Healthcare Mobility: Prescription for success.

A study commissioned at the start of 2012 by Telenor Group and the Boston Consulting Group titled “Socio-Economic Impact of mHealth,” revealed two interesting points: 30% of smartphone users are likely to use “wellness apps” by 2015 and secondly, as per the survey, smartphone is the most popular technology among doctors since the stethoscope, underpinning the growing role of mobile technology in patient care. The survey further revealed that- the costs in elderly care can be reduced by 25% with mobile healthcare; Maternal and prenatal mortality can be reduced by as much as 30% and twice as many rural patients can be reached per doctor through mobile solutions.

The above data and many similar reports showcase how mobile devices and applications are changing the face of patient care and healthcare administration across the globe. In our cover story this month, we get an overview of healthcare mobility solutions, and discuss-
• The reasons behind the growing acceptance of mHealth among various stakeholders- patients, physicians and providers.
• How can mHealth address the challenges faced by healthcare organizations?
• How are patients reacting to mobile healthcare solutions?
• How the healthcare landscape is changing through mobility?
And, many such pertinent questions…

The shift…

Healthcare industry has been one of the early adopters of enterprise mobility with mobile devices and apps significantly contributing towards improvement in every aspect of healthcare. Healthcare mobility solutions are playing an excellent role in solving some of the major challenges faced by the industry today including rising costs, fast-changing regulatory environment, increasing error-rates, decreasing profitability, and demand for quality healthcare.

Mobile health which started-off with simple services like call centers, getting doctor appointments, alerts etc., over the phone, has over the years, widened its scope covering a major part of healthcare processes. Cynicism, in the early years, on the utility and success of mobility in healthcare is now replaced with growing trust and expanding role for mobile devices and apps in healthcare administration. Today there is a major shift in patient care and administration with mobility becoming an important medium for both patients and healthcare organizations. A survey conducted by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute, to study the attitude of US internet users towards mobile health solutions revealed that users are slowly lapping up to the idea for patient care via mobile. The study found a strong preference among respondents for accessing medication and health care services through mobile devices.

It’s not only smartphone users who are keen to use healthcare apps but doctors too are eager to leverage mobile technology into their day-to-day tasks. A survey by PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Health Research Institute (PwC HRI) came up with interesting statistics on how clinicians perceive healthcare mobility solutions to be beneficial for them. As per the study,

• 56% of physicians believed m-health could help expedite decision-making.
• 39% said it would reduce the time it takes for administrative tasks.
• 36% said it would increase collaboration among physicians.
• 26% said it would increase time spent with patients.
• 40% said they could eliminate 11% to 30% of office visits through the use of mobile health technologies such as remote monitoring, email or text messaging with patients.

The motivators…

The growing acceptance and usage of healthcare mobility solutions can be attributed to two broad factors- industry challenges and rapid advancements in mobile technology. Healthcare systems, across the globe, are facing myriad constraints like an increasing population without access to quality healthcare, shrinking pool of qualified healthcare professionals, emergence of new diseases and limited financial resources. On the other hand, mobile devices like smartphones and Tablets have become ubiquitous. Bandwidth is getting increasingly faster. Mobile applications have become more feature-rich and much-secured to integrate with processes and operations of healthcare organizations. The combination of these two factors and, growing preference among the masses, buoyed by the comfort, convenience and cost-effectiveness are catalyzing the growth of mobile healthcare solutions.

Scope and opportunities…

Today, mobility for healthcare has not only become an important medium in delivering healthcare services but also is an enabler that can act as force multiplier, in both near and long-term future, to the overall operations in an organization. Many electronic healthcare practices prevalent in the industry can be further extended, in scale and operations, by complementing it with mobile technology. mhealth is creating new possibilities for physicians and patients to monitor important health information and manage their care. Healthcare mobility solutions are making processes leaner and quicker not only with their own might but by also complementing other technologies.

