Tech Insight: Daniel Cran, LogMeIn

What will be the next big disruptive play in technology and what impact will it have?

The next big disruptive play is to activate the potential of existing technologies and uncover innovative ways to engage with customers that fit their lives. But this doesn’t make the task of achieving customer and business success any easier.

In a study of 8000 consumers globally, LogMeIn and Vanson Bourne found that while 67% of Australia and New Zealand (ANZ) consumers surveyed are likely to do business with the same company again following a good mobile experience, this dropped to 9% following a bad experience. In other words, 91% of ANZ consumers may walk away from a company after a bad customer experience while using their smartphone, whether via an app or website. The disruptive play here is not to jump on new platforms, but to develop and improve existing channels where customers are happy to engage with you.

What challenges or trends emerged in 2016 that the industry wasn’t prepared for?

Security in the Internet of Things (IoT) has emerged as one of the key challenges for product companies. While manufacturers are great at designing and developing their products, many are not prepared to manage the security of their newly connected devices. They have been hit with the reality that the IoT is not just another IT principle and many have underestimated the huge leap required to implement an IoT strategy. Yes, the IoT is creating new levels of customer connectivity and intimacy. But this unprecedented volume of information has resulted in households and businesses increasingly becoming unsecured data depositories. With consumers’ privacy and safety expectations rising, this has wreaked havoc on industry players caught unprepared.

What will be the biggest growth opportunities for your customers in 2017 and why?

We are seeing a growing number of companies turning to remote support as the secret to increased customer satisfaction and retention, productivity and profitability. The rise in connected consumer products is enabling businesses to gain unprecedented and direct access to their customers, and those in the financial and manufacturing industries will reap the greatest benefits from video-aided support.

As an example, the UK’s leading insurance provider for students, Endsleigh, began using LogMeIn’s remote support product Rescue Lens to enable claim agents to see and remotely assist with the claims process as if it were directly in front of them. This has allowed Endsleigh to settle certain claims by collecting evidence through Rescue Lens, removing the need to travel to the customer’s home and shrinking the typical five-day turnaround down to a single day. With the challenges that connected customers present, video-aided customer support will present fresh opportunities for innovators across all industries to secure a competitive advantage over new sector entrants.

Daniel Cran is the APAC Director at LogMeIn, responsible for managing local and international teams, building strategic partnerships and networking throughout the Asia–Pacific region. Previously, Daniel managed regional customer experience across global technology and logistics companies such as Experian, Fliway and Spring Global Mail.