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Trend 1 - Context-based servicesable to integrate data from the physical worldbeyond location—inputs from QR codes are onlyone example—must not be underestimated. Andcontext is not just another example of socialmedia, although social certainly adds contextsuch as shared interests or opinions. It’s inthe aggregation of all of these things that wetruly see the power of context-based services.They create an experience that adds levels ofutility and richness—and yes, complexity—thatwere not possible even just a few years ago.Context-based services thattranscend mobile appsContext-based services have existed inrudimentary forms for some time; to an extent,they are evident in the Internet of Things—forinstance, in the real-time readings on paceand time that marathon runners receive froma transmitter tag laced to a shoe. They arealso apparent in the recommendation enginesused by sites such as Amazon, Netflix, andLinkedIn. Recommendation software notonly keeps track of your personalized historyand uses it to infer interests; today, it canproduce suggestions based on what othersin your social circle or professional groupare doing. For instance, if other users in yournetwork are reading a popular business book,a site may propose that you purchase it,too—and provide a one-click link to do so.And of course many phones—they do noteven have to fit the definition of Webready smartphones that access vast storesof apps—have location-sensing capabilitiesthat provide their users with usefulproximity data, route planning, and more.Accenture Technology Vision 2012The next few years are likely to see an expansionin the volumes and types of sensors availableto add context. The industrial world alreadybenefits from radio frequency ID (RFID) systemsin which RFID-tagged items supply contextualdata about their locations, time, temperature,and much more. Now we anticipate a rushof specialty devices that will excel in nicheareas—health monitors that test for bloodsugar levels, for instance, or wristbands thattransmit signals about a patient’s activitylevels to mobile-linked health care systemsthat add context about family health historyto enable patients to improve their own healthcare. Apple’s latest iPhone, for instance,contains Bluetooth Smart technology—anew standard that supports connections tosensors that consume very little power.The power of contextOne other source of context is in what isshared—which is where blogs, chat rooms,message boards, social media, productreviews, and the countless other wells ofonline data come in. We can detect or infercertain information about others based on ourinteractions with them or, even more simply,we can give them the opportunity to shareit themselves. It turns out that users readilyshare meaningful personal context; they justneed to have a compelling reason to do so.So when a retailer provides QR codes in itsstores, it enables the shopper to access newand valuable sources of information about aproduct or service. Because this is something theconsumer wasn’t able to do before—or wasn’table to do with such ease and reliability—he iswilling to trade some personal data in exchange.That data in turn becomes valuable not only forthe retailer and the original producer but forothers in the shopper’s social network as well.Given richer context—access to the shopper’sinterests, shopping history, or age, perhaps—providers will offer services that better alignwith his needs and wants. Indeed, we expectthat products, services, retailers, and enterpriseswill be differentiated based on their abilityto meet users’ requirements in this way.The power of context will enrich not only onlineinteractions but real-world ones as well. Today,online shopping experiences have surpassedwhat is usually available in the physical world;it is possible to view different colors, styles,sizes, and availability of merchandise; to putshopping carts on hold; to pay in many differentways; to redeem coupons easily; and more. Thenext few years will see a push toward mergingthe physical and virtual shopping experiences.Blippar, for example, offers augmented realitycapabilities that allow retailers to experimentwith doing just that today. And Shopkickenriches the in-store shopping experience withpersonalized offers, highlights products thatothers have liked, and rewards customers forwalking into selected stores. The reward forwalking in is just the bait; the context piececomes from location (knowing you’re in thestore), understanding interests and intent(scanning an item you’re thinking about), andsocial connections (knowing what others liked).What it means forthe business New products and services based oncontext from inside and outside of theenterprise New contextual data services thatenable companies to more easily addcapabilities to their existing products New capabilities to experiment withnew services and iterate quickly basedon pilotsThe emergence of more context-basedservices will have a compounding— thosenew services themselves provide additionalsources of context. The expanding richnessof context will be a fast-moving capabilitythat enterprises will need to watch.7

