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Apr 21
Data captured by IoT connections to top 1.6 Zettabytes...

A new report from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) estimates that the volume of data captured by IoT-connected devices exceeded 200 exabytes in 2014. The annual total is forecast to grow seven-fold by the decade’s end, surpassing 1,600 exabytes—or 1.6 zettabytes—in 2020. For scale, 1 zettabyte = 1000exabytes = 1 billion terabytes = 1 trillion gigabytes.

"The data originating from connected products and processes follows a certain journey of magnitudes. The yearly volumes that are generated within endpoints are counted in yottabytes, but only a tiny fraction of this vast data mass is actually being captured for storage or further analysis," ABI Research Principal Analyst Aapo Markkanen says. "And of the captured volume, on average over 90% is stored or processed locally without a cloud element, even though this ratio can vary greatly by application segment. So far, the locally dealt data has typically...

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Apr 20
Tapping into OTT video’s 24% projected growth is key...

The pay TV market has been struggling with increasing customer churn and maintaining ARPU [average revenue per user], and is forecast for only 3.7% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] through 2020, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

In contrast, OTT [over-the-top] video continues its strong growth, and should see around 26% total revenue growth in 2015, with 24% CAGR through 2019, says the research group. With the growing popularity of independent OTT services, such as Netflix and HBO Go, customers are starting to demand a similar experience from their pay TV subscriptions, including features such as content search and recommendation and mobile device support.

"Comparatively high priced pay TV bundles are losing customers to more inexpensive, IP-delivered content," says Eric Abbruzzese, research analyst, ABI Research. "Operators can combat this with rollouts of new STB technologies...

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Apr 17
World's largest companies spent $895 billion in...

IDC research group (www.idc.com) estimates that, including internal spending, the world's largest companies spent US$895 billion on technology in 2014.  IT vendors of all flavors long to harness a share of their hefty IT wallets not only for the revenue gains, but also for the bragging rights. 

The activities of the largest IT spenders provide a glimpse into how these industry leaders are taking steps to transform their businesses for 2015 and beyond, says the research group. As we enter the "innovation stage" of the third platform, IDC expects to see these companies focusing on value creation on top of their current technology foundation.  Key findings of the report include:

° Wal-Mart was the largest IT spender worldwide in 2014. Bank of America placed second, followed by Citigroup, AT&T, and JPMorgan Chase & Co.

° Nine out of ten spenders increased their IT spending from 2013 to 2014.

° On...

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Apr 16
3D printing market surpasses $3.3 billion in 2014

The Canalys (www.canalys.com) research group estimates that nearly 133,000 3D printers were shipped worldwide in 2014, a substantial increase of 68% from 2013. Additionally, market revenue from 3D printers and their associated materials and services rose to US$3.3 billion, an increase of 34% from 2013.

"We’ve seen the 3D printing industry go from strength to strength in 2014," says research analyst Joe Kempton. "As we expected, the holiday season saw the most significant growth, particularly in the consumer segment, with many users buying their first 3D printer. A combination of falling prices, a wider range of technologies on offer and improved printing speeds helped fuel this demand."

In the fourth quarter of 2014, Canalys estimates that total market revenue surpassed US$1 billion for the first time in a single quarter, and some 41,000 3D printers were shipped worldwide, an increase of 24% sequentially....

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Apr 15
Global mobile gaming market forecast to top $50...

Increased adoption of smartphones and tablets has led to the growth of the global mobile gaming market, which is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 21.39% from 2015-2019, says research firm Technavio (www.technavio.com).

Smart mobile devices have seen huge demand as gaming platforms in recent years. The diverse connectivity options available on these devices like 4G, Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are helping them edge-out laptops as sought-after platforms.

"More than 60% of users play games on their mobile devices on a daily basis and nearly 65% of the money spent on smartphones and tablets is for gaming purposes," says Faisal Ghaus, vice president of Technavio.

The latest report by the research group also draws attention towards a shift in gamer demographics, which is affecting the global video game market as a whole. There has been a drastic increase in the number of women and child...

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Apr 14
Smart bulbs marching into the smart home

Philips kicked off the smart bulb market nearly three years ago with its pricey Hue bulb, but at this year’s CES a horde of new entrants emerged.  The transition from incandescent to more energy efficient bulbs is an opening through which smart bulbs – LED bulbs with wireless radios built in, which can be controlled remotely – are gaining a foothold according to Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com).

The smart bulb market is a fragmented "Wild West" with a variety of technologies and control protocols being implemented, says the research group. Multi-function smart bulbs – those with Wi-Fi repeaters, speakers and cameras — will change consumers’ perceptions of "light bulbs," says Strategy Analytics.

