After having viewed the video clips and worked through the extended reading, please respond to the below discussion prompt. You should post your initial response by the date indicated in the module calendar. Please be sure to reference your sources in appropriateAPAformatting and to provide substantive evidence of any claims that you make. Where appropriate, include personal anecdotes, statistics, and references to additional reading or materials. After you have posted your initial response, visit the forum again over the coming days to read the responses of your peers. You should respond to at least two other students by asking them to elaborate on a point, providing acounter-argument, suggesting a topic for debate, or referring back to the extended reading or video clips.

"Consumers of smartphones consider their phone to be more important than their wallet or purse, stating'my life is on my phone'. Which is of course true formany.Smartphones areindispensable especially as many consumers are choosing to use a 'phablet' - such as the Samsung Galaxy Note 2,IPhone6 Plus, Nokia Lumia or the Google Nexus 6. Through cloud storage and apps, consumers can upload and download photographs, read books, convert currencies, pay for online purchases from Amazon or Skype loved ones. However, the more recent technologies enable consumers to use their phone on an M2M (Machine 2 Machine) basis. M2M and the IoT (Internet of Things) gives consumers the opportunity to join the technology connected revolution by interacting with their phablets, which in turn interact with other technology/machines that consumers have at home. This M2M has happened because many consumers do not have 9am to 5pm jobs, therefore cost-conscious and environmentally aware consumers only want to turn on their heating devices when they return home.

Through apps on theirphabletsconsumers can use smart technology to control their central heating device in their home from anywhere in the world; or 30 minutes from home! This means consumers can turn on the heating device so that their home is lovely and warm when they arrive. Belkin WeMo is a cooking pot that can also be linked to a consumer's home Wi-Fi system. Again, the cooking pot can be switched on via an app on a phablet to ensure the consumers' evening meal is ready upon their arrival at home. To ensure the consumer's journey home is stress-free M2M technology, developed by Cisco, will change traffic lights and redirect traffic through cities more effectively.Sowhen the consumer arriveshomethey can kick off their shoes and Bluetooth theirfavouritemusic from their phablet to their beautiful, sleek speakers. Technology converging with other technology via the mobile phone is predicted to ensure brands stay connected with their consumers on a regular basis during their day-to-day lives."

Source:Doole, I., Lowe, R. and Kenyon, A. (2016).International marketing strategy(7thed.).Cengage Learning EMEA, p. 414.

Discussion questions:

1. Critically argue the pros and cons of businesses including M2M technology in their products as part of their marketing strategy.

2. Critically assess the benefits for the consumerofengagingwith M2M technology on their phablet.