Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences: Boost Revenues with Better Service

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A hospital empowers patients and families with a Cisco location-based Wi-Fi solution.

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Transforming Hospital Experiences

A conference center engages attendees with the Cisco CMX for Facebook Wi-Fi solution. (2:14 min)

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Learn about the benefits of the Cisco CMX for Facebook Wi-Fi solution. (0:58 sec)

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Wi-Fi has always enabled faster, mobile network connectivity to make internal processes more efficient. Now you can use it as a tool to more effectively engage your customers, provide the right content at the right time, and generate revenue.

Using smartphones and the mobile Internet, your customers have embraced a connected lifestyle. Whether you are in retail, hospitality, transportation, healthcare, education, or government, Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) lets you tap into this lifestyle now. Provide your customers with a highly personalized mobile experience that builds loyalty and boosts customer satisfaction.

Built upon Cisco Unified Access infrastructure, CMX is a platform for business innovation that includes:

Cisco Mobility Services Engine, Cisco wireless access points, and Cisco wireless controllers

Detect presence of mobile devices, transparently connect to Wi-Fi, and locate mobile devices to deliver location-based services.

An open Mobility Services Representational State Transfer (REST) API

Easily integrate location and contextual attributes into relevant customer applications.

Cisco and ecosystem partner applications

Deliver location-aware guest access, device-based services, browser-based services, mobile apps, online and onsite analytics, social analytics, and ads and offers.

CMX helps organizations increase efficiencies by better understanding customer behavior with onsite, online, and social analytics.

Onsite location analytics uses CMX to detect presence, locate, and track all Wi-Fi devices. It then aggregates and enhances the data to gain insight into the visitor interaction with the venue. The analytics engine classifies and groups the data based on defined criteria to provide information such as dwell times, crowding index, and traffic paths.

Online analytics equip organizations with the top websites that customers are visiting while in the venue, and the percentage of visitors who have taken advantage of online banner campaigns. Online analytics can help organizations better understand aggregate trends of websites such as online reviews, competitor offers, and social media chatter. The data helps customers combat show rooming and deliver a more relevant mobile experience.

Social analytics, including the Cisco CMX for Facebook Wi-Fi solution, deliver social media demographic information of customers who have checked in to the venue from their mobile device. With this information, organizations can gather aggregate trends such as age, gender, or city of origin.

The intelligence from CMX Analytics helps you provide the most rewarding experience for you and your customers. Get more from your wireless network with Cisco CMX.

The ability to capture new customers and keep existing customers by delivering more value is essential to continued growth in all customer-facing industries. Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) allows customers to connect through your onsite Wi-Fi. It opens a direct channel of communication that lets you better understand and deliver what your customers want.

When you more effectively engage your customers, you can:

Increase loyalty of existing customers and attract new customers by providing them with a personalized experienceIncrease customer conversion by providing key information at critical decision points in the purchase processReduce potential for show rooming by proactively responding to online customer behaviorIncrease brand exposure through social media check-in and feed streamingIncrease customer satisfaction by helping customers make decisions more aligned with their needs

By helping you better understand how your customers actually behave while at your site, Cisco CMX helps you make the best use of your floor plan. With this improved insight, you can:

Determine the most trafficked locations to position or price products or servicesAdjust venue layout to optimize traffic flow in periods of high useAdjust venue layout to place goods or services along the most used pathwaysStaff service locations to accommodate customer flows and time of dayEvaluate impact of floor plan adjustmentsFor your customers and your business, the Cisco CMX solution can deliver the right information at the right time.

The CMX solution integrates new and existing Cisco technologies and services with hardware and software components supplied by third-party partners.

Cisco Aironet Access Points

Provide robust wireless performance and optimized performance.

Cisco Wireless Controllers

Support large and small wireless deployments.

Cisco Mobility Services Engine (MSE)

Get advanced spectrum capabilities, location services, advanced location services, and adaptive wireless IPS. The MSE is available as a physical or virtual appliance, and includes APIs and an SDK to support a growing ecosystem of third-party applications.

Cisco Identity Services Engine

Manage and enforce policy for wireless onboarding and access with saved profiles that determine the level of access suitable for guest networks.

Cisco Prime Infrastructure

Get complete wired and wireless network management and reporting from a single pane. Cisco Prime Infrastructure functions as the interface for the Cisco Mobility Services Engine.

This Cisco developed standard allows mobile device users to automatically shift from 3G/4G to W-Fi connectivity based on roaming credentials administered by services providers.

Most of the world's leading service providers use Cisco carrier-grade switches, routers, and network components.

CMX Ecosystem Partners

Partners in the Cisco Developer Network deliver location-aware guest access, device-based services, browser-based services, mobile apps, online and onsite analytics, social analytics, and ads and offers.

Open up new revenue opportunities for enterprises and service providers. Cisco Connected Mobile Experiences (CMX) provide the wireless platform for business and network service innovation. Cisco Services, together with Cisco partners, offers services to help plan, build, and manage your mobile wireless solution and get the most from your existing network.

