ONE of the leading figures in the mobile phone world will tell an audience in Halton that smartphones will “touch everyone’s lives” in years to come, as mobile technology moves into new areas.

Dr Mike Short, president of the Institute of Engineering and Technology, will be visiting O2’s Preston Brook site to speak about the future of mobile technology.

Dr Short, who is vice president – public affairs at O2’s parent, Telefonica Europe, has worked in the mobile communications world for 24 years.

And he will tell an invited audience at tomorrow’s “Meet O2 lunch” that companies such as his are finding new ways to connect smartphones, such as iPhones and Blackberries, to other technologies, to help make people’s lives easier.

Speaking to LDP Creative this week, he said: “We’re all innovators now.

“For the first time, we’re seeing two of the strongest, most innovative platforms come together – mobile and the internet.

“That creates all sorts of opportunities for innovation and investment, but also changes the way we do things.

“For example, look at electric vehicle charging. Last week, we announced a deal with Chargemaster so people can connect their electric vehicles to their charging posts so they can be billed the right amount.

“We’re looking to extend that to other areas – we’re looking at smart meters. We want to provide connectivity so people can monitor their energy use in real time, so they can better control their costs and their consumption.

“Another area would be future navigation systems for cars. Why don’t we start having real-time mapping info for cars, rather than using a CD of maps that rolled out two years ago?

“There could be an opportunity to add restaurant and hotel information, or historical points of interest.

“Mobile and the internet are touching every sector of society – we haven’t even mentioned health and education. These smart devices are going to touch everyone’s lives.”