The tablet and smartphone wars between Apple , Amazon
and all things Android are uncovering a number of key technology trends, but the one that's grabbed my attention is the increasing thirst for children’s technology, especially here in North America.
The headlines are certainly striking: Apple's new iPhone 5, which promises ease of use for adults and youngsters alike; Amazon's new Kindle. Curiously, even Toys ‘R Us is trying to seize on all these trends, unveiling its Tabeo, the latest child-friendly tablet to enter the market.
No question, I am pleased to see that so many key industry players are recognizing technology’s powerful potential to change children’s lives, something that has not only inspired, but is driving us forward here at Rullingnet.
You might know our family of durable, educational tablet tools we call VINCI Early Learning Systems.
I have always believed in the power of technology as a learning tool, converging cutting-edge mobile touch screen technology with the scientific developmental milestones of children to target the six essential “Cs” – creativity, curiosity, critical thinking, communication, contentment and confidence. It's all about assisting that most important of "Cs," our children.
We have carefully crafted a fun and technological ecosystem that is safe for kids, but also has a strong educational focus.
Thanks to the recent BabyCentre survey, 21st Century Mobile Mom Report, we now know that more than 55 percent of mothers own a smartphone, and that 22 percent of today’s parents have given their kids a smartphone or tablet to keep their youngsters occupied while running errands.
Clearly, parents are looking for ways to occupy their kids while providing them with stimulating and engaging content. Based on this research and listening to demands of the marketplace, we have provided parents with VINCI Kids Library, a safe and child-friendly environment that offers over 500 apps — free from commercial, adult content, violence, and addictive in-app purchases.
We want to provide parents with peace of mind knowing that with VINCI their children are always safe and protected.
We pride ourselves on creating every level of the proprietary VINCI Curriculum with special care.
Every learning aspect is considered from a developmental standpoint, backed by the latest scientific findings and scrutinized by VINCI’s educational advisory board, consisting of revered developmental psychologists and teachers. Our Curriculum apps aim to strengthen the main developmental areas of a child’s mind.
And this is the difference between Vinci and so many others who are trying to stake their claims in this critically important market. Ours is not a toy masquerading as a learning tool; or a tablet or smartphone hand-me-down that could hopefully be useful to a child; ours is not an entertainment device that hopes to educate as well.
We created Vinci with a very specific goal in mind: technology crafted to educate our youngest kids, to familiarize them to technology, devices, electronics.
Our curriculum comes from traditional educational luminaries who also recognize the power of this platform and who sculpt learning into these new perimeters. Our results have been stunning and we are so gratified by what we've achieved and the opportunities that lay ahead.
We have made tremendous strides in creating an educational tool and we believe it is already changing lives for the better.
Vinci apps educate with the promise of entertainment and enjoyment along the way. Others entering this space come at the concept from the other way around: Entertainment with merely the hope of education at some point along the way.
We hope our work will keep inspiring parents, educators and children across the country to embrace technology and recognize its true potential to reshape the educational landscape, the workplace and our communities. And we hope the work we've done to date continues to inspire new entrants to this space.
But we also think it's so important to highlight the differences in this fast-changing market, so that parents can make the best choices for their children. We got into this to educate our kids; but as technology and innovation change so quickly, we absolutely embrace the opportunity to educate parents too.
It's very likely if you're already sharing a tablet device with your children they're probably enjoying it as much as you are. We know from multiple surveys that an overwhelming majority of parents say they found tech educational - even - beneficial for children facing life in the 21st century. It is our hope - our vision - that education and fun can go together.
Kamar Shah serves as Chief Marketing Officer for Rullingnet, the company behind the Vinci Early Learning System family of tablets, apps and technologies. He has been a major player in the telecoms and entertainment industries for the last 15 years, connecting some of the world’s largest brands with the innovative technology they need to succeed and stand out. In his role at Rullingnet, Mr. Shah focuses his global experience on early childhood education and technology.Prior, Mr. Shah launched some of the first mobile services in Europe with Orange and served as Global Head of Industry Marketing for Nokia. He has also acted as a consultant for brand names such as Sony Music, Coca Cola, Viacom, Universal Music, and has strategically advised music industry luminaries from David Bowie to Beyonce.
email: tech@cnbc.com