Team,
This week I
will focus on an interesting set
of use cases I discussed with a ship builder and Ship
operator and some
innovative IBMers. Below is a
Summary of discussion I have had last week.
I have discussed in the past on reasons why Our customers
invest in Mobility, let us revisit that:
So looking at the reasons on why our clients and enterprise
will invest into mobility is broadly categorized into 3 areas:
1.
To
Monetize – Simply put, a
Mobile application/platform will generate new revenues, and becomes strategic
go to market strategy. Example retail, cruise lines etc.
Constituents – B2C and B2B in some cases.
2.
To
make people productive – This includes ensue that employees in office and field,
be is sales or oil rigs can do their job and add to efficiency factor.
Constituents: B2E or B2F(ield)
3.
To
provide better customer service – This category, the enterprise
may not be able to monetize or have direct impact on bottom line, but need to
provide a channel that is in tune with times. This is simply cost of doing
business. At times it is hard to put numbers behind good customer service.
Constituents: B2C or even
B2E
Now looking at
Shipping Industry we have 3 Players:
In the section
below I explore the various players, their motivation to invest into mobility
and collaborative platform where each players can provide a value add
capability that will enable the other to either exploit the platform capability
or build upon it.
1. Ship Builders
Ship Builders are the one that build ships
that are used by the Ship Operators such as cruise liners, and other defense
installations. Ship builders have
a consideration including on-board network planning, bandwidth estimation,
application frameworks and re-tooling and maintenance.
Motivation:
a.
Provide
Value add: by providing infrastructure such as
an access points, messaging infrastructure, and other infrastructure on the
ship.
b.
Provide
an environment: which enabled the operators to “bring their
application” and a drop in scenario. This is value add to operators but the
software ownership is ship builders burden.
c.
Data ownership:
this implies that the ship builders own the data, and while many operators may
not agree to this model the ship builder will be now responsible to support
application design, development, deployment, management of the infrastructure
and introduce a “Bring your Application” model”. This model implies a
transformation that includes a data induced business model.
Technical
Considerations:
a.
Network Infrastructure planning
b.
Messaging and Application infrastructure
c.
Long term maintenance and technology Re-tooling
2. Ship Operators
Ship operators are the entities that
operate ships such as cruise liners, defense installations such as Navy and
other Merchant Navy organization, which carry freight. In case of defense
installations such as Navy and other Merchant Navy organization the demands for
security and application may differ and may be limited by regulation and
policies but the ubiquity of mobile application remain.
Motivation:
a.
New
Marketing channels: The ship operators have an avenue to exploit an
untapped opportunity to connect with on board guests in real time. Some new
marketing opportunity include on board network to enable person-to-person
connectivity, On board service and ad-hoc offers, on-board location based
services, real time messaging of on-board events and a channel to introduce
partner services such as a content and concessions.
b.
Better
customer services: Mobile specific services such as a on board real
time messaging will allow for better crowd control and management, events
notification and suggestive analytics. This also include Emergency services
such as an alerts, location-navigation and on-board security services.
c.
Business
services integration: Due to availability of on board network and
in-roads into the mobile device via a Mobile application various business
services such as content by a content provider (DirectTV/Amazon/Netflix etc),
Games, coupons and promotions by the contracted concessions on-board.
Technical Considerations:
a.
Application and Middleware Considerations
b.
Application Store infrastructure
c.
Integration – existing billing systems, back end
system and analytics platforms.
Example:
a. Enabling employees -- Use of Mobile device
as a POS systems -- Point of sales system
on the ship. -- this includes integration of Company issued ruggedized
devices with an APP and on board point f sale system. The device can wither
have a swipe option or be
specially ordered with credit card or key swipe feature.
The business drivers here are costs saving of POS maintenance and
dynamic updates to these with MDM ( mobile device management) integration, since the device is issued by the company.
b. Use of Mobile device for person to person
communication -- this include on board app store provided app store and on board connectivity. Two components here -- on board
network this is provided by closely connected access points that helps with
basic 802.11 type connectivity -- think of this as self contained network
system. And Application to provide VOIP ( Voice Over IP) capability to make
person to person ( UA to UA) call based on registration --- this functionality to be enabled by
SIP services ( Session initiation protocol) which exploits the 802.11 network.
Business Drivers - Application
sales will generate new revenues and negate the need to maintain way phones
which is "in-cabin" communication system. Also provide avenues to
absorb other mobile services.
Caveats: Costs - the most expensive part was the
"on-board" network and
the Infrastructure to enable this application framework.
3. Partner Services (Business Partners)
These are business partners that offer
services in partnership with Ship operators. This includes on-board vendors,
concessions and on-board service providers that are providing or have an avenue
to provide services on ships. Some examples include but are not limited to vendors such as a entertainment and content
providers, concessions, gambling and like services.
Motivation:
a.
Integration
with On-board service orchestration: this includes partner offers
capitalizing on impulse purchase behavior and captive consumer audience.
b.
Real
time offer management: Based on triggers such as a crowd density,
promotional considerations and combo offers, gamification and rewards,
entertainment and engagement with activity and on-board mobile messaging
infrastructure.
c.
Access
to Mobile and other e-services: Ability to provide services such as an
e-mail (disconnected mode) and other e-services such as voice (over IP) and
integration with satellite services (for fee service). Other online services
include “circle of friends
communication”, person to person communication and suggestive analytics with
services, offers, activities and reservations.
Technical
Considerations:
a.
Application and Middleware Considerations
b.
Partner Gateway Services
c.
Integration – existing billing systems, back end
system and analytics platforms
Have a a Great week!
:)
Nitin
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