But who needs a connection? China’s Alibaba’s UC browser, for example, requires less data to serve users in remote rural areas with low-speed connections. SHAREit, a Lenovo application also from China, saves data costs by allowing users to transfer music and videos to friends’ phones while offline. In Brazil there are also a few examples: Google Maps or Spotify can be accessed in an offline version. ‘Emerging markets are coming up with applications and services that respond to local needs and, in doing so, they are building products for the future of the internet,’ says Caesar Sengupta, vice president of product management for Google, to The Wall Street Journal.
Why is all this important? Because an extra billion people online, new applications and innovation hubs will change the way the internet works and significantly impact businesses, as the study points out. According to the consultancy, the positive aspect of this story is the development of more intelligent and efficient technological resources to support people. A negative one is the risk of manipulation by the forces that use Facebook, Twitter, and other social media to spread misinformation via fake news. Augmented Reality and the Internet of Things are also linked to this new wave of virtual supply and demand. These changes have come to stay. Is your business prepared to join the digital fast lane?
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