Who’s winning the real-time race?

Last week I wrote about how a number of Australian sports organisations were using real-time data to deliver awesome digital experiences. But while the sports industry is leading the way, there are countless others that could be harnessing the demand for real-time information. And make no mistake, the web is going real-time. Twitter started the trend, and now the mobile web is launching it into full flight. I’m no Apple fanboy, but iPhone has quite literally changed consumer behaviour by introducing the mobile web to the masses. Last week a study from Ruder Finn emerged analysing the usage patterns and needs of mobile Internet users. And unsurprisingly, real-time information was at identified as a primary need of mobile Internet users. The rise and rise of the mobile web was further compounded by wi-fi provider JiWire, who recently revealed that 56% of their connections were made via mobile handsets! And when consumer trends emerge, businesses follow. So I thought it’d be fun to take a look at the businesses that have taken the early lead in the real-time race, and those that are lagging behind…

The winners

To start off with, let’s take a look at the businesses that have emerged as innovators in the delivery of real-time information via mobile interfaces. The results may surprise you:

• The Banks: Yes… public enemy number one! But as much as I hate the banks for being evil mofo’s, the Commonwealth bank iPhone app is the most used on my phone. Mobile banking is simply brilliant, allowing me immediate access to my financial information. Along with Commonwealth Bank, Westpac & St George are also aboard the real-time train.
• Public transport: Another curse of my existence! Yet despite my loathing of public transport, tramTracker is my second most used mobile application. Access to real-time data allows me to determine how far away the next tram is, and whether it’s worth sticking around for it. Wonderfully useful! MetLink also provide an iPhone application with similar capabilities.
• Qantas: Finally, a brand I don’t hate…! While I don’t use this application often, it’s one of my favourites from a conceptual basis. The Qantas application feeds real-time flight information directly into your iPhone. Anyone who’s ever picked up a friend or family member from the airport should recognise the benefit immediately.
• eBay: I’m not a compulsive Ebayer, but I have lost an auction because I wasn’t online when the final hammer went down. It sucks! So this one earns an obvious gong for allowing members to transact anywhere, any time.
• NRMA: This strays somewhat from the transmission of real-time information, but still falls under the category of real-time access to corporate services. NRMA’s Roadside Assist application enables members to request assistance directly from their iPhone. A service assistant is sent out based upon the GPS coordinates sent via the device. How cool is that? After being stranded by my car recently, this one really appeals to me.

Others organisations earning credit for delivering quality real-time mobile experiences include the Yellow Pages, Domain, Lonely Planet, Domino’s, Amazon, Haymes Paint, Nova Radio & The Age.

And now for the fun part… the hall of shame…

The losers

So we’ve identified the winners, but what about the laggards? Here’s a list of industries that are clearly missing the boat when it comes to real-time data delivery to their customers:

• Taxis: Ever had problems hailing a cab? Of course you have! I understand it’s a massive logistical exercise, but imagine if all cabs were equipped with GPS to enable customers to locate a nearby cab. And imagine if you could hail a cab directly from your phone with your exact GPS coordinates. Win!
• The stock market: I don’t play the stocks, but I appreciate just how important real-time information is to the industry. Which is why it was a shock to see organisations such as E*trade and IG markets lack a mobile presence. Particularly when their quality web interfaces are built upon the delivery of real-time data.
• Household utilities: Of all the Australian utility providers, only AGL has an iPhone application, which fails to provide any meaningful real-time information. But wouldn’t it be cool if you could track your usage and bills in real-time. With the Victorian government pushing the ‘Target 155‘ message, it seems particularly relevant to the water industry. You want us to save water? Well give us the tools…
• Real estate: Domain does a reasonable job of enabling users to browse for properties via their phone. But what if it fed real-time data to buyers? Alerts could advise users when properties in their preferred area/s sell and the sale price. Of course, this is little more than a pipedream as the real estate industry deliberately withholds sales data in order to deceive their customers. Thus the provision of an application that may actually help buyers make a better decision is completely ludicrous. I guess the best we can hope for is real-time push notifications when a new property is listed in a preferred suburb.
• Top-up subscription services: There are a bunch of subscription services that require customers to continually top up their credit. Prepaid phones plans are one example. Tollways such as Melbourne’s CityLink are another. As is the incoming (and infamous) Myki public transportation system. Each could benefit from the delivery of real-time alerts once a customer’s account is close to expiring.

Got any others to add to the winners or losers list? Well don’t just sit there… add them via the comments!

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