The retail industry continues to be a hotbed of innovation. Activity is driven by connectivity and technology, and growing importance of technologies such as cloud and artificial intelligence. In the last three years alone, there have been over 133,000 patents filed and granted in the retail industry, according to GlobalData’s report on Cloud in Retail: Instant messaging Social network. Buy the report here.
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According to GlobalData’s Technology Foresights, which uses over 128,000 patents to analyse innovation intensity for the retail industry, there are 70+ innovation areas that will shape the future of the industry.
Instant messaging social networks are a key innovation area in cloud
Instant messaging or IM can be defined as the exchange of messages in real-time using either embedded software or a standalone application. Instant messaging is different from email communication as the exchange through the former is instant. Enterprise instant messaging systems enable users to indicate their availability, converse with team members, hold team meetings, and exchange documents.
GlobalData’s analysis also uncovers the companies at the forefront of each innovation area and assesses the potential reach and impact of their patenting activity across different applications and geographies. According to GlobalData, there are 40+ companies, spanning technology vendors, established retail companies, and up-and-coming start-ups engaged in the development and application of instant messaging social networks.
Key players in instant messaging social networks – a disruptive innovation in the retail industry
‘Application diversity’ measures the number of different applications identified for each relevant patent. It broadly splits companies into either ‘niche’ or ‘diversified’ innovators.
‘Geographic reach’ refers to the number of different countries each relevant patent is registered in. It reflects the breadth of geographic application intended, ranging from ‘global’ to ‘local’.
Patent volumes related to instant messaging social networks
Source: GlobalData Patent Analytics
In terms of patents filed, Meta Platforms, Tencent, SoftBank Group, Microsoft, and Alphabet are the leading players in this space. In November 2022, Meta launched ‘find, message, and buy from business’ feature on WhatsApp, its own instant messaging application. The feature enables WhatsApp users to discover brands, initiate a conversation with them, and complete purchases on the application.
In terms of application diversity, Johnson Controls International, Take-Two Interactive Software, Womanizer Group Management, Bluefin Labs, and Nokia are the leading players in the instant messaging social network space.
In terms of geographic reach, The Nielsen Company, Konami Group, RadiumOne, and Nokia are the leading players.
A variation of instant messaging is chatbots. Retail players are increasingly adopting instant messaging to better communicate with customers and enhance customer service by expediting resolutions.
To further understand the key themes and technologies disrupting the retail industry, access GlobalData’s latest thematic research report on Cloud Computing in Retail.
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GlobalData, the leading provider of industry intelligence, provided the underlying data, research, and analysis used to produce this article.
GlobalData’s Patent Analytics tracks patent filings and grants from official offices around the world. Textual analysis and official patent classifications are used to group patents into key thematic areas and link them to specific companies across the world’s largest industries.