For enterprises, Cisco Services helps extend bring-your-own-device (BYOD) initiatives beyond employees, to engage customers with a personalized mobile experience based on their location and preferences. For service providers, Cisco Services can help expand 4G, Long-Term Evolution (LTE), and Wi-Fi services with small cells to provide personalized mobility services.

To deliver an effective and optimized mobile experience, your deployment should consider the industry, business, customer, and your existing network infrastructure. Cisco Services, together with its partners, can help with professional services that support you across three important areas of your CMX platform:

PlanningDeploymentManagement

During the planning phase, Cisco Services or a certified partner will assess your WLAN to:

Evaluate your existing WLAN infrastructureCapture both technical and business input and requirements

Next, the team will use the Cisco WLAN Planning and Design Service, which includes location services and high-density wireless. Your services delivery team will use the assessment findings to help you plan and design your connected mobile experience solution, addressing important elements such as:

Access point placement and mapping against venue sizeLocation service functionalitySecurity and compliance concerns

With the scope of your solution deployment well defined, your Cisco Services team can design a high-density, location-aware wireless network that:

Addresses your primary needsProvides a clear path to future growth and expansion

The actual development and deployment of your Cisco CMX solution can be performed by Cisco Services teams or a qualified professional services partner. Either delivery model:

Is built on proven Cisco methodologiesIncludes advanced technology expertiseUses Cisco smart services technology and intellectual capital

After your Cisco CMX solution is in place, you can let Cisco or one of its partners manage day-to-day operations to help ensure:

Peak performanceOptimal return on investmentTalk to your Cisco representative or a certified partner service representative to tailor a solution for your needs.

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SAP Q1 shows cloud, HANA and mobile pushing growth

SAP's cloud and SAP HANA sales have jumped again, but new on-premise licence revenue has fallen below estimates in the company's first quarter results.

The business software maker has started 2013 with a 373 percent year-on-year increase in cloud subscriptions and support revenue, bringing in €137m compared with 2012's €29m.

First-quarter revenue from SAP HANA in-memory software, which speeds up data operations, has tripled over the same period in 2012, contributing €86m. The company also reported double-digit growth in its mobile business — running at some 45 percent for the EMEA region.

SAP reported operating profits of €646m up two percent, on revenues of €3.6bn. However, sales of new software licences, by far the biggest part of its business, increased to €657m, which was below analyst estimates.

SAP EMEA president Franck Cohen attributed that shortfall to the performance of the Asia-Pacific-Japan region.

"The issue in Asia-Pacific this quarter was more an execution issue related to the fact that we had a lot of changes in the management team and some government changes. So overall I think it was more to do with that," Cohen said.

"We still continue to be quite optimistic about APJ delivering according to expectations on the full-year basis."

Cohen said the performance of the cloud, mobile and in-memory technology demonstrates their importance to SAP in the longer term.

"The reason why we're still performing better than most of our competitors is because of our HANA, our mobile and our cloud strategy — much more than the typical ERP solutions," Cohen said.

"These are the growth engines that really resonate today for managers in fields who want to innovate and who want to get out of these market crisis conditions," he said.

To illustrate the importance of these new areas to the company he suggested focusing on mobile and in-memory computing. "If I look at our HANA software revenue and add our mobile revenue, which is a much smaller portion, it has represented more than 20 percent of our total software revenue in EMEA in Q1," he said.

"That's a significant growth engine that was almost not there two years ago."

However, Cohen said the take-up of cloud remains patchy, with high use in North America, the UK and Ireland, the Nordic region, and the Netherlands, but lower adoption in the south of Europe, but virtually nothing in the Middle East and Africa.

"The US is shifting massively to the cloud and I think the UK is not far behind. It's a very contrasted picture but the shift in North America to the cloud is even faster than expected," Cohen said.

The company's headcount of 64,598 is up nine percent on the figure of 59,420 in the first quarter of 2012, and marginally up on the last quarter.

View the original article here

Vodafone, ICICI Bank India launch M-Pesa mobile wallet

Vodafone India and ICICI Bank India have rolled out M-Pesa, bringing the mobile money transfer and payment service to the local market.

Initially announced in November with Vodafone India's subsidiary, Mobile Commerce Solutions Limited (MCSL) and ICICI Bank, the service allows users to transfer money to any mobile phone in India and also remit money to any bank account in India. Within India, the service is initially rolled out in Bihar, Kolkata, and West Bengal, with over 8,300 authorized agents and will soon be rolled out nationwide in phases. 

Vodafone offers M-Pesa globally in different regions via partnerships with mobile carriers and leading banks.

The service is available only to Vodafone customers, who can sign up for the service by visiting an M-Pesa agent outlet to fill in a form and providing address verification and photo identification. A minimum deposit is required to open the M-Pesa account.

