Smarter Commerce – Redefining commerce in the age of the customer

**This post was updated on February 9th, 2012, to include a link to Smarter Endpoint Management: IBM Goes Mobile.

When I was a kid growing up in California’s Central Valley (the “Big Valley” made famous by the eponymous 1960s TV show with Barbara Stanwyck, Lee Majors and Linda Evans), I loved watching television. And despite the reference to a “western” show in the preceding sentence, I was actually a sucker for every sci-fi show known to humanity. I suppose you could say that westerns held little thrill for a kid growing up around ranches and farms. But robots and space? Now we’re talking.

In particular, I loved Buck Rogers in the 25^th Century, a cheesy camp-fest of a show that I used to watch with my dad. One of my favorite characters was Dr. Theopolis, a large, plate-shaped “super” computer carried around by a robot named Twiki.

But it turns out that the reality of the 21^st century far outstrips an imagined 25^th century. How? Because where Dr. Theopolis was presented as a rare and precious (and let’s face it, cumbersome) computer, Smart Phones are all around us. We carry more computing power in our pockets than prior generations could even imagine.

Today, Altimeter Group’s Chris Silva published his report, “Make an App for That: Mobile Strategies for Retailers.” Chris argues—and quite correctly, in my experience—that consumer shopping behavior has been forever changed thanks to the explosive adoption of mobile devices. In fact, as his report makes clear, mobile is quickly becoming the primary means by which people interact with a brand. Chris cites data from IBM Benchmark data to make the case that retailers need to expand or rethink their mobile strategies to meet changing consumer shopping needs and demands.

So I’m taking it to the street: how do you use your mobile device? And do you think retailers are doing a good job? Let’s get the conversation started.

If you’d like more information on IBM and mobile, read Smarter Endpoint Management: IBM Goes Mobile.

Technorati Tags: IBM Benchmark, Mobile Commerce, retail