CES is no longer all about hardware, instead a significant amount of the focus of the Las Vegas show was on mobile technology and mobile apps.
Ported Post: This entry was originally published in the Artisan Mobile blog. Artisan was rebranded as In-App Marketing after being acquired by TUNE in July of 2015.
The “International CES” doesn’t want to be known as the Consumer Electronics Show anymore. And perhaps the reason it’s shortening the name down to acronym status is because the event is no longer all about hardware. At last week’s conference in Las Vegas, a significant amount of the focus was on mobile technology and mobile apps.
Included in the official CES activities were the CEA MoDev Hackathon, CES Developer University, a Wall of Apps and a Mobile Apps Showdown. Developers showcased their own mobile apps, experts preached platform-specific skills, and competitors vied for prize money and prestige.
Why was there so much emphasis on apps? Because software is what defines much of the hardware experience, and apps make that experience more personal than ever before. Users compile the capabilities they want on their mobile devices by selecting and downloading apps. Two identical iPad tablets will provide two very different experiences depending on whether a user is interested in gaming, movies, reading or working. This is why mobile devices are so powerful… because they adapt to the individual.
Even with the personalization of mobile devices however, the trend of personalizing mobile apps specifically is still in its infancy. Some apps allow people to filter content or share information through social networks, but the basic framework of these mobile apps is still the same for every user. And that creates a situation that’s ripe for change.
At CES, we saw the early stages of an industry that is getting “app-happy”. The next stage of app evolution will be a trend toward personalization. The pieces are already in place, including audience targeting and the ability to make fast, dynamic changes to any mobile app. Now it’s time to put them all together.
Author
Becky is the Senior Content Marketing Manager at TUNE. Before TUNE, she led a variety of marketing and communications projects at San Francisco startups. Becky received her bachelor's degree in English from Wake Forest University. After living nearly a decade in San Francisco and Seattle, she has returned to her home of Charleston, SC, where you can find her enjoying the sun and salt water with her family.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.