The Six Immutable Laws of Mobile Business

CHAPTER 6IMMUTABLE LAW NO. 6: THE FUTURE IS SIMPLEXITY

Mobile phones continue to grow even more complex and versatile. Research shows, however, that mobile owners use less than 20% of the applications and capabilities their phones possess. That means all the money spent on developing, testing, deploying, and servicing these neglected solutions has been wasted. Our next law focuses on a critical shift in thinking required to develop successful and profitable technology products and services.

We believe it is time to rethink how people interact with devices and digital services. Consumers should not serve technology; technology should support us and serve our needs. A study by the consulting firm Accenture in June 2008 gives some insight into why. According to the study, 95% of consumer electronic products returned by their owners because they were broken or malfunctioning were actually functioning perfectly. Users just could not understand how to operate them.

The fruits of technology surround us day and night. Not only is escaping technology practically impossible, we are often required to scramble up a steep learning curve before we can even use a product, such as a mobile phone, VCR, or computer operating system. We have to devote time and effort just to recoup what we invested in a certain service or product.

Of course, one group of people (geeks) takes pride in learning the arcane functions and features of specific devices. The average user, however, just sees this as a nuisance. ...