Challenges…

The path of adopting mobility for a healthcare organization is, however not so smooth. There are several challenges facing the organizations as they move on to leverage mobile technology. There is a massive explosion of devices differing in form, features and functionalities in the market. The challenge for the organizations is to come-up with healthcare solutions that fits all. Similarly, there are multiple mobile platforms like iOS, Android, Windows and Blackberry etc., and solutions must be compatible to all the platforms. While the world may be moving into next generation of internet connectivity, but bandwidth latency and coverage is still an area of concern if mHealth has to truly stand to its promise of delivering services to the remotest of locations. Security of patient data is another complicated challenge which calls for continuous monitor and intervention as the technology evolves. It’s also important to keep an eye on the reliability and scalability of the mobile infrastructure as the usage grows and more people gets covered by it.

The adoption…

As healthcare organizations, across the globe, reel under the pressure of shrinking financial resources, and need to expand their reach and deliver quality services, we are witnessing rapid adoption of mHealth initiatives, at varying scales and levels, globally. The enthusiastic adoption of mobile health solutions clearly showcase the merits and benefits of employing mobility in the delivery of health & wellness services and the growing acceptance of mHealth practices among various stakeholders in the industry.

Looking ahead…

A survey conducted in 2010 by research2guidance predicts that smartphones, mobile phones and Tablets will present the best Mobile Health Business Opportunities in 2015 thereby, revealing that mobility is the future of healthcare.

Mobile devices and applications have the potential to play a very significant role in every stage and aspect of the healthcare. Mobility solutions can not only bridge the gap between the doctor and patient but also have the potential to radically transform the way diseases are diagnosed, monitored and treated. Moreover, anytime and anywhere accessibility and availability of health & wellness information and professional advice can be a key factor in the prevention of diseases and promoting wellness.

With further advancement in the mobile technology, the scope and role of healthcare mobility solutions will only grow. It can’t be denied anymore- mobile and wireless technology is set to transform the face of healthcare administration across the globe.

Our Recommendations…

• Embrace healthcare mobility. mHealth offers tremendous opportunities and value to an organization. It is the answer to myriad challenges faced by the industry.
• Focus on user experience. Create a user-friendly, reliable and secure mobile environment.
• Pay special attention to data security. Employ adequate authentication and authorization processes.
• Pick the right platform. Diversity in screen sizes, functionalities and operating system necessitates organizations to adopt a multi-platform approach.
• Monitor user behaviour. Customer intelligence will be the key to success of your mHealth initiative.
• Lay down the groundwork for next generation of mHealth. Emerging technologies in mobility promises more opportunities. Be ready to seize them.

The beginning…

In spite of the upsurge in adoption of mobility in the healthcare industry, there is still a lot to happen. The pervasiveness of mobile computing is leading to the evolution of new business models, reinvention of delivery methods and innovation in patient care. Healthcare mobility solutions are bringing tremendous value to organizations but still there is a huge area of opportunities to be seized which will further add to the value proposition. Organizations, which adapt to mobility early, will not only gain competitive advantage today but will also, be in a better position to leverage further advancements in mobile technology. And, make greater success of their mobile initiatives.

Infographic: The Mobile Employee

Do you know that there will be 397.1 million mobile workers by the end of 2012? Clearly, the era of 9-to-5 work-culture is passé. Today we have a growing tribe of mobile employees, armed with smartphones & Tablets, working from anywhere, anytime. We, at [x]cubeLABS, tried to understand the mobile employee, his preferences on devices, platforms and apps through various research reports to provide you with a visual description in the form of our latest infographic ‘The Mobile Employee’.

To view the complete infographic and for a high resolution image click here.  Re-tweets and feedback will be highly appreciated!

Our other infographics-

Enterprise Mobility-Apps, Platforms and Devices

The Android Story

The evolution of mobile operating systems

Smartphone and Mobile App Usage

The smartphone app-o-graphic

Primary vs. Secondary Users: The Power Behind Developing for not 1, but 2 Target User-bases

Marketing media have been evolving digitally for decades; with numerous companies jumping on the mobile bandwagon in the past 3 years, apps are an essential delivery method for tailored mobile experiences however, it is important to realize that amidst the excitement and melee that ensues with initial conceptualization, a well-defined target user-base should be at the forefront of development intentions.

Building an app around specific concepts and functionality but without substantial thought to a target demographic inevitably leads to an unfocused and unsuccessful app. Remember, apps do not have to solve all of the word’s problems. The most successful apps do one thing really well thereby providing a definitive asset to anyone who uses them. Businesses can only drive usage with a primary base that finds value in the app and a secondary base that has the potential to apply and influence said value.

In the early stages of ideation, don’t simply generalize audience analysis. Determine a sharp, clear-cut definition of who your users are. Perhaps you want to launch a user-centric app for self-proclaimed foodies. Here, your primary consumer target consists of involved, cuisine-aficionados across various communities.Involvement from these key individuals mobilize restaurants (secondary base) with incentive to comply with the app’s ranking system. To appease the “buy-local” movement, perhaps these restaurants work with local suppliers, thereby stimulating a foundation for new business development as well. This sort of targeted engagement allows for primary and secondary targets to organically evolve and expand your overall user-base.

Concept. Target. Evolve. Develop.

BYOD Vs. Consumerization of Enterprise Mobility

BYOD or Bring Your Own Device has been the buzz word for the Enterprise mobility space, however, unfortunately often times there is some ambiguity about what BYOD actually means and the word is thrown around in different contexts, besides its own. One of the most common misuse of BYOD is when people confuse it with CoIT or Consumerization of IT. While both of these are closely inter related they are still two very much different and distinct issues.

BYOD is very simple. Employees want to bring to their workplace the devices that they have bought for their personal use and use the same for work. This is primarily because the person has made a conscious decision to identify the device of their preference and would love to use it. The increasingly vanishing border between work hours and off hours and the need for a modern employee to be connected 24/7, makes a person spend considerable time and effort in working beyond their “working hours” or rather in their “personal hours”. So why not use the device of their preference for both personal and professional use ?

Now if we are looking at Consumerization of IT or in this context consumerization of enterprise mobility, the concept is definitely different from BYOD. “Consumerization” basically means making something fit for consumer use, or in other words making it easy to use for everyone. So consumerization of Enterprise mobility would mean making the use and adoption of mobility much less complex and simpler.

Usability is one of the major areas for consumerization of IT / Enterprise mobility. If we are looking at most enterprise applications developed a few years back, usability would probably not be their strongest point to talk about. However, today most organization are spending considerable time and resource in ensuring that their enterprise applications, mobile or otherwise, offers great usability. It is becoming increasingly essential for even enterprise applications to have the finesse of consumer apps and that is significantly adding value in terms of increased employee efficiency. Similarly, another critical spoke in the enterprise mobility wheel, devices too have gone simplified and more user-friendly. The soaring acceptance of Tablets in enterprises and its growing role in overall mobile strategy is a case in point. Tablets with bigger screens, intuitive interfaces, faster computing power and higher capability are influencing mobility adoption and making things easier for the users. In short, complexity associated with enterprise grade tools are giving way to simple, easy to use tools and that is what is considered as true consumerization of IT.

If there’s still some residual doubts about Consemerization of enterprise mobility vs. BYOD, let’s look at few examples :

a) Your company allows you to use whatever device you want for your work and you can continue to use your personal device for work : that’s BYOD

b) Your company allows you to use whatever device you want for your work, but it is purchased by the company and provided to you : that’s not BYOD, that is rather CoIT

c) Your company specifies which device you have to use for work and provides the same to you : that’s neither BYOD, nor CoIT ( at least in respect to choice of device)

With businesses investing more and more in enterprise mobility solutions, BYOD and Consumerization of enterprise mobility would always be discussed in tandem but it is essential to understand that while there are certain overlap between the two concepts, they do have enough exclusivity to claim their share of importance.

Mobile Banking: Unwiring the bank

A report by Juniper Research predicts that mobile banking users across the globe will reach 530 million by 2013, up from just over 300 million in 2011: making mobility a key strategic channel for the banks encompassing the entire set of banking operations.

The fascinating success story of mobile banking solutions do makes us inquisitive and tempts us to ask and find answers to a few questions like- how the banking landscape has changed over the years? What’s driving the growth of mobile banking? Where it’s heading? And, how smooth is the ride ahead? As the next wave of banking mobility arrives, our cover story endeavors to get an overview of banking mobility solutions and find answers to above questions.

The changing landscape…

Mobile banking which started-off with banks offering services like balance inquiries, check-book requests etc., via SMS and later with the browser through WAP and GPRS has, over the years, widened its scope engulfing a huge part of banking operations, both internally and externally. The initial changes have been no less than dramatic. As mobility takes the centre stage in the technical infrastructure of banks, business processes are being reengineered and new models are explored. Mobile payment processing, location based services, add-on devices etc., has led to greater extension of mobile solutions enabling banks to provide a consummate banking experience to the customers.

Today, banks not only use mobile devices and applications as a channel to offer services to customers but also use it as a tool to connect within the organization, empower their workforce and control its various processes and assets. So, we not only see basic banking operations performed through mobile devices and applications but also see increased use of mobility solutions within the organizations in complex operations like asset management services, loan approval processes and database management.

The customer attitude towards mobile banking has also undergone a sea change. Far from being wary of doing financial transactions on mobile, as was in the early days, people, owing to ubiquity and convenience today has nicely warmed up to the concept of banking on their devices and are pretty comfortable paying utility bills, transferring funds on the go.

The drivers…

Several factors are at play behind the growth of mbanking or mobile banking-Smartphones and Tablets have become ubiquitous.  Consumers are welcoming banking services on their device. Bandwidth is getting breezing faster. Mobile apps have gone powerful and much-secured to integrate with banking processes and operations. While powerful game-changing drivers like faster ROI, higher productivity and direct and personal communication channel with the customer base has attracted banks to embrace mobility, customers are buoyed-up by anywhere, anytime and quick services.

The big gains…

Mercatus LLC Survey on mobile banking came up with some interesting results validating how mobilizing the operations and services can boost customer acquisition, brand perception and sales.

The report reveals that-

• Banks offering mobile financial services can increase new customer acquisition by as much as 60%.,
• Mobile financial service capabilities has more impact on a consumer’s decision to select a bank than availability of online banking, access to ATMs, or nearby branches.
• Banks offering mobile financial services should anticipate as much as a 60% increase in sales lift.
• Customer acquisition, promotional offers including mobile financial services out-performed those that did not include mobile financial services by nearly 30%.
• A decrease in cost of acquiring a new customer by as much as 20%.

The Possibilities…

Today, mobility for banking is not only a viable medium but also an enabler that can act as force multiplier for other channels. Mobile devices and apps offer considerable value to banks both from a B2E and a B2C perspective. Mobile applications are swiftly replacing the mobile websites of banks by providing better experience and secure transactions. Some banks have already introduced mechanisms that enable interaction between the ATM and the mobile devices of the customer. Armed with a smartphone or Tablet, a user can connect his device wirelessly to the ATM, authenticate and can make a withdrawal or fund transfer through it without any debit or credit card. Within the organizations, powerful enterprise solutions have facilitated performing a spectrum of services on mobile devices. Bank employees today not only use mobile devices to connect and interact within the organization through mail, messenger etc., but also use it to access various company resources like Management Information System, Transaction management and Sales Force Automation etc. Mobility solutions for banking are making processes leaner and quicker not only with their own might but by also complementing with other technologies.

The challenges…

The ride, however, is not so smooth. There are multiple challenges facing the banks as they move on to leverage mobility solutions. There is a massive proliferation of devices differing in form, functionalities and features. The challenge will be to come-up with a solution that fits all. While the world may have been stepping into 4^th generation of internet connectivity, still bandwidth latency and coverage is an area of concern if mBanking has to truly stand to its

promise of anywhere, anytime banking. Security of banking transaction over the air is another complicated challenge which calls for continuous intervention as the technology evolves. Decision makers should also need to keep an eye on the scalability and reliability of mobile infrastructure as the usage grows and mobile devices become the major channel from yet-another-channel of contact between customers and the branch.

The future…

A report by Juniper Research predicts that mobile banking users across the globe will reach 530 million by 2013, up from just over 300 million in 2011: making mobility a key strategic channel for the banks encompassing the entire set of banking operations.

In addition to a steady increase in the number of banking services on their mobile devices, the quality and level of mobile experience will also be a detrimental factor in the growth of mobile banking. Merchants, keen to maximize their customer base, would look for new, convenient ways for their customers to shop and pay. Sample this: You are shopping. You carry all the items in the shopping-cart to the bill desk, get the bill and put your hand in the pocket to take out your wallet…but, this time your m-wallet. Yes, as smartphones gets powered with NFC (Near Field Communications), mobile devices will turn into wallets and cashless transaction will get a new meaning. As a result, banks have to think beyond conventional possibilities when it comes to mobile banking. From being your bank’s branch to your wallet; the mobile phone will do a lot in future. The trends points toward a future where everything will be real-time and any-time and mobile devices will emerge as the major medium of consumption. Tapping into the opportunities available will help banking institutions derive enduring value from mobility solutions.

Our Recommendations…

• Embrace mobility. Mobile banking is here to stay. And offers tremendous value to both, banks and customers. The opportunities are endless.
• Focus on consumer experience. Create a smooth, user-friendly and secure mobile banking environment.
• Pick the right platform. Diversity in screen sizes, functionalities and operating system necessitates banks to adopt a multi-platform approach.
• Keep an eye on analytics. Monitor user behaviour. Customer intelligence will be the guide for future.
• Lay down the groundwork for next generation of m-banking. Emerging technologies like NFC, RFID etc., promises more opportunities. Be ready to seize them.

The beginning…

The world of convenience banking on mobile phones and Tablets is pretty engaging. A powerful value proposition!  However, it is just the beginning. The swift pace of change in the mobile technology is opening new opportunities, driving innovation and prompting banks around the world to ask- what else? A big shift from- why go mobile, a few years back? The evolution has led many banks to not only see mobility as an enabler towards greater customer access to their services but also as a catalyst for a larger role in their lives. Mobile Banking is set to go beyond its current informational and transactional role. Banks have a window of opportunity to seize the initiative. Procrastination is no longer a choice. Adoption is the only way.

Native, Web and Hybrid Apps – Understanding the Difference

As newer technology emerges, the mobile landscape is becoming incredibly intriguing. While currently everyone is gung-ho about native or HTML 5 apps, a considerable section is also rooting for the third approach called Hybrid mobile applications, which combines the best of both native and HTML 5 apps. As the debate rages on which one – HTML 5, native or hybrid – is the right choice; we present before you a feature-wise comparison of each category to help you make your own choice. But, first a brief introduction on each-

• Native Mobile Apps- Built using the native programming language for the platform like iPhone or iPad apps built using Objective-C, and Android application built with Java. Native apps are fast, provide better user experience and interface and have access to all device features for which it is built. On the down side, a native app can be used only for its specific platform thereby restricting the reach. For e.g., an android app cannot be run on an iPhone and vice versa. If you want to cover a larger audience across all platforms, you will need to have separate native apps for them.
• Web Apps - A website built using HTML5, CSS3 etc., which resembles an application and can be accessed through a mobile browser is called a web app. The biggest advantage of web apps is that it can be used across all platforms and devices. However, web apps are not accepted in any of the native app stores thereby cutting off an important distribution channel for the app developers. Also, web apps cannot access or use the native APIs or device specific hardware features.
• Hybrid Apps – While many confuse a hybrid app with a native app, but there is a fundamental distinction. A hybrid application is built using web technology, and then wrapped in a platform specific shell.  The native shell not only makes it look like native apps and makes it eligible to enter the app stores, but also, developers can build in some of the native functionalities into it, to access some of the native APIs and use device specific hardware features to some extent. A hybrid app is basically an app developed in combination with HTML 5 and native technology. For cross platform reach, developers would need to code the native part separately for each platform but they can use the same HTML5 part across all of them.

As we see, the jury is still out on which one is the best approach. It all boils down to your requirements and the way you want your user to interact with your app. While you have all the options, selecting the right platform could be a critical factor in the success of your app.

[x]cube GAMES participating in Inside Social Apps 2012!

At [x]cube LABS, we enthusiastically look forward to interact with various stakeholders of the mobile computing ecosystem. Such interactions help us not only to understand the swiftly changing landscape but also, many times, act as a guide to explore new opportunities and broaden our outlook that often culminates into better products and services.

[x]cube GAMES, our gaming division, is participating in the Inside Social Apps 2012, San Francisco. The 2 day summit brings together leading mobile app and game developers and contemplates on the future of mobile app and game growth and monetization on social and mobile platforms. We will be represented by a high-level team led by our CEO, Mr. Bharath Lingam, and comprising Mr. Ravi Korukonda, COO; Mr. Jason Franzen, Chief Design Officer and others.

If you too are attending the event, then please drop by and visit us at our booth!

[x]cube LABS wins honors at HOW Interactive Design Awards.

Our design team, over the years, has been consistently rolling out highly creative and ingenious designs, which are not only well-appreciated by our clients but has also been winning laurels at various platforms. Adding yet another feather in our cap, the team has brought home the “Merit” award in OTHER/APP category at the 14th Annual HOW Interactive Design Awards.  The annual award event recognizes the year’s top digital projects judged on a range of parameters including design, technical expertise, UI/UX etc.

Our entry to the event was ‘LoytalTree Rewards’, an application for iPhone, iPad and iPod developed for our client Cardeeo Inc. The award winning application offers users a brand new way to save money and earn rewards at favorite local destinations in their city. The app has previously won the prestigious Bronze award at The Dallas Show 2011 organized by DSVC (The Dallas Society of Visual Communications).

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Mobile apps enhance company perception and customer satisfaction.

Mobile applications are fast gaining prominence as essential tools in the enterprise ecosystem. As the world witnesses a massive proliferation of mobile devices and consumers spend more time on apps, there is a significant opportunity for businesses to leverage applications to target, reach and connect with the audience and enhance their brand value.

Apps impact customer opinion

A survey by Nuance Communications reveals that companies that deploy mobile apps seem to gain in company perception and customer satisfaction. The majority of respondents (72%) in the survey said that they have a more positive view of a company that has a mobile application. In addition, 81% said that they will share the positive experience with others. When asked, how an app would increase their level of  satisfaction, 35% were of the opinion that easy transition to a live agent from an app would most likely to drive its usage, while 21% expect more functionalities in the app to better meet their needs.

App Downloads is on the rise

Mobile app downloads is maintaining its upward growth as more and more customers are willing to try new apps. As high as 89% of smartphone users are found to download at one app every month on their device with 70% having downloaded more than 10 applications, while 29% have over 30 apps on their phone. Another 12% of smartphone users have downloaded over 50 applications on their device.

Customer engagement with mobile apps

Mobile applications are fast becoming a popular channel for customer service. More than half of the respondents in the survey have said to download their carrier and bank’s app. Of the users who have downloaded the carrier’s app, 25% use it while 27% of smartphone owners use the banking app.

The above figures highlights that mobile apps are increasingly becoming a must-have in the overall communication architecture of an organization. Armed with high-powered mobile devices, consumer expects services on their devices. Businesses have significant opportunity in reaching to their respective audience through apps. And, therein lies an opportunity for businesses to differentiate themselves from the competition. However, it is critical for them to meet the rising consumer expectations through seamless experience and better functionality. In near future, a powerful app experience could turn out to be a key element in driving brand loyalty.

Infographic on Enterprise Mobility- Apps, Platforms and Devices.

The enterprises are witnessing a transformation led by smartphones and Tablets. Mobility is slowly becoming a critical part of IT strategy. As employees and business processes go mobile, we, at [x]cube LABS, tried to decode enterprise mobility, crunch numbers to present before you an informative infographic detailing out the technology used in enterprise mobility, industry verticals that are at the forefront of mobilizing its operations and why enterprises are adopting mobility solutions. Our enterprise mobility infographic also takes a look at the state of enterprise applications, the smartphone deployment approach by industries and how big brands are increasingly deploying apps.

To view the complete infographic and for a high resolution image click here.  Re-tweets and Feedback will be highly appreciated!

Our other infographics-

The Android Story

The evolution of mobile operating systems

Smartphone and Mobile App Usage

The smartphone app-o-graphic