An overview at FUTURECOM – Rio de Janeiro. The specialist review.

Posted on October 29, 2013 Updated on October 30, 2013

Last week happened what is considered the largest exhibition of IT Solutions in Latin America, FUTURECOM – Rio de Janeiro, which counts with its 15th edition and has been called by its organizers as the Business Trade Show.

I’ve been there to represent the company where I work as a consultant for innovation in New Media and the truth is that I didn’t see many innovative solutions in the Show.

My presence at this event took place for two reasons:

– To provide services that I represent, measuring the impact that these services have on the public and understand potential partnerships for business development in LATAM.

– Get in contact with actual innovation from the point of view of the observer, find new trends, new products and new solutions to increase my portfolio at the time of providing advice to my customers.

The event had its negative points and its positives, but there is something that I must confess to everybody almost in silence: The largest technology companies in Latin America have brought very little new when it regards to innovation. An exhibition like this should have more stands of innovation than “more of the same”.

The lack of creativity and ambition of the leaders of our companies is clear when you visits the booth even at the first day. When I say more of the same, I mean that in Digital Signage we still have the same mechanisms without any clear engagement with the customer, telecoms cheaper and faster but unfocused in the new world of Mobile Relationship, the infinity of alarm systems, communications systems, TV systems, Cloud systems, systems of this and that and even a good dozen companies that fail to explain to their customers what they actually do. It is quite confusing for the visitors.

Obviously I cannot blame the organization, which did an excellent job in organizing the event, but I cannot help blaming those who were far below the expectations of the public who came from around the world to attend a demonstration of almost nothing again. In a few lines, I will give my overview on what I think will be in the minds of leaders of technology that were represented in FUTURECOM. I sincerely believe that leaders continue to underestimate the audience. Companies have the ability to do more and better, but they find that public is not ready, they think the people are “from another time” and they lack capacity or open mind to understand and use certain solutions.

The public has proven on the other hand to have a much more open mind than the promoters expected. Something that gave me a certain joy was to bring out the old argument of some who argue that “nobody cares to QR Code”, for example. Leaders were based on this acquired fact and about 75% preferred to keep the URL address in the brochure instead of a QR Code. However, I have always advocated that just give the consumer a good reason to scan and they will use the QR Code. They did about half of the 25% who decided to invest in this medium of interaction. After all, 95 % of people attending that event had a smartphone with internet, and this in itself would be an important point. The 75% who decided to ignore this since see thousands of people to spend the batteries of their smartphones to download the application or trying to get vouchers through QR Codes in the booths of exhibitors neighbors, while maintaining their stands to flies. Again underestimated their audience and their audience chastised them for it, rewarding those who decided to keep a more open mind. What leaders need to understand is that nobody uses anything if there isn’t a good reason for it.

But the show also has its good points, among the few companies present that reinvent the old and the new to bring. Among them, some curious Start Up with interesting business and technology innovators who will not hesitate to recommend to a customer during a consulting for definition of digital identity, given the wealth of solutions. Among these, highlight those that promote solutions engagement with consumers, something for which large companies will have to be mindful at risk of starting to fall asleep in the minds of buyers. Among the products/solutions presented are some that really got my sympathy and interest, and the big plus point of this fair – to me – is that really come with a richer portfolio in respect to set the digital identity of brands in its relationship with consumers, and that’s my role in the market and that was my goal at the event. Being mission accomplished, here are some solutions that highlight among those who can offer during my consulting work in New Digital Media, taking into account what I bring and what had:

– An advanced system for managing waiting lists and reservations for bars and restaurants , using the mobile relationship , even integrating CRM and Analytics;

– An application of fleet management Taxis that not only allows the customer to order a taxi anywhere where you are via your Smartphone , but also prevents the client from being misled by the driver, it forces it to fulfill the shortest route and charge the fair value, ie if you want to enjoy the advantages that the service brings to your business;

– A digital wallet Vouchers, where the consumer can go accumulating their Coupons, consulting them on their smartphones whenever their visit a store or service;

– A technology that reduces traffic used and maximize the use in quality and time in 3D animations for Smartphones

– A solution that uses Augmented Reality 3D animations as a way to create engagement between brand and consumer through Smartphone

– A powerful sharing of brands in social networks via Mobile Devices in exchange for benefits to the final consumer

Next year, I hope to return in search of more innovation for this demanding market and highly progressive, unlike the trial of some leaders, who continue to underestimate their audience…

LinkedIn Profile: http://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardoteixeirabeasii