I fall into the category of folks that can do almost anything on mobile even though I am still one or those that heavily use personal computers because certain tasks are smoother with PCs.

Be that as it, one reality we all have to deal with is the massive disruption already bring experienced courtesy mobile technology. A few weeks ago, I shared how the Internet and mobile technology has made easy to consume and thereby leading to addiction.

The mobile revolution, which has already begun, is bound to be unprecedented and

this piece will hopefully prepare you for it or at the very least shed more light. Smart phones and devices have already replaced a number of erstwhile standalone useful tools and devices such as calendars, alarm clocks, wristwatches, games etc.

This is not to say that technology will completely replace all industrial products and processes, no far from it! I’m a firm believer in the fact that innovators in various industries will be quick to adapt to changing technologies and those who decide to maintain the status quo will be swept away.

I have always known that mobile will be extremely disruptive but a meeting with Tomi Ahonen, one of the world’s most influential mobile experts completely changed my paradigm on this matter forever. Tomi shared how mobile technologies are forcing convergence in various industries such as Insurance, Banking, Credit, Computers (65%), Internet (70%), Telecoms (80%), Advertising, Marketing Research, Social Media (60%), Virtual (50%), Gaming (45%), Music, Broadcast, Print, Mapping (60%), Camera (90%), Watch (65%).

According to Tomi, the percentage in front of each industry is simply the level of consumption they are already experiencing and percentage will keep increasing until that industry completely aligns with mobile or simply disappears.

Here are a few examples to drive home Tomi’s point. How many people do you see carrying cameras other than professional photographers? Most people today use their camera phones to take pictures. How about Social Media? Most of the social media

networks, including the largest, Facebook are all focusing on mobile because that is where most users come from. Also, it is reported that over 70% of Chinese now use their mobile phones as their alarms and this is exactly true for many Nigerians too. I hope you get the picture of what Tomi is trying to say here. According to him, in 2013, the convergence which mobile has been responsible for was valued at 6 trillion Dollars – which makes it one of the biggest industries.

To prove how powerful Mobile is, a University of Michigan report says that 40% of people reach out for their mobile phones the moment they see others holding theirs. So, one of the beauty about mobile is that it has many advantages for both the individual and the organisation. If your aim is finding new ways of reaching customers as well as increasing sales, then you need to work to understand how mobile will help you to achieve this. Mobile offers a unique medium of reaching your potential clients largely unlike the traditional mass media in such way that it provides a unique experience for users. According to the Insider Guide to Mobile (2012); it is reported that Mobile has 9 unique features:
1.  Mobile is the first personal mass medium
2.  Permanently Connected
3.  Always Carried
4.  Built-in Payment Channel
5.  Available at Creative Impulse
6.  Has Most Accurate Audience Information
7.  Captures Social Context of Consumption
8.  Enables Augmented Reality
9.  Offers Digital Interface (to real world)

Mobile has transited from being a device just for calls to an enabler that connects, carry out business transactions, do marketing and of course make voice calls. Augmented reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (AR) are expected to be gigantic industries and mobile will help them grow. The success of Pokémon go has proven that this assertion is indeed true.

According to a Fast company report, “virtual reality and augmented reality are expected to generate about $150 billion in revenue by the year 2020.”

In today’s fast-paced world, everyone is found spending a lot more of their precious moments on mobile devices than possibly ever imagined. What is particularly more interesting is that all you need to do is own a smartphone, and the rest will follow suit. So, if you are in search of a top lead that can help you increase your profits, jump aboard this new futuristic marketing wave and sail into the future with a smile.

The fact remains that mobile marketing delivers special offers to your mobile subscribers exclusively; with this attractive alternative luring them with the incentive to sign up and read your messages, any time of the day or night. To top it all, mobile text marketing proudly boasts of a proven success rate that is almost 98per cent. That is one more good reason to select mobile marketing as the pre-eminent choice for your business.

There is a bit of good news on the impact of mobile in Nigeria; PwC reports that mobile learning in Nigeria has seen a 30% improvement in student academic performance and 7% reduction in drop-out rates.

Like other modern technological devices, smartphones have the potentials to be misused and this should be guided against.

CFA is the founder of www.techsmart.ng and co-producer/presenter of Tech Trends on Channels Television