INDUSTRY UPDATE
Senior market set to explode
If you are completely bemused by talk of unified communications, Cloud services and ‘adapt or die’ statements coming at you left, right and centre you may wish to consider addressing a completely different and very lucrative telecoms market: senior citizens.
Chris Millington: Personal crusade
ageing population is rapidly expanding. People are living longer, the pressure on carers and the health service is growing and independent care homes are springing up everywhere in the UK - 21,000 at the last count.
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Catering for the new breed of Silver Surfers has become fashionable, as many still have disposable incomes, but one company argues that infirm, disabled or simply plain forgetful senior folk would much rather have a phone they can hear and use than the ability to check the latest stock market results or have a video conference with their grandson in Australia.
The so called telecom care market has become the staple business of Swedish phone manufacturer Doro and a mission of Chris Millington, their UK MD, to make resellers aware of this fast growing opportunity.
“Despite inevitable depreciation, seniors are increasingly emerging as
ARDLY a week goes by without a news bulletin advising us that the
an all-powerful consumer audience and companies would do well to recognise this,” argues Millington. “The mature generation is starting to look at new adaptive technologies to increase their quality of life. As a result, there is a huge untapped market with rich pickings for resellers to explore.
“We acknowledge that because the needs of this demographic can vary greatly, there is a requirement to create a wide product range to deliver inclusivity. Recent studies find that the vast majority of seniors have sight- related conditions such as presbyopia. Many suffer from hearing-loss to some degree and almost half endure reduced dexterity, which leaves them with problems gripping or handling a phone. We have invested heavily in research and development to create communications products that overcome these problems and empower seniors to live life as fully as possible, enabling easy contact with family, friends and the outside world.
“Our philosophy is simple – to understand and appreciate
the needs of the senior audience. End-user insight is therefore a fundamental requirement of our success and helps us operate ethically as a business.
Doro’s fixed line telephones have big buttons and on lights by default and of course are hearing aid compatible. Some have some simple yet strikingly obvious and sensible add-ons such as remote call and answer controls which can be worn as a bracelet or necklace and speed dials which can be personalised with pictures of loved ones or carers.
Doro’s engineers have clearly thought things through from a senior citizen and carer perspective and the same logic has been applied to the company’s PhoneEasy 610 mobile phone which last month was given a major seal
of approval when O2 became the first operator to offer the handsets throughout its stores nationwide.
The clamshell handset is ergonomically designed and offers enhanced grip through its soft-touch covering. Its separated keys are high- contrast, have a low-reflective finish and are of a concave design all of which allow for easier dialling. The phone can also be paired to a wireless earpiece or hearing aid thanks to Bluetooth connectivity and also has an outstanding level of hearing aid compatibility.
Again Doro has thought of everything from the user’s standpoint. For example the phone has a talk time of 192 minutes and a standby time of 22 days so forgetting to charge the device every day is not such a major issue.
Also, as a full range of phone functions are not always necessary, seniors or carers can tailor functionality to individual requirements, for example, removing the text capability for those that only use mobiles to make calls.
The Doro PhoneEasy 610 mobile
Security is another con- sideration for a senior and as a result, a one-touch assistance button has been introduced. This enables the
user to store the numbers of five people who would all be contacted in the event of an emergency – such as a fall.
“By adding telecom-care phones to their portfolio and focusing on a largely forgotten audience, resellers can address a growing market and make substantial margins by going back to basics. This also removes the investment necessary to address the somewhat complex world of convergence,” added Millington.
Did you know…
According to the Office for National Statistics those aged over 85 are the fastest growing age group in the UK and almost 20 per cent of the UK’s total population (circa 12 million) are of state pension age. For the first time in history, there are more than a million men aged 80 plus. Significantly, there are more people in the UK aged 60 or over than under 18, and this age group is projected to continue to rise by more than 50 per cent over the next 25 years. By the early 2030s, the number of people aged 60 plus is expected to pass the 20 million mark, accounting for nearly 29 per cent of the total population.
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48 COMMS DEALER DECEMBER 2011
www.comms-dealer.com
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