MWC: instructions for use

2019 and the new Mobile World Congress . Everyone wants to show their new products, which form the main IT trends for the year. We also participated in MWC 2019 and in this post we will share our impressions of the exhibition, tell you about our new developments, review the main trends of MWC and give some tips on how to prepare for participation in such a major event.

How it was

MWC 2019 was traditionally held in Barcelona on the territory of the Fira Gran Via complex, with an area of ​​more than 100 thousand square meters. Sunny Spanish city received this time more than 100 thousand people interested in mobile technology.

The exhibition was generous with unusual smartphones, information security technology and robots. And even strikes on the subway did not spoil the wow effect. After visiting the congress, it became clear that we were waiting for a new era of smart phones, clamshell, universal robotization and ultra-high-speed mobile Internet.

ABBYY at MWC 2019

This time we participated in the Mobile World Congress with a booth where we showed our new developments in the field of mobile technologies and artificial intelligence. Some of them are still classified, but we slightly lift the veil of secrecy:
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1. A new generation of mobile capture technology is being created in the depths of our development, which can work even without the need to install a mobile application. We can't tell you more, just follow our news. There is not much left before the launch.
2. Neural networks and artificial intelligence cease to be an area of ​​fantasy and become ubiquitous reality. Therefore, our mobile FineScanner is learning to “think for itself”, which raises the experience of its use to a new level. Again, we can not reveal the details, but soon you will find a cool update. Journalists have already tested and praised him.
3. Business Card Reader has learned to export contacts from business cards to Salesforce CRM not only on iOS, but also on Android. Now you can safely use BCR as a tool for managing contacts in companies that have chosen Salesforce as the main CRM system.

Of course, the MWC is not only a show of new products, but also an exchange of experience, as well as the opportunity to communicate live with users. By chance, we met a man who, with the help of the iOS application “ Commands ” and TextGrabber (by the way, the only OCR application with support for Siri Shortcuts ) automates his routine tasks. One of the application scenarios is to search for ingredients-allergens in the composition of the products:

• when you start the command, the camera opens,
• user takes picture of the product,
• the photo automatically opens in TextGrabber and the text is recognized,
• when a dangerous ingredient is found, the team issues a warning.

Shortcut is called Allergy Alert and you can download it on iOS here .


Every year, the MWC hosts the Global Mobile Awards - awarding the best technologies and innovative IT solutions. This year, ABBYY FineScanner entered the TOP-5 in the category of Most Innovative Mobile App.

Top Trends

There were a lot of announcements, but the trends are obvious. We will tell about the main ones.

1. Folding smartphones: coming reincarnation clamshell phones! Several manufacturers of Android gadgets presented the first models with a flexible screen to the public, thanks to which the smartphone can be folded in half. We do not argue that the technology is the future, but so far it looks damp and costs cosmic money. For example, Mate X from Huawei at the start will cost € 2,300.
   
   
   
   
   
2. The new generation of mobile communications 5G: the epic continues from 2016, when it was first talked about. Finally, the fifth generation of wireless communication is brought to life. Last year, AT & T, Verizon and T-Mobile announced the imminent launch of the technology, and Huawei, Xiaomi, LG, Samsung, ZTE showed their first devices with support for this communication standard. The new generation of the mobile network is a story not only about ordinary users, but also about industrial application. 5G will be used in robotics, unmanned vehicles, drones and security systems and other areas where the connection speed and minimum delay are key parameters for successful operation.
3. Security: the introduction of new technologies dramatically increases the risk of hacking and data theft. Many companies presented their security tools to the public: Sirin Labs brought Finney blockchain smart phone, and PixelPin offered their alternative to text passwords. They propose to use as a security code pictures on which it is necessary to arrange points in a certain sequence.

Finney Blockchain Smartphone:

We have prepared a small overview video. Take a look with your own eyes on the scale of the event and news.

Mobile World Congress Guide

The more you ride, the more experience. Of course, in reviews of past years we have already shared some of the life hacks, but this time we have collected a whole collection of tips, which is especially useful for companies intending to take part in the congress for the first time.

Forward intelligence

If you seriously think of participating in the MWC with a stand, then it is better to go there for the first time to explore as visitors. Explore the stands of other companies, mark the places with the best traffic. So you can choose the perfect place and apply cool life hacking from experienced exhibitors. Work out next year at all 200%!