Interoperability is key – consumers don’t want to have to worry if a bulb they purchase will work with other bulbs they have or will purchase. The industry must address this issue...

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Apr 13
Gartner: mobile apps adoption is maturing as usage...

The mobile apps marketplace is maturing as users declare themselves satisfied with current engagement rates, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). As users integrate apps more deeply into their lives, app providers will need to stay one step ahead and focus their development, marketing and branding more intensely toward retention strategies, according to the research group.

"After eight years of searching for, downloading and using smartphone apps, users are maturing in their usage behaviors," says Brian Blau, research director at Gartner." However, we may see those patterns change in the future as users integrate apps more deeply into their daily lives."

User interest in apps has mellowed now that they have integrated apps into their use of personal technology and their interaction with brands while online. Although usage remains high, users may not want or need more apps in the future....

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Apr 10
Worldwide wearables market forecast to reach 126.1...

A combination of new vendors, new devices, and greater end-user awareness will drive the worldwide wearables market higher in 2015. According to the most recent forecast data from IDC (www.idc.com) vendors will ship a total of 45.7 million units in 2015, up a strong 133.4% from the 19.6 million units shipped in 2014.

By 2019, total shipment volumes are forecast to reach 126.1 million units, resulting in a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 45.1%, says the research group. Propelling the market higher in 2015 is an increased focus on smart wearables, or those devices capable of running third-party applications. These include devices like the Apple Watch, Motorola's Moto 360, and Samsung's Gear watches.

The total volume of smart wearables will reach 25.7 million units in 2015, up a whopping 510.9% from the 4.2 million units shipped in 2014. Basic wearables, or those devices that do not run third party...

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Apr 09
iPhone, ApplePay opening up financial services for...

There are more than 28 million small business owners in the United States, some 80% of whom are non-employers. Small business use of mobile devices—in particular "smart" devices—opens up a world of opportunity, much like it has done in the consumer marketplace, according to Packaged Facts, a a division of MarketResearch.com.

As mobile technology and payments continue to converge, more and more small businesses will look to their smartphones to make payments and meet their financial services needs, according to the market research publisher. ApplePay provides a case in point. Many payments industry observers view Apple's ApplePay mobile wallet as the first product with the potential to push payments into the realm of mobile point-of-sale, which has thus far had difficulty gaining mainstream traction.

Small business participants may make especially strong targets for this payments solution, notes Packaged Facts research director David Sprinkle. For one, they are more...

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Apr 08
Cloud-DVR subscribers worldwide will increase to 24...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows the total number of cloud-DVR subscribers worldwide will exceed 4.6 million in 2015 and total 24 million by 2018.

"Time-shifting content has led to an evolution and new challenges in television business models," Brett Sappington, director, Research, Parks Associates, says. "Though the basic features of the DVR are the same, moving the service to the cloud is surprisingly complex. However, it opens up a variety of new opportunities for consumers and operators. Beyond expanding storage capacity, a cloud-based DVR impacts viewing features, revenue opportunities, and rights agreements with content creators."

Operators are interested in deploying cloud DVR because these solutions will reduce set-top box costs, eliminate costly replacements, and provide support for enhanced features, which will open new revenue opportunities, he adds...

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Apr 07
Smartphones fuel biometrics to $3.1 billion

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) forecasts US$3.1 billion global revenues in 2015 for biometrics in the consumer and enterprise sectors with much of the growth coming from smartphone solutions.

Existing smartphone hardware provides a relatively stable foothold for some authentication modalities but rapid advances in the biometrics field will drive further smartphone hardware upgrades. Meanwhile, pioneering algorithm design and cloud computing services are transforming user authentication.

Dimitrios Pavlakis, digital security research analyst, ABI Research says: "Biometry is moving rapidly into the security ecosystem and its adoption by CE [consumer electronic] devices will jumpstart this phenomenon. Specifically, smartphone biometrics provide not only a secure alternative for authentication, mobile payments, and BYOD [bring your own device] initiatives but also enhance user experience, navigation...

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Apr 06
Global pay TV subscriber base to surpass 1.1 billion...

According to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) the worldwide pay TV market grew at a steady rate of 4% in 2014 to reach 923.5 million subscribers.

"Despite the growth in subscriber base, weak currency exchange rates resulted in a slower increase of pay TV market service revenue. Worldwide the pay TV market generated US$257 billion in 2014 and is expected to surpass 1.1 billion subscribers in 2020 with a CAGR 2.7%," says Jake Saunders, vice president and practice director of Core Forecasting.

Cable and terrestrial TV markets had weaker growth rates in 2014 compared to satellite and IPTV platforms. However, high definition (HD) penetration is increasing across all pay TV platforms because of the increasing number of HD channels added by operators. In 2014, 44% of the worldwide pay TV subscriber base were HD subscribers, with the highest HD penetration in Western Europe and North America. HD...

