5 questions to CCO Lars Urban about the latest IFA trends

5 questions to CCO Lars Urban about the latest IFA trends

Berlin, Sep 9, 2016, by Lars Urban

Technology on the go - From the USB Smart Car-Charger to the WIFI Router to go: The new keyword is mobility. It seems like everything gets more connected and optimized for the smartphone. Does digitalization equal mobilization?

Definitely! Digitalization enables us to work and communicate from nearly every location on earth. Digitalization thus doesn’t only equal mobilization but even more so it equals progress. Businesses need to change perspectives with the end client more than ever to answer his needs. In combination with all the possibilities obtained from digitalization processes this change of perspective emerges new ideas and products. This strategy shouldn’t only be realized by big companies but also by small and medium sized companies. Digitalizing one’s company is a huge investment into the future. The IFA exhibition shows many possibilities and the huge potential which lays in the cooperation with start-ups and technology providers. Especially small and medium sized companies have to realize the ongoing transformation and profit from it with an open entrepreneurship and courage. Studies debunked that most of the potential of digitalization is not fully exhausted yet.

The new buzzwords are wearables, smart fitness and virtual reality. What chances for brands and businesses do you see here also considering in-store technologies?

That’s right. Especially the fitness sector was the first off the mark who detected the market chances of a connected world thanks to devices like smart fitness wearables. It’s time that other branches like the health, administration and living branch follow that example and provide applicable offers to receive useful user data and optimize their products and services. Ever since the Pokémon-Go hype virtual reality seems to be the next big thing. At IFA Samsung demonstrated which gamification possibilities there are concerning virtual reality, from canoe rafting to roller coaster nearly everything seemed to be possible. There is no question that virtual reality offers huge potential to personalize the shopping experience examination of products and perception of brands. End clients thus experience a whole new dimension of shopping.

Adidas miCoach Smart Ball: Technology at its best. A soccer ball which calculates the perfect kick with the help of diverse sensors and also gives suggestions for optimization. How will such technology change sports in the long run?

I am sure that soccer as such won’t change. It will still be 22 players and two goals on the field. Still, digitalization enables to evaluate and analyse tactic moves and also the preparation and planning for upcoming games will change dramatically. The Adidas miCoach ball is only one example of the many possible applications of digital products and the data they provide. This data contributes to the development of new business models or the optimization of old ones. To me it seems like technology is a step ahead of economy because most businesses are missing a real and coherent digitalization strategy. It is time to do some explanatory work to demonstrate to small and medium sized companies the potential which lies in digitalizing their production and value chain. On the customer’s side there is also the complex and controversial issue of data privacy. Here communication departments need to sensitize customers more efficiently.

Interactive fridges and SenseCook ovens as far as the eye can see. Smart Home is a very exciting topic at IFA. How do you imagine the further development of Smart Home to be like? Will our home soon have an own form of intelligence?

The topic of Smart Home was definitely one of the most present ones at IFA 2016. Such interactive fridges and SenseCook ovens show how digitalization creates new services and thus “simplifies” our everyday life. Our home becomes more and more connected: Especially the linking of different solutions which already exist at the market is very exciting. Unfortunately it is still necessary to control and coordinate every implementation with its own app. It is time for a sensible and unified solution here. Next to the increasing connection of our home, digitalization is on a high level in the spheres of travel, nutrition and shopping. I hope that other branches and the health sector will follow up soon.

Smart robots, driver-independent cars and virtual realities: You have collected many different impressions at the IFA. What did you like most and why?

Next to all the intelligent fridges, washing machines and TVs the multiple virtual reality application possibilities - ranging from mere entertainment functions up to inventive service solutions - impressed me most. Another exciting stand was the “UX Design Award”, which honours exceptional design and user orientation. The Dutch family company Royal Auping (manufacturer of mattresses and beds) proves to be a good example of how small sized companies can profit permanently from digitalization. To find the perfect products which fit my needs, the Auping App creates a sleeping-profile of me. Royal Auping can now create the optimal mattress for me on that basis. To offer further services to the customer, the App provides next to the sleep-coaching also a “stages of sleep”-check and a smart alarm clock, which adapts the wake-up time according to these stages. This wonderfully demonstrates which services could emerge from a product like that of a mattress thanks to digitalization. Such smart applications create the future of technologies.