BlackBerry Steers Business Toward Music Streaming Service
What’s Going On: BlackBerry’s smartphone business took a beating from Apple and An- droid, but the company doesn’t plan to lose out on its automotive op- portunities. QNX, BlackBerry’s operating system subsidiary, which makes the new BB10 operating system, is planning to add a music streaming service — 7digital — into its in-car entertainment and information system, QNX CAR.
How It Can Affect You: QNX has a solid reputation with in-car navi-
gation, but what about the bigger picture? Digital music is the next big battleground in the vehicle, and QNX has been developing next-gen- eration systems to meet that demand. This will give it some muscle against Google (which has its own grand plans with self-driving vehi- cles) and Apple, which is already testing the waters with Volkswagen. If BlackBerry can hold its own in the smartphone world, it may have a chance in the car as well. Another smartphone and in-car entertain- ment system in the mix will certainly make things interesting.
Te Shack Puts New Plan In Play
What’s Going On: RadioShack is freshening up its product lines
and stores as it pursues new, younger shoppers. Te initiative comes on the heels of a first-quarter, $43-million loss. A new branding campaign, “Let’s Play,” hopes to position RadioShack as the local technology playground. Te stores will feature more private-label brands and will be remodeled with new
fixtures and displays that group products by brand rather than category.
How It Can Affect You: Te retail environment continues to evolve, and more stores are looking
to court the new, younger shopper who is savvier than ever. Tis ups the ante for all retailers, and it follows other developments like Best Buy adding Samsung mini shops, and Microsoft opening its own specialty stores.
Microsoft Moves On More Mini Stores
What’s Going On: Microsoft is adding to its name by rolling out specialty stores that will offer an edited selection of company products like Surface PCs and Xbox systems. Most of the 33 stores nation- wide are kiosks are based in shopping malls with a kiosk style.
How It Can Affect You: Manufacturers — taking a page from the Apple playbook — are taking more control of their brands and the positioning they have at retail, so much so they are opening their own pop-up shops or specialty stores to boost their bottom line and visibility. Retailers may have to make some choices if these are brands they carry and they don’t want to compete with the manufacturer at retail. On the other hand, these stores might drive business to specialty mobile-electronics stores with broader product line- ups and unbiased recommendations.
What’s Going On: Alpine is shipping its
first in-dash head unit with MirrorLink, the ICS-X7HD. The $800 unit has a 7-inch touchscreen that controls smartphone functions.
How It Can Affect You: According to Juniper Re- search, 20 percent of cars in the U.S and Western Europe will be app-capable by 2017. Consumers are looking for devices and systems that are compatible with their vehicles. While this marks a
huge opportunity for after- market gear, the ecosystems are still resolving, which can make the difference in why a consumer buys one product — or, for that mat- ter, shops at one retailer — over another. The Car Con- nectivity Consortium (CCC), the organization backing MirrorLink, now has more than 100 worldwide mem- bers, and it appears that an open standard for the connected car is on its way to becoming a reality.
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Partners In Tech
What’s Going On: Best Buy and Samsung
have teamed up to open Samsung Experience mini-stores at 1,400 Best Buy and Best Buy Mobile specialty stores across the country. The rollout will be completed by this sum- mer. Samsung Experience, which averages about 460 square feet, features Sam- sung mobile devices.
How It Can Affect You: The retail environ- ment is rapidly changing,
without question, and with Samsung anxious to solidify its retail presence, it makes one wonder how salespeople at Best Buy will actually be focused now with all the Sam- sung-specific product on the floor. Whether this format succeeds may provide insight, however, into how retailers may want to partner with key vendors versus having more brands on the floor but no true partners.
Alpine Out Of Te Gate With MirrorLink
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