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Apr 03
The global mobile biometrics revenue is set to boom

Starting from a base of $249 million 2015, global mobile biometrics revenue is forecast to reach $3.5 billion by 2024, with cumulative revenue for the 10-year period totaling $17.5 billion, according to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets).

Biometrics for mobile devices have finally reached a tipping point. The march began with the release of the Apple iPhone in 2007 and later the iPad, each subsequently matched by Android competitors. These smartphones and tablets finally have enough processing power and hardware capabilities to put biometrics directly into their users' hands.

Biometrics, whether for mobile devices or large stationary systems, typically perform one of two functions: authentication, proving that someone is who they claim to be, or identification, figuring out who someone is. Nearly all consumer-facing use cases are authentication and nearly all identification uses are...

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Apr 02
Mobile, casual gaming fuels gaming content markets

Overall, ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) expects the video game market to pass US$80 billion in 2020, growing from under $70 billion in 2014.

Mobile gaming is behind nearly all of this projected growth, with the traditional PC and console segments seeing 1 to 2% annual growth. Triple-A titles have the potential to dramatically change a developer/publisher’s financials, but gaming’s long tail is equally important to the continued growth of the industry.

This is particularly true in the mobile space where a hit title can catapult a mobile game developer into the upper echelons of the market—as was true for developers like King Digital (Candy Crush Saga) and Supercell (Clash of Clans). Innovation in the industry is particularly important to fend off the stagnation that can occur from too many copy-cat games, but the market can also move in unpredictable ways as one game can quickly gain favor, so...

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Apr 01
Global smart TV market set to boom

The global smart TV market is expected to post a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 20.37% from 2014-2019, as consumers are spending more than ever on electronics, according to a new report from research firm Technavio (www.technavio.com).

The new report draws attention towards economic growth in developing countries that has improved the financial status of a significant portion of the population. This has resulted in higher consumer purchasing power, which has contributed to increased spending on consumer electronic goods.

"The increased number of technologically advanced devices available in the market is expected to trigger the demand for devices that offer multifunctional capabilities to consumers," says Faisal Ghaus, vice president of Technavio.

What's more, the Technavio report emphasizes the increased adoption of smart TVs in advertising. The growing popularity of smart TVs and 3D TVs...

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Mar 31
Chromebook’s computing style disrupts low-end PC,...

Chromebooks: cloud-centric, budget-friendly, fast-booting, secure computing devices that are more functional than tablets and less expensive than the average laptop PC are market changers, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

In 2014, Chromebooks gained traction in North America, and are set to continue growing as streaming devices become more popular among consumers and purchasing entities. According to ABI Research, Chromebooks experienced 235% growth between 2013 and 2014, with shipments reaching 4.87 million in 2014.

"The rollout of cloud services and the 2009 global economic collapse created the opportunity for developers to provide a budget-friendly solution for consumers,”" says Research Analyst Stephanie Van Vactor. "Chromebooks were the result, and the ‘anytime anywhere’ access to content is a mobile-centric game changer."

Deployments in the education market have...

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Mar 30
Global devices shipments to grow 2.8% this year

Worldwide combined shipments of devices (PCs, tablets, ultramobiles and mobile phones) are estimated to reach 2.5 billion units in 2015, an increase of 2.8% over 2014, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). In spending terms, the global computing devices market (PCs and ultramobiles) is on pace to reach US$226 billion, a 7.2% decline in current U.S. dollars, says the research group.

Stripping out the impact of exchange-rate movements (constant U.S. dollars), the global computing devices spending will decrease 3.1 percent in 2015. The global PC market is on pace to total 306 million units in 2015, a 2.4 percent decrease over 2014. 

"The fall in PC purchases is primarily due to expected price increases by vendors in Europe and other regions, which is forced by local currency depreciation against the dollar," says Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner. "The currency squeeze is forcing PC vendors to...

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Mar 27
Public Wi-Fi hotspots to reach 7.8 million this year

Worldwide public Wi-Fi hotspot deployments have reached a total of 5.69 million in 2014, and will grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 11.2% between 2015 and 2020, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

This includes public Wi-Fi hotspots deployed by mobile and fixed-line carriers as well as third-party Wi-Fi service providers. ABI Research expects the number of worldwide carrier Wi-Fi hotspots will reach 13.3 million in 2020.

"Wi-Fi hotspot deployments have been surprisingly robust; more and more public locations have signed up on a free or 'freemium' basis. This has discouraged the participation of third-party operators in some locales because there is a need for the upgrade of service, coverage and legacy equipment, which is only beneficial for operators with significant economies of scale," comments Lian Jye Su, research associate at ABI Research,

For example,...