Upon registration, Vodafone India will activate the MCSL mobile wallet for the customer, so it can be used as a closed wallet for transactions such as cash deposits, money transfers to any bank account, and to another M-Pesa customer. The service can also be used to top up credit on mobile phones and make payments, along with making payments for DTH (direct-to-home) services and utility bills. 

According to the ICICI Bank's M-Pesa Web site, customers are required to make an initial minimum deposit of 200 rupees (US$3.71), of which 100 rupees (US$1.85) is deducted as a one-time account activation fee and the remaining balance is credited to the account balance. The maximum daily limit for funds transfer is 5,000 rupees (US$92.6) a day and the maximum daily limit for prepaid mobile credit topup is 2,500 rupees (US$46.3).

M-Pesa mobile wallets can have a maximum account balance of 10,000 rupees (US$185.3), while Mobile Wallet and Mobile Money accounts can have a maximum account balance of 50,000 rupees (US$926.6).

M-Pesa is a great service to finally introduce and implement in India as many users in rural India don't have easy access to banks. They have to go to great lengths and distances for these services and to make these transactions. Furthermore, having the ability to top up your phone credit on-the-go, and for someone else, is also another great feature as not all vendors have top-up facilities for all mobile phone operators in India. 

View the original article here

SAP Q1 shows cloud, HANA and mobile pushing growth

SAP's cloud and SAP HANA sales have jumped again, but new on-premise licence revenue has fallen below estimates in the company's first quarter results.

The business software maker has started 2013 with a 373 percent year-on-year increase in cloud subscriptions and support revenue, bringing in €137m compared with 2012's €29m.

First-quarter revenue from SAP HANA in-memory software, which speeds up data operations, has tripled over the same period in 2012, contributing €86m. The company also reported double-digit growth in its mobile business — running at some 45 percent for the EMEA region.

SAP reported operating profits of €646m up two percent, on revenues of €3.6bn. However, sales of new software licences, by far the biggest part of its business, increased to €657m, which was below analyst estimates.

SAP EMEA president Franck Cohen attributed that shortfall to the performance of the Asia-Pacific-Japan region.

"The issue in Asia-Pacific this quarter was more an execution issue related to the fact that we had a lot of changes in the management team and some government changes. So overall I think it was more to do with that," Cohen said.

"We still continue to be quite optimistic about APJ delivering according to expectations on the full-year basis."

Cohen said the performance of the cloud, mobile and in-memory technology demonstrates their importance to SAP in the longer term.

"The reason why we're still performing better than most of our competitors is because of our HANA, our mobile and our cloud strategy — much more than the typical ERP solutions," Cohen said.

"These are the growth engines that really resonate today for managers in fields who want to innovate and who want to get out of these market crisis conditions," he said.

To illustrate the importance of these new areas to the company he suggested focusing on mobile and in-memory computing. "If I look at our HANA software revenue and add our mobile revenue, which is a much smaller portion, it has represented more than 20 percent of our total software revenue in EMEA in Q1," he said.

"That's a significant growth engine that was almost not there two years ago."

However, Cohen said the take-up of cloud remains patchy, with high use in North America, the UK and Ireland, the Nordic region, and the Netherlands, but lower adoption in the south of Europe, but virtually nothing in the Middle East and Africa.

"The US is shifting massively to the cloud and I think the UK is not far behind. It's a very contrasted picture but the shift in North America to the cloud is even faster than expected," Cohen said.

The company's headcount of 64,598 is up nine percent on the figure of 59,420 in the first quarter of 2012, and marginally up on the last quarter.

View the original article here

India rising as mobile app superpower

Summary: Mobile apps are forming an important element of consumer mobile behavior. World over, apps are driving the mobile ecosystem and India is leading this app-ification change.

According to an infographic from Vserv.mobi, "The Rise of India as an App Superpower", India is one of the biggest consumer and publisher of mobile apps across mobile platforms.

(credit: Vserv.mobi)

 Several factors have led to the growth of the ecosystem and India's high ranking across app stores:

Growing mobile internet penetration (Average mobile data plan India has also seen a rise in app developer culture, a shift from the traditional services-based market, and that has been the key underlying driver for the rapid growth as a major app destination. For example, the second biggest Android User Group in the world is from India. Last year, Microsoft created a Guinness World Record for the largest app development marathon with over 2,500 developers at the Windows 8 AppFest in Bangalore, popularly referred to as the Silicon Valley of India.

Several independent developers and app development studios in the country have been developing mobile apps not just for clients (online services and content portals) and brands (marketing content and companion apps), but also as independent products. While most Indian apps are free, the developers aim to earn from in-app advertising and paid upgrades. Also, these apps serve as a showcase of their portfolio to acquire clients.

(credit: Vserv.mobi)

From adding new distribution channels to redefining product experience, mobile apps are forming an important element of consumer mobile behavior. World over, apps are driving the mobile ecosystem and India is leading this app-ification change.

Topics: Apps, Mobility, India

Abhishek Baxi is an independent digital consultant and a freelance technology columnist based in India. He writes on consumer technology and trends for several leading print and online publications.

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