Smartphones have been a ubiquitous part of our culture for what seems like forever (okay, maybe it just seems like forever to us Generation Y'ers, but long enough that we can justify saying things like “Do you remember when...?”). Popularity of these smart devices has grown exponentially in the past few years in the general consumer market. In the past smartphones were predominantly used by business professionals who needed access to data while they were traveling. Instead of carrying multiple items, like a cell phone, a wireless networking card and a laptop, to organize their life, professionals could use one device to stay connected to the office.
Now consumers have started to demand more out of these devices, showing their need to stay connected to people and information in their lives. Smartphones do a great job of satisfying those needs and once people make the leap from cell phone to smartphone (whether it be iPhone, BlackBerry, WinMo, or the new Android devices) they don't go back. Personally, I have found that having a smartphone simplifies and streamlines my life, but my devices haven't always organized information in the most convenient way. Now we're seeing that integration and organization in mobile software applications and also on the OS level with the Android and Windows Phone 7. The new trend is towards data-driven navigation that integrates multiple data sources and seamlessly organizes information.
For example, instead of having multiple email and social networking accounts linked individually to your phone, ALL of your messages are organized in one location. This can include device specific messages (i.e. BlackBerry Messages), SMS, MMS, various email accounts, instant messengers, Facebook alerts and messages, Twitter @mentions and direct messages, and much more (depending on your device and applications you have installed). Smartphone developers have seen this trend of convenience in the market and have been working it into all of the newest designs.
In the past, consumers were happy enough having a device that could do a bunch of basic stuff, like connect to email and organize contacts. But now people want to have everything and do everything, all at the same time and all at a fast speed. They don’t want to log in and out of many different applications in order to run others. They don't want to manage multiple email inboxes. They don't want to have to read an email from a friend in one location and their recent twitter update in another. They DO want simplicity, which in the case of mobile software comes in the form of integration.
What’s the easiest way for an application to meet consumer demand? Well, most application-specific mobile apps aren’t advanced enough to properly integrate and organize data - but a few can. The most successful and beneficial apps allow you access to update and read social media as part of an intuitive workflow. For example, with well-built mobile software for conferences, not only can you see event, speaker and exhibitor information, but with integrated feeds to Twitter you can live tweet and follow pertinent conversations involving attendees, all without exiting the conference app. Be on the look out for integrated applications like this - it’s what the consumer want so the industry is going to provide it.
Right now, Pyxis Mobile provides integrated applications of all kinds. For example, in our UpperClass application, we provide Facebook integration so that students can update their status without having to exit out and then open another software application. Think about this, you’re a student registering for classes via UpperClass and you want to let your friends know what you’re taking for classes or ask them what they’re taking. Without leaving the application you can post to Facebook and immediately skip to the next item you're working on. There is no interruption of work-flow.
Another great example of social media integration is Pyxis Mobile's latest App from Scratch V winners who built a Boston Marathon Tracker Application. In addition to Facebook and Twitter, it even integrates Foursquare so that supporters can monitor their friends and family members who are running the race, track their positions and times, and send messages or alerts through all the social networking sites. How cool is that!!?
Where do you think the industry is going? What do you think the next move is going to be? Are you and your applications ready for integration?
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