Trend 1 - Context-based servicesThis time next yearOver the next 12 months, the ITorganization should: Create strong links with businessfunctions that directly influence theconsumer experience. Compile a firm list of context-basedservices that is regularly updatedas circumstances change—and thatforms the basis of discussion withthe business side in order to drivethe platform for context across theenterprise. Form a pilot team that blends userexperience specialists with datascientists to experiment with newcontextual data services. Establish an environment that enablesexperimentation—rapid development,planning, and deployment. Begin developing a data platform tohandle contextual data and analytics,including appropriate privacy controlson potentially sensitive personalinformation. Develop a data roadmap to depict howto acquire the critical data necessaryfor the next generation of contextbased services.8Accenture Technology Vision 2012“CIOs and other IT leaders who get it—whograsp the importance of context-basedconnections—will be able to establishthemselves, and their organizations, asstrategic players. They will immediatelybe able to offer new levels of insight thatwill differentiate their organizations fromcompetitors.”What’s possibleSeveral interesting examples show howcontext-based services may unfold. Theservice from a company called Reach.ly scansTwitter accounts in search of mentions ofplanned trips; with the information it gleans,it enables hotels to contact travelers whohave indicated that they are heading to theirvicinity. In another case, several mobile phoneservices providers are experimenting withtechnology that automatically deactivatesphones while their owners are driving.1And Misys, a provider of IT solutions for thefinancial services sector, is working to combatbank fraud with GeoGuard, its new consumerlocation-based offering running on the Force.com platform. GeoGuard collates geographicinformation and enables customers to allowtheir banks to request their most recentlocation information, regardless of the servicesthey use. The banks benefit because they canreduce the considerable costs of confirming acustomer’s location abroad and reimbursing forany fraudulent withdrawals from an account.2However, it is still early days for context-basedservices. Current services barely scratch thesurface of what’s truly possible. Althoughmany of the technology challenges are beingovercome, and although contextual data andthe means to synthesize it have reached criticalmass, other hurdles remain. For instance, privacyissues are likely to make headlines soon asprivacy watchdogs jump in to defend againstunauthorized tracking of citizens or consumers.In the United States, consumer advocacy groupsare particularly vocal about such issues.The skills needed to deliver contextSo what will it take for IT departments to helptheir organizations deliver rich context-based

Trend 1 - Context-based servicesexperiences to their customers? Context-basedservices should be limited only by the creativityof the business, not by IT’s ability to deliver.It should go without saying that skills in userinterface design will be high on the list. Atthe same time, it will be beneficial to haveexpertise in the design of high-quality customerexperiences, whether you’re a retailer, a utility, ora product manufacturer. One individual shouldbe charged with the responsibility of overseeingcustomer interactions across all channels.For example, the Washington Post publishingcompany recently appointed a chief experienceofficer, as did Cleveland Clinic some years ago.Also needed: strong management disciplineto get the best results from a mix of ITtraditionalists and creative user-experiencetypes. Orchestration skills will be essentialfor helping to handle the complex array ofinternal systems, not to mention the vendorsnow populating the data services market,where some forms of context will originate.Because new sources of context are constantlypopping up—and because there are always newuse cases, new services, new players, and newcustomer needs—context-based services will alsocall for skills that encourage experimentation.And they’ll require real flexibility and fastpaced ways of working because context that isconstantly in flux will lead to a need for agileservices that change as quickly as users do. ITpractitioners who are geared to traditional ITcycle times will not be prime candidates forthe new roles needed; they’re unlikely to havewhat it takes to get the best from the newworld of context and from an ever-changingmix of widely distributed contextual data.Accenture Technology Vision 2012Context-based services require very differentthinking from IT leaders. They call for amuch broader and more dynamic view of thepossibilities for adding value for the business,and they demand different skills and strongerlinks within the enterprise than has beentypical to date. But those who grasp theimportance of these connections will quicklyestablish themselves as strategic players.Your 100-day planSuggested actions to take during the nextthree months: Identify ways to drive the discussiontoward the value of context; launchdiscussions of new context-drivenop

these plans to put their enterprises on the path to new organizations, new processes, new systems—even a new frame of mind. Doing so means starting this journey together with the business. It demands detailed discussions with the rest of the C-suite. It will call for CIOs to internalize these trends so they can start framing these discussions .