Remember Rosie from the animated television show, The Jetsons — the family robot that constantly took care of the family’s needs, keeping them healthy, cleaning up their spills? For years that’s all I ever wanted for Christmas. The series was set in the 2060s, so there is still time – but I suspect I will download a software version much (much) sooner.
Today’s standard mobile devices (I’m hesitant to insult them by calling them phones) are 1,000x more powerful than my first computer and – believe it or not – many times more powerful than the Cray Supercomputers of the 1980s (list price $32,000,000). Storage is a still a bit skimpy on these devices, but (and you’d know this if you were an active reader of this blog) storage is about to go through a massive revolution that could increase the capacity by 1,000X in the next few years without substantially increasing costs. Network bandwidth — traditional Wi-Fi paired with Bluetooth LE/Smart — will increase throughput by 1,000,000X.
Add to this a growing sensitivity around personal privacy and the stage is set for the arrival of the Servant App.
Just like Rosie, this app will be there to take care of you and attend to your every need. Constantly monitoring your health via wearable technology and the world you are currently operating in.
The perfect industry to take advantage of these new capabilities? Travel, of course:
- Bad Weather? Your Servant App predicts the probability your flight will be cancelled and starts to look at other flight options or pre-book rooms in nearby hotels, just in case.
- Delayed flight? Your Servant App knows and starts searching for filler options that meet your personal profile: Discount at a sushi restaurant? TGIF? Other flight options?
And, best of all, because your device is receiving – not submitting – data, there would be no privacy concern or creepy target marketing. Only your servant app knows your eating and shopping habits, which hotel you’d rather stay at, and whether or not you’d rather use your 45-minute flight delay eating, working somewhere quiet or getting a massage at a nearby spa. And only your servant app can provide you the discounts specific to your plans.
In the world of Servant Apps, businesses talk while your app listens and chooses what’s best for you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays,
Robert