Mary Meeker and other Silicon Valley experts have been outlining the latest tech trends at the industry's first-ever Code Conference, taking place this week in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif.
For Meeker, a broker at Merrill Lynch (BAC) and later an Internet analyst at Morgan Stanley, highlighting the biggest IT issues of the day is a key part of her latest role at the venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers.
Her analysis, watched carefully by tech experts and observers, has earned her the label "Queen of the Net."
Many of the 160-plus trends Meeker keeps up with have serious implications for the work of financial advisors; they include everything from social media to cybersecurity.
Read on for a look at the 12 most important trends Meeker described in her talk on Wednesday.
Trend 1: Smartphone Use Is Booming
Implications: Clients and prospects will increasingly want to communicate more with financial advisors, and do more business and investing, via smartphone.
Trend 2: Tablet Use Is Skyrocketing
Implications: Clients and prospects will increasingly demand that more of their investment communications, documents and business be handled via tablet.
Trend 3: More (and More) Info on the Go
Implications: As more people access the Web on their phones, tablets and other mobile devices, advisors and their broker-dealers will have to keep up by rolling out appropriate apps, platforms and other technology.
Trend 4: New = Better
Implications: New, powerful devices are proving far more popular than older ones, making it more important than ever for advisors to embrace such technology for strengthening their relationships with clients.
Trend 5: Everyone Wants Mobile Internet Devices
Implications: Advisors and broker-dealers will need to quickly adapt their client communications and business systems. They also will need to educate clients on the best ways to use smartphones and tablets for financial planning and investing so advisors and clients are in sync with each other when it comes to the latest technology.
Trend 6: YouTube's Popularity Is Surging