Before the trip to the exhibition, carry out the preparatory work: the registered contacts are available in the official MWC application , you can understand with whom it is interesting to talk and make an appointment. Most managers have a planned schedule, and simply finding them on the stand is problematic - they are usually busy.

Budget

Be prepared for the fact that your initial budget will almost double, because even if you choose an area with buildings, TV and electricity, a lot of other expenses arise in the process.

Stand

Fine! You are ready to go to the MWC with a booth. Make its design as simple as possible, but bright: a large brand name (to make it easier to notice) and a short, clear description (to see if your product falls within the scope of a visitor’s interests).

The corner stand gives more visibility, and the space next to the bar or a very popular brand - more traffic. Put on the stand large monitors with spectacular demonstration videos that in a split second can catch the attention of those passing. Add flowers to the stand, they create a feeling of comfort.

Grab your own MWC badge ribbons so you don’t advertise other brands on your neck.

Handouts

Prepare branded materials that your visitors want to use later. Cool stickers that look good on a laptop or cards with promo codes on the application. Do not print a lot of leaflets with product information. Many people today are trying to be eco-friendly and avoid unnecessary paper, preferring to receive your materials by email.

Badge Scanner Application

The organizers are selling licenses for the Lead Retrieval badge scanning application. Buy at least one license. A person came to your booth, you scanned his badge, immediately received all of his data - email, area of ​​interest, company. You can use tags and notes to add information about him after communication. For one click directly from the application, you can send him your marketing materials.

But if additional expenses are not foreseen, then you can scan the business card using the Business Card Reader and also send your intro to email and then make the analytics in Excel .

Demonstration zones and devices

One of the main tasks of MWC visitors is to find out, test or see something new. Therefore, the demonstration zone, clearly marked with the words DEMO AREA, can become the main instrument for attracting an audience. Take a lot of gadgets with you where you’ll show your products. The devices are constantly working and rather quickly discharged. Every smartphone or tablet should have at least one backup - one sat down, another took.

Tours

Since the scale of the exhibition is huge and choosing the most interesting on it is difficult, from this year the organizers offer visitors to take advantage of thematic tours Topi Tour . If your technology is suitable for excursions, we recommend to declare yourself in one of them: a group of visitors (an average of 20-30 people) will be brought to your stand twice a day, which you can present your new products in 10 minutes.

Team

We do not advise you to go to the MWC with a team of two people: either the stand will be empty most of the time (why did you book it at all?), Or you will not be able to work effectively at the exhibition. Gather a team of three to four people (sales, marketing, event-manager) so that each one performs their own role: presentations at the stand, study of the exhibition and meetings with potential customers.

Informal communication

During the MWC, there is a huge amount of informal "parties" that are worth going to (Google to help, and to start the Eventbrite app with events in Barcelona). Sometimes in a more casual atmosphere you can find very interesting acquaintances.

Hashtag for social networks

During the congress, the hashtag #MWC (or # mwc19 this year) is very popular. Add it to all your publications in social networks, many follow it, which means another chance to shine!

At last

Prepare your stay in Barcelona in advance. Not only buy tickets and book a hotel as early as possible, but also download everything on your smartphone that will make your life easier. Here is our helpful list:

• Download the map of Barcelona in Google Maps on your smartphone to calmly navigate in the city without the Internet.
• Stock up on Drimsim to avoid buying a local SIM card and not spending a lot of money on roaming. In Barcelona, ​​Drimsim has excellent communication and internet, even within the MWC.
• To navigate the subway, download TMBAPP .
• For taxi rides - Mytaxi ( iOS , Android ). Uber is banned in Spain this year.
• We recommend Reby service for renting electric scooters . Expensive, but accessible to foreigners, and riding around the city on a scooter is much more fun than walking.
• In order not to drag a bunch of paper from the exhibition, scan all the interesting materials in FineScanner .
• Traditionally Tripadvisor to find the best places in the city.
• For recognition and translation of any printed texts, for example, a menu in a restaurant, please be TextGrabber .

By the way, this year was our tenth anniversary trip to Mobile World Congress. Read what was in the trends of the MWC in previous years here:

2015
2016
2017
2018

Successful MWC in 2020!

* Publication previously published in ABBYY Mobile Blog .

Danila Volkov,
ABBYY Mobile team