with infinite potential since the focus of the public can be detected and efficient solutions can be provided at low costs.
Massive online open courses (MOOCs) are changing the business model of higher education by crowdsourcing education. The traditional model of higher education is highly crammed and students need to pay increasingly higher cost to learn rigid lessons. The new way of online learning encourages free interactions and an open exchange of information. It is students who have the freedom to choose courses rather than schools. MOOCs provides better education that is more efficient, more cooperative and cheaper. Besides its influence on education, MOOCs also influence businesses. For example, organizations can obtain a wide range of high-quality online training courses by remote access, offering constant training for their employees at a more reasonable cost. Using MOOCs, with only a computer, an employee can access the courses and services of a renowned university professor. Enterprises and staff should co-draft the most efficient curricular plans to realize both personal and organizational goals. Many leading MOOC platforms encourage students to socialize and have a deeper understanding by digital cultures. In the foreseeable future, online education platforms can help colleges and universities to focus on their educational areas of expertise in clear and concise ways.
1.1.2.3 VR/AR
Nowadays, marketing people have started to examine ways to improve the digital experience. Augmented reality (AR) can empower marketing people with digital capabilities to improve the user experience and apply digital marketing in a real sense. Statistics in research companies show that over 60 million users in 2014 used AR apps in their smartphones, tablet computers or smart glasses. It is estimated that this figure will exceed 200 million in 2018 and such statistics indicate that AR technology will influence predominant business environments beyond doubt.
Based on virtual reality (VR for short), AR is an emerging technology. Objects that reside in the real world are augmented by computer-generated perceptual information by sensors, display equipment and digital pictures, voices and data. AR is an interactive experience that connects the virtual world on screen with the real world, which blurs the boundary between the real and virtual world and augments user experience in the real world. Therefore, AR can be seen as an external digital interface of the real world. By contrast, VR technologies, by which multiple senses including visual, auditory, haptic and even the olfactory sense can be emulated in the virtual world, enabling users to immerse themselves in the digital environment and find themselves in another space. In this regard, VR can be seen as an internal interface of the virtual world.
Nearly all AR tools are realized by apps on smart devices, including smartphones, tablet computers and wearable devices. AR has provided an augmented digital experience for our life and daily contacts. To realize such effects, a sensor or a camera is needed to capture the view or information in the real world. Currently, many AR startups are developing apps for Google Glass for the reason that Google Glass has the sensors and cameras that are necessary for augmented reality. In China, architectural designs are drawn, apartments are viewed or trainings are provided for aviation staff using VR and AR to upgrade and KMG has also introduced top sci-tech partners from Irvine, the US, for many Chinese enterprises.
1.1.3 Digitalized data storage
1.1.3.1 Big data
The term “big data” refers to a set of data sets that are too large to be collected, analyzed, graphed and analyzed using traditional software. Moreover, these data are usually unstructured. For businesses and marketers, the biggest challenge for big data is how to get accurate, relevant and executable insights into vast amounts of information.
In August 2010, Google’s Eric Schmidt provided the following insights, which perfectly summed up the challenges of data and its exponential growth: “Since the birth of the world to the year of 2003, humans created five-exabyte of information. But now, we can create five exabytes every two days. So, you can understand how painful the information market is.” Data scientist Jack Yamuka said that “Data science is not just about digital computing, but about humans. Data comes from human behavior. Big data scientists have the ability to understand people. The most ideal result is that big data can help people.” In the age of data, the biggest challenge for companies and marketing CMOs is not the data itself, but how to make meaningful data interpretations.
Advances in technology and data handsets enable marketers to track, review and improve all aspects of digital activities. The ability to quickly compare campaigns with real-world results can help companies continue to refine their brand information and marketing campaigns and better connect with existing customers and prospective customers through marketing content. If we consider big data as mine and oil, then big data marketing is one of the commercial applications of mines and oil. Digital marketing is “(content platform + digital platform) × big data operation × upgraded marketing strategy thinking”. Customers, data and technology need to be integrated and there is a chapter devoted to this issue later on in this book.
1.1.3.2 Cloud computing
Peter Mell and Tim Grance of the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) proposed in 2009 that cloud computing is a computing resource that can be accessed over a network (including networks, servers, data storage, software applications and software services, etc.), which can meet the individual needs of customers in a convenient way, without special intervention and maintenance. For enterprises, cloud computing provides enterprise computing infrastructure construction and off-site hosting services through third-party outsourcing. This allows companies to put resources and capabilities to more core areas without having to build IT infrastructure or manpower within the enterprise. Compared with traditional internal computing systems, the advantages of cloud computing are 24-hour accessibility, advanced security and lower cost.
• According to IDC’s survey, in the single year of 2011, companies have invested US$28 billion in third-party or public clouds and the figure exceeded 70 billion in 2015.
• Around 63% of business leaders in the survey believe that cloud computing can make the whole organization more agile and responsive.
• In 2013, 80% of the large North American companies were planning to use or have already used cloud computing to replace local computing.
• Three main service modes of cloud computing are as follows:
▪ Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) software service: SaaS software is installed on the Internet and enterprises can contact related companies of SaaS cloud services to obtain licenses. Enterprises obtain software services through the network. The client end does not need to perform actions like software installation, updates and upgrades.
▪ Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) platform services: PaaS is a computing platform that allows companies to develop software and applications rapidly over the Internet without having to purchase and maintain complex software platforms. PaaS is very similar to SaaS, while the difference is that PaaS is not just offering software, but a set of development environment and publishing platforms.
▪ Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) infrastructure services: IaaS provides a complete set of infrastructures for cloud computing (server storage, network access and operating systems) and it provides services on demand. IaaS can be a public cloud, a private cloud or a hybrid cloud of the two. The public cloud, which can be accessed by all registered users, is deployed on the Internet and contains all the features of computing systems; the private cloud is a computing system with unique performance built on the private network (company intranet). Many cloud computing service providers offer a hybrid cloud service that combines traditional servers with public/private cloud services.
Cloud
