James Blog

Facebook now 19th Most Valuable brand Worldwide

    With the much publicized float of Facebook, and the creation of many millionaires and a few Billionaires overnight, Facebook has lifted its ranking to 19th most valuable brand world wide.

Apple, IBM and Google are the top 3 most valuable brands and technology companies have once again dominated the rankings this year.

Reports indicate Apple is the number one brand this year, up 19% from last year and worth nearly $183 Billion. IBM grew 15% to outrank Google for 2nd spot, still worth $107.8 Billion.

What does all of this mean to the humble amongst us? Clearly, it shows the value of technology on a world wide basis, but also the value to small businesses who embrace the use of technology and sale of technology products. Apple is so dominant due to the huge success of the iPhone and iPad, so selling accessories for these brands makes sense.

Getting your business on Facebook also makes sense. The value of these brands does not just happen by accident, but rather due to consumer uptake. If your customers are using these brands, you should be too.

Nokia and Windows will Push Hard

    Who would of thought just a few short years ago that we would see such an explosion of personal devices designed to keep us in touch with our friends, play games, check the weather, search for a cafe, shop for clothes, read a magazine, or  even order a Pizza?

    Windows is a bit of a late starter in the Smart Phone scene, but from all reports are determined to make their presence felt in a big way around the world. Partnering with Nokia, one of the true giants in mobile phones, we will see a range of Windows based handsets in Australia targeting the business user, and the social network scene. Evidence of this is the introduction of the new Pizza Hut "App" designed to make Pizza ordering a breeze. Complete with the ability to save Pizza preferences and one touch saved ordering, you can specify a delivery time, and in a future version will also be able to watch the count down to delivery.

    I hear you say, "how ridiculous" but have you ever been sitting at home on a Friday night and decide Pizza would be a good idea? Then the ensuing arguments about who will call the order through, who is having what Pizza, do we want garlic bread? Selecting your Pizza on an "App" all of a sudden seems like a good idea. No awkward conversations with some Pizza delivery boy that really hates answering the phone, no need to scribble out the order on a scrap of paper, and best of all, no arguments about who calls the order through. With the prolific use of smart phones today, everyone is ready to order Pizza !

Make mine a large Pepperoni with mushrooms.

iPhone 5 Rumours Ramping Up

    There are more rumours doing the rounds again about the imminent release of the iPhone 5. At least that is what we all think it may be called, but given Apple's latest label for the iPad 3, actually referring to it as "The New iPad" it is a little more difficult to know what they might name the new iPhone.

    The latest talk is around Apple placing substantial orders for 4" displays with their suppliers of screens. Naturally this indicates the new iPhone will offer a larger 4" display, up from the 3.5" used since the iPhone was first introduced back in 2007.

    Given end users are using their mobile phones for more than making calls and SMS, and are taking advantage of the "Apps" available for social media and games, watching videos and photography with the higher specced cameras included in todays smart phones.... it only seems right that the next iPhone boasts a larger display. Especially to stay current with the latest crop of large screen displays from manufacturers such as Samsung, HTC, Sony and even the chinese brands

    Who knows? The iPhone may even sport a Retina display like the new iPad, to help Apple push their Smart Phone ahead of the pack again. This could well be a smart ploy by Apple, given that Samsung Smart Phones now outsell the Apple iPhone.

    Whatever Apple does with the new iPhone, we can be sure this next device will be the step up Apple fans have been waiting for, after being some-what disappointed with the minor upgrades of the iPhone 4S.

    Maybe the iPhone 4 will move to Pre-paid as well with the release of a new iPhone later this year. Although I am sure the price will be high for Pre-Paid, there is a market out there willing to pay a premium for Apple products.

Time will tell.      Are you an Apple fan? Do you have an iPhone?

Where to with Mobile Networks?

    Where are we headed in Australia with the Mobile Networks?

    We have all heard the hype around 4G, but what does this really mean to the consumer?

    4G is the buzzword terminology being used in the market, but strictly speaking this is not what is on offer. In actual fact, the correct name for our "4G" network is LTE (Long Term Evolution) but I feel it is OK to call it 4G (and simpler) because this is the 4th generation of mobile service being offered in Australia and around the world today.

    We started with an analogue Mobile network, which was the first introduction to Cell Networks where Mobile phones could roam between towers around the country. Then the introduction of Digital Mobile, known as the 2nd generation of Mobile communications. Following 2G, we saw improvements in data handling, leading to some networks naming the service 2.5G, and of course we now have 3G and even 3.5G offering fast data speeds and generally a better mobile experience. With the introduction of 3G came the widespread use of Mobile Broadband. This is still the fastest growing sector for 3G services but is now being challenged by huge take up of the "Smart Phone"... thanks to the iPhone and Samsung Galaxy products, and also the less expensive Prepaid Smart Phones now available in the market.

    What do all these improvements mean to us? A faster data connection and a stronger signal basically. Optus have been testing LTE in regional NSW and Victoria, recording download speeds of 70Mbps. That's about 20 times faster than the typical broadband speed at home over the existing wired network. This means faster web browsing, quicker song and movie downloads and seamless streaming of content to our mobile devices.

    What does this mean to retailers like you? It means more sales ! Consumers will want to upgrade their handsets and Broadband devices to take advantage of the faster speeds on offer using 4G (LTE) services. So, mobile products will continue to become a larger part of you business as Australians embrace technology, usually faster than the rest of the world, wanting the latest and best.

    Keep watching, because this industry is not standing still.