Innovation Enabled by Technology
Throughout our time in India, we heard many people mention technology as an enabler that drives change. On our last day in Delhi we heard two very different types of companies – Eko and Starwood – share innovative uses of the mobile phone and how the use of mobile phone technology is enabling each of the businesses to deliver a better product and experience to the customer. But what is interesting to think about are the very different customer segments of each company is serving.
First, let’s look at Eko; it is a company which allows low cost mobile phones to act as the transaction device for retailers and customers. Customers can walk-in to any Eko counter (retail outlet) to open a savings account, deposit & withdraw cash from the account, send money to any part of the country, receive money from any part of the world, and buy mobile talk-time or pay for a host of services. The low cost mobile phone essentially acts as the transaction device for retailers and customers and is clearly serving the bottom of the pyramid segment. But it is because of this technology through mobile phones, that the bottom of the pyramid population has the ability to send money to family living in some distance away in other small villages.
Contrast Eko’s use of the mobile phone now to Starwood Hotels’ use of the mobile phone and the target customer segment could not be more drastically different. Throughout our time in India, the disparity between the poor and the rich was constantly present. Just a short drive from the agent’s office – (a small cement building right next to the open sewage canal that we visited to see a live Eko transaction being made), we arrived at a beautiful, brand-new Westin Hotel (part of the Starwood group) and it is evident that India is truly a very disparate country.
Starwood Hotels shared with us a new app that is being developed that will enable people to arrive at the hotel, check-in using their mobile phone, have their mobile phone unlock the hotel room, and eliminating the need to have to interact with a Starwood associate. The mobile phone app would also serve as a trip advisor and could send tips on the area visiting, local restaurants nearby, etc.
What is so interesting to think about what we heard on these visits is that each company is using the power of the mobile phone to provide a service to its customers. But in the case of Eko, the mobile phone is providing a transaction that will provide money to family members in far off villages so that they can continue to buy food and provide for the rest of the family – essential to staying alive. Starwood is merely creating a service that will allow the busy business man or woman to save time upon arrival and not be tied down at the check-in desk, but certainly not something that is vital to living. Hearing the two speakers talk about technology as an enabler for innovative initiatives made me realize that technology is really touching all parts of India and is driving exciting, innovative change across all levels of the pyramid.