iOS 8, the next major version of Apple's mobile operating system, was unveiled yesterday at the company's WWDC 2014 keynote. It refines the new look of iOS 7, but, more importantly, it delivers new features that will have a profound impact on the digital customer experience that you can deliver to your customers through customer-facing apps.

Among the most notable features and technologies that can help your organization engage with your customers more effectively:

  • iOS 8 Notifications will be customizable and actionable, allowing your customer to instantly respond to a notification with embedded controls. By pulling down on a notification banner in iOS 8, they will get an extended interface with a text field to quickly reply to a message, such as a promotion when they are close to the point of sale. Interactive notifications are also available on the Lock screen and digital customer experience apps will be able to deliver them more effectively than ever.
  • A big feature of OS X Yosemite, also presented, and iOS 8, is Continuity. It isn't a new app but rather a set of tools that will help customers achieve a consistent and continuous experience when using multiple devices and switching from an iOS device to a Mac and vice versa.
    Imagine the possibilities: your customer can start browsing your products on your iPhone and pick up where she left off when she sits down at her Mac. Or browse the web on her Mac and continue from the same link on her iPad, to receive a notification when she is close to your point of sale.
  • With HealthKit, a new developer technology, third-party apps will access each other's health and fitness data. With HomeKit the iPhone becomes pivotal to the connected home, offering a common network protocol to let apps control locks, lights, cameras, plugs, switches.
  • Coming to the App Store, now counting over 1.2 million apps, iOS 8 brings important changes aimed at enhancing app discoverability, search, marketing strategies, and purchase mechanisms, including the possibility to embed short videos to advertise your app more effectively.

Can’t wait to see Neosperience Summer ’14 integrating these gorgeous features for our clients!