CMO Council: ‘Track the Yack’ among mobile computer users.

A new cyber “eavesdropping” program to “Track the Yack” among mobile computer users has analyzed thousands of conversations, comments and opinions in online discussions groups to gain revealing insights into the sentiments and preferences of today’s diverse digital user base worldwide.

Part of a Reinvent Mobile campaign launched by the CMO Council’s Forum to Advance the Mobile experience and Phoenix Technologies, the monitoring of virtual chatter and digital discourse in blogs, forums and review web sites by Fractal Analytics has produced some clear and apparent needs among Internet actives using mobile computers.

The new Track the Yack voice of customer (VOC) study released today gathered nearly 10,000 distinct sentiments based on some 4,000 online conversations between mobile PC users. Topping the list of gripes and groans among users are poor customer service and prohibitive repair costs, often leading to unnecessary obsolescence and eWaste. In addition, discussion analytics revealed these top concerns for users:

* Systems are overloaded and congested, taxing memory and performance
* Boot-up time is wasted time that lasts too long and reduces productivity
* Too many unnecessary software add-ons are slowing down mobile PCs
* The tribulations of too many trial software offers and applications is an issue
* Heat build-up and noise during continuous operation is a hot area of irritation
* Power management and batteries need a boost to buy more operating time
* Trying to connect is often a disconnect, particularly in the wireless world
* Weight weighs heavily on their decision about what system to buy
* Poor ergonomics and badly designed input devices are a strain
* Insufficient RAM, weak graphics, faulty motherboards are big areas of complaint
* Complaints about poor sound quality are something vendors should listen to

Track the Yack also evaluated customer sentiments for specific models from many leading mobile computer brands, including HP, Dell, Lenovo, Apple, Toshiba, Acer, Sony, Compaq, Asus and Fujitsu. Using the Eavesdrop tool developed by Fractal Analytics, researchers looked at the consumer-generated conversation and commentary to assess perceptions, satisfaction levels and experiences with each brand’s product.

Importantly, analytics was used to accent what mobile computer users tend to care about and value the most. This includes:

* Greater reliability and accessibility of connectivity (especially WiFi & Bluetooth)
* More efficient and less RAM-hungry operating systems
* Lighter weight, more comfortable and stylish designs and colors
* Quality and clarity of screen displays
* System performance and disc size
* Automated, universal connectivity and USB port availability
* Instant on power up and application access

“Using the Eavesdrop system from Fractal Analytics, we will continuously calibrate how the vendor community is performing in meeting end-user desires and wants,” noted Donovan Neale-May, executive director of the CMO Council. “The efficiencies and value of online listening and sentiment tracking using ‘spidering’ and ‘agenting’ technology is now available to the industry and brands will have the ability to use eavesdropping for more customized, deep dives in the marketplace.”

Track the Yack is part of a ground-breaking online community building campaign that aggregates a global audience of mobile computer users to form a vibrant new channel of co-innovation, feedback and market engagement. Funded by Phoenix Technologies with computer ecosystem and media partners, the Reinvent Mobile initiative gives technology vendors, suppliers and the channel an always-on, real-time listening, learning and leveling environment for optimizing the design, delivery and acceptance of next-generation systems.

At the center of the program is a new landmark, Web 2.0 social media and community portal —www.reinventmobile.com — a content-rich destination that promotes ingenuity and breakthroughs in mobile computing, and enables visitors and contributors to:

* Interact and share mobile computing experiences and views

* Discover and submit innovative ideas and insights
* React to future designs, concepts and prototypes
* Receive special deals, discounts and benefits

One innovation coming to market that addresses key frustrations and desires among mobile computer users is Phoenix HyperSpace.(TM) Debuting at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas (Jan. 8-11), HyperSpace is a revolutionary new instant-on, always-connected, fun and easy to use application and Internet access environment that makes operating a mobile PC as efficient and easy to use as a cell phone. Available today for download at www.hyperspace.com and also designed as add-on option with many next-generation notebooks and netbooks, HyperSpace allows users to instantly launch important web-based applications (before Windows boots), automatically connect to the best available network, dramatically extend battery life, and achieve new levels of uptime and security protection

“We’re excited to play a leadership role in the Reinvent Mobile community and help promote greater insight and engagement with today’s mobile computer users community” said Woody Hobbs, CEO of Phoenix Technologies. “We’re also encouraged to see that insight coming out of Reinvent Mobile demonstrates a strong desire for instant-on computing, greater power management, smarter network connectivity and other capabilities that are delivered by our new HyperSpace product line.”

A year ago we announced a vision for the next revolution in the PC industry, which we call PC 3.0(TM). PC 1.0 was DOS and PC 2.0 was Windows. PC 3.0 is a completely new architecture defined by Phoenix, which brings together the very best aspects of how mobile phones work with the best of PC designs to create a radical transformation of the PC user experience. We have been working in partnership with Intel, AMD, VIA and many of the world’s major PC and component manufacturers to achieve this vision, and with the launch of HyperSpace at the Consumer Electronics Showcase in Las Vegas, the vision is a reality for all mobile PC users out there,” added Hobbs.

For more information at http://www.cmocouncil.org>