CRM - March 2009 - (Page 36)

CRM AND THE iPHONE for employee collaboration, communication, and document sharing. In December, Socialcast became accessible through the iPhone Web browser, and Kinsman recalls jumping at the chance to connect, in part because of how often she’s on the road. That’s when the iPhone, and the Socialcast app, really matter, she says—keeping her in touch with teammates from anywhere. “I can ask a question to the whole group though Socialcast,” she says. “I can get feedback immediately.” Kinsman says the Web application doesn’t seem to be a lighter version of the actual software. “It has more functionality than I expected it would for an optimized Web page,” she says. “It’s more similar to an iPhone app than a Web page—I was surprised.” TOO MUCH TO CHEW? Although access to Socialcast on her iPhone has made Kinsman more productive, she’s still in the minority at Hannaford. Only a handful of employees are testing it—about seven, she says—and there’s no companywide deployment. “I don’t think Apple has learned how to deal with corporate America,” Meeker says. Historically, Apple doesn’t have much experience with the enterprise, he adds, and the stereotype that Macs are only used by “creative” people is true to a certain extent. Apple also has a reputation for being a bit inflexible. Still, Meeker admits the iPhone is relatively new, and challenges are expected. “The iPhone has probably been a bigger success than [Apple] would ever admit,” he says. “What makes the iPhone so great for consumers is that [the phone itself] doesn’t do 9 million things—it allows third parties to fill in that gap,” Meeker says. But the popularity of those third-party apps helps explain the intense relationships people have with their iPhones—often to the point of obsession. It’s no wonder that the consumers who own and love iPhones are now asking, “Well, why can’t my business applications work as well as my personal ones?”Instead of high-end corporate technology trickling down to consumers, which historically had been the norm, the roles have reversed. The consumer space, Meeker says, has become a more engaging 36 market. (See our January 2009 cover story, “The Google-ization of CRM,” for more on how consumer technology is trickling up.) THE FUTURE OF PHONES Imagine that you subscribe to Showtime, but your friend doesn’t. You’re over at his place, and decide you want to watch the channel—except you realize you can’t. Or can you? What if your subscription data were stored on a handheld device? If you simply place the device in front of the TV then—Poof! The cable box would recognize your identity as a Showtime subscriber. Seconds later you’re enjoying Dexter without any problems. (Not sure why you had such a killer desire to catch Dexter? “Innovation Nation,” page 26, may help explain what drew you in.) One day, your mobile phone—no longer just a phone—will have that capability. That handheld device will serve as a “The iPhone has probably been a bigger success than [Apple] would ever admit.” piece of your personal identity—much like a wallet. Everywhere you go, you’ll be recognized. The handheld will essentially connect you with other devices—be it a computer, a television, a grocery-store checkout machine, or the ticket scanner at the movie theater. “It becomes less of a phone and more of a mobile computer,” Meeker says. Ever tried to make a purchase only to discover you forgot your plastic loyalty card? You could have accumulated points toward a free gift, or saved 10 percent— but if you don’t have the card, you lose out, right? Not for much longer. Coupons, promotions, and loyalty cards can be stored on (or accessed by) your iPhone, enabling you to simply brandish the device at the register and cash in on any offers. This idea is being tested by many vendors, but Oracle’s Mobile Sales Assistant product for the iPhone may be one of the more compelling, tying together customer loyalty, social CRM, and retail transactions. “We deliver an enterprise solution that helps companies manage and monitor their loyalty programs,” says Melissa Boxer, a vice president of loyalty and marketing for Oracle. “We realized that ‘mobile phone as a touch point’ would be great to deliver this integrated solution, targeted promotions, and the Web 2.0 concepts of community ratings and reviews.” Essentially, Oracle’s product, being tested now with several retailers, is a “smart, social, loyalty application delivered on a mobile platform,” Boxer says. Demoed at the 2008 Oracle OpenWorld conference, the application led some to speculate about Oracle’s plans for social networking and the iPhone (among other devices). “We needed to incorporate consumer-based concepts and social networking,” Boxer says. “We also needed to make them usable and we needed to deliver them on new platforms.” Because of the iPhone buzz, the Oracle team started developing there first, with the idea to extend to other platforms down the road. Boxer says another motivating factor for developing the iPhone application was the concept of channel ubiquity. “In today’s world, consumer expectations are incredibly high, especially in the U.S.,” she says. “People want to interact across every channel and are living on the phone. They want to be recognized and rewarded, to have that same consistent personalization regardless of where they’re living.” APPLES TO APPLES “Apple builds nice-looking, well-working hardware with a great operating system,” Meeker says. “They lock it down to, ‘This is our baby…. You can customize a little bit. But it is what it is. We’ll continue to control it.’” Apple’s tight reins have inspired competitors to differentiate themselves based on openness. Take the G1 Android phone, for one—the first handheld to run on Google’s Android operating system. Meeker says most consumers www.destinationCRM.com CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT | MARCH 2009 http://www.destinationCRM.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of CRM - March 2009

CRM - March 2009 Contents Front Office Reality Check Customer Centricity The Tipping Point Stay Tuned Stimulating Citizen Experience CRM on Twitter Retailers Face Reality Making Relationships Matter Required Reading We the People Innovation Nation CRM and the iPhone Looking to Score The Virtual Welcome Mat A Tough Transition Made Easier A Training Regimen Gets Rigorous A Battle Fought from Afar Secret of My Success Re:Tooling Connect Pint of View

CRM - March 2009

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