Is Your Communication Strategy Future-Proof?Margot Hirsch RVP – International Blackboard Connect

Uni Dormitory, circa 2000…

University communication, circa 2000

PrintCirca 1439

PostCirca 1516

EmailCirca 1971

What’s happened since then?

Landlines replaced by mobile

THEN NOW

What’s happened since then?

SMS killed instant messaging

THEN NOW

What’s happened since then?

Social media have replaced portals like AOL

THEN NOW

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What’s happened since then?

Smartphones are killing: • Cameras• GPS devices• PDAs• Portable games• MP3 players• Wristwatches• Voice recorders• … and so on

What’s happened since then?

Tablets threaten laptops

THEN NOW

What’s happening today?

Headlines report eminent demise of SMS…

Apple iMessage

What’s happening today?

… at the hands of IP-based messaging

Whatsapp

What’s happening today?

… SMS still growing in the UK

What’s happening today?

But universities still behind the SMS curve

2009 2010 2011 20121,000,000

10,000,000

100,000,000

1,000,000,000

Connect Usage by Mode

Total VoiceTotal SMSTotal Email

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What’s happening today?

Smartphones now the norm• UK smartphone penetration: 64%

– Second highest among major EU economies

• UK smartphone penetration, higher education cohort: 80%

Source: comScore, UK Digital Future in Focus, March 2013

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Where are we headed?

Mobility will be ubiquitous and mature

• UK tablet adoption, 2012:16%

• Tablet adoption, higher education age cohort: 19%

• Predicted UK tablet adoption, 2016:36%

Source: Deloitte, The State of the Global Mobile Consumer, June 2012; eMarketer, “UK, Germany Dominate the Tablet Market in EU”, Nov 2012 

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• More IP-delivery of text messaging– McKinsey lists UK as “high risk” market for OTT threat

• More bite-sized sharing of all content types:

Where are we headed?

Messaging options will proliferate

TEXT IMAGES VIDEO

What do you need today?

What do you need tomorrow?

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More info?

Margot Hirshmargot.hirsh@blackboard.com