. Using cameras mounted near the entrances, facial recognition software identifies these scalawags and automatically sends a message to security personnel. No need for a cluster of security people staring at computer monitors in some secret back rooms.
Of course, the same technology could be used to recognize high rollers and other VIPs as well. Messages can be sent to valets for personalized greetings. A person’s favorite latte can be waiting for them at the check-in area. Those preferring to travel incognito can be treated accordingly.
Do you have the same song playing in your head right now that I do?
Welcome to the Hotel California.
You can opt-in any time you like,
But you can never leave.
Op/ed column submitted by Ann Nygren, President of Key Consulting Software. KCS is an IT consulting company focused on gaming and hospitality applications ranging from Agilysys (LMS/Stratton Warren/Infogenesis), Infinium (AM, AR, FA, GL, GT, HR, IR, PA, PL, PY, TR), Bally’s (CMS, CMP, ACSC & SDS), and interfaces with Aristocrat, IGT and Micros to Transitioning properties during purchase, sales, or merging of properties. KCS provides IT Departments with assistance in installation & upgrades, customization, interfacing and creation of unique client-specific software. Ann can be reached at ann@kcsoft.com.