The mobile industry swarmed my backyard last week. OK, it wasn’t literally my backyard (although I would be open to hosting such an event), but instead my relative backyard of San Francisco. The who’s who of mobile service providers, device manufacturers and application developers came out West for the annual CTIA Enterprise and Applications Conference. Conversation focused on emerging trends and the future of the mobile world. One trend I’m sure all of you are wondering about yourselves is what our increasingly wireless society means for OCR and data capture on mobile devices.
People in the mobile market tend to have one of two reactions when you bring up OCR and data capture. Either they are in the know and exude excitement, or they are not. For those not in the know, the reaction usually isn’t positive. Typically, all expression leaves their face and their voice goes flat. This is the sign of someone who has only experienced OCR on their scanner and sees little additional value from the technology. I prefer to look at them as someone needing enlightenment. Why? My experience has been that after discussing the types of applications that leverage OCR technology, whether it is business card scanners, quick tax return filing services, ingredient scanning applications or insurance claim programs, they get excited about the mobile possibilities.
The capture community has worked hard the past few years to ensure that mobile influencers see the extension of OCR and data capture onto mobile phones and tablets as a logical evolution of the technologies. This year’s CTIA shows that we are making headway. New applications are beginning to leverage the technology to provide previously unattainable user experiences. How so? Providers understand that consumers are looking to do more than just talk, play games or answer e-mail on their phones. They understand the value of using a mobile device’s camera to instantly compile additional information and alter the way we approach items while on the road.
This year’s CTIA represented an opportunity to continue to spread the message that OCR can be a valuable solution on mobile devices, and introduce mobile developers and influencers to a technology that can take the mobile experience to new heights. I enjoyed being able to engage in these discussions while on the show floor and look forward to seeing where they take us over the next 12 months.
Tell me a little bit about your experience at CTIA. What did you find exciting and what do you see capture enabling?
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