The Apple of My “I” (As in C4″I”SR)

U.S. Patent Application #20070291710 by Apple Inc. basically is a device that can track where a customer makes purchases, and what was purchased. With this information, loyalty programs can be enhanced for regular customers who may buy certain categories of goods habitually.

Orders could be placed on particular meals, such as a favorite pizza, and the customer could be notified when seating is ready or the pizza is ready for take out.  An apparel retailer could IM or even automatically phone a patron with a synthesized voice recording when a new rack of fashion in that patron’s size has been added to the floor.

This capability puts Apple squarely in the arena as a C4ISR Marketing player and positions them to perhaps take advantage of revenue streams they did not have before.I’ve always admired Apple products – my first laptop was a PowerBook. Now the intelligence the Marketing professionals can gather could be dramatically augmented by this system. Certainly EMM, Data Mining, Predictive Analysis and B2C practices will gain more of a following.

The public relations risk due to the forseeable protest of privacy advocates will be drowned out by the consumers who “get” the benefits of convenience and personalization that will come out of Apple’s pragmatic direction. Let’s hope the US Patent & Trademark Office‘s overworked staff gets this through the clutter.