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Mar 26
Smart cities will use 1.1 billion connected things in...

Increasing urbanization is putting unprecedented pressure on city mayors to constantly balance the challenge of resource constraints against environmental sustainability concerns.

Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com)estimates that 1.1 billion connected things will be used by smart cities in 2015, rising to 9.7 billion by 2020. 

Smart homes and smart commercial buildings will represent 45% of total connected things in use in 2015, due to investment and service opportunity. Gartner estimates that this will rise to 81% by 2020, according to the research group.

"Smart cities represent a great revenue opportunity for technology and services providers (TSPs), but providers need to start to plan, engage and position their offerings now," says Bettina Tratz-Ryan, research vice president at Gartner. 

Gartner defines a smart city as an urbanized area where multiple sectors cooperate to achieve sustainable...

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Mar 25
Report: global headphones market to grow at 12.70%...

According to the Sandler Research group (www.sandlerresearch.com), the global headphones market will see a 12.70% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] between now and 2019.

According to the report, one key trend being witnessed in the market is the rapid adoption of over-ear headphones. The rise in disposable income, especially among individuals in developed countries, the proliferation of smartphones, and the availability of headphones with advanced features, has increased the purchase of over-ear headphones.

In terms of volume, the global headphone market is forecasted to grow at a CAGR of 4.1%. Sandler Research says one major factor propelling this market's growth is advances in technology. The availability of various technologies such as noise cancellation, SRS Wow effect, and extra bass in headphones has resulted in a huge demand for these advanced headphones worldwide.

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Mar 24
Increasing number of data breaches will impact...

According to the latest report by the TechNavio (www.technavio.com) research group, the number of data breaches has increased in recent years.

Encryption software encrypts data, files, folders and software with a secret code that only registered users can access. With encryption software, organizations can store sensitive data in secure storage in the cloud, which can be accessed only by authorized users.

"Because data breaches can be catastrophic for an organization, encryption software is being adopted increasingly to control these violations and create a secure information environment," says Faisal Ghaus, vice president of TechNavio.

What's more, the new TechNavio report emphasizes the growing adoption of BYOD policies as a key driver for market growth. BYOD policy offers enterprises various benefits like improved productivity, employee satisfaction and cost saving options, but it can also open...

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Mar 23
Older mobile users spur data traffic growth in the U.S.

According to Strategy Analytics’ AppOptix Telemetry Intelligence Platform (www.strategyanalytics.com), the total data traffic (Wi-Fi andcellular combined) doubled between the first quarter [Q1} 2014 and Q4 2014, with the bulk of the growth coming from an older demographic.

The analysis is based on over one million individual application sessions from 3000+ panel members in the US. The results are powered by Strategy Analytics’ elemetry Intelligence Platform. Additional findings from the study include:

° Between Q1 2014 and Q4 2014, social media use has emerged as the top category in three out of four age groups.
 
° Data traffic through the browser remains consistent across all age groups – highlighting the universal appeal of browsing across all users.

"Over the past four quarters, there has been a significant shift in traffic priorities by application categories,"...

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Mar 19
Strategy Analytics: sponsored data not hurt by Net...

Sponsored data business models benefit consumers by expanding the mobile ecosystem to new partners that want to foot part of the bill for consumers to use wireless data — according to the Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) Wireless Operator Strategies (WOS) service report, "Measuring the Success of Sponsored Data."

There are two main types of sponsored data—offers that provide free access or zero-rated data traffic, and campaigns that reward the consumer with a free data allocation. AT&T has been enabling brands, developers and other companies to explore the potential of sponsored data, in partnership with leading US startups like Aquto, DataMi and Syntonic  that provide cloud-based solutions with rich analytics for tracking success, according to the research group. Key findings from the report:

° Sponsored data use cases gaining traction today range from advertising, free...

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Mar 18
Top US pay TV operators added 101,000 subscribers in...

The top pay TV operators in the United States added 101,000 new subscribers during the fourth quarter to end a roller coaster year in 2014 according to the latest data from Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com)

The declining trend in pay TV subscribers in North America, seen during the second and third quarters, reversed in the fourth quarter, with overall growth in both the US and Canada.

The 19 tracked operators in the US added 101,000 subscribers while operators in Canada added 5,000. In the US, the increase in the fourth quarter brought the total tracked subscribers to 96.1 million, representing more than 95% of the total US market. Digital subscriber growth has continued throughout 2014, ending the year at nearly 95 million.

"2014 started and finished strong, with growth in Pay TV subscribers in both the first and fourth quarters," says Jason Blackwell, director of...

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Mar 17
App users regularly use 7-8 apps on mobile devices

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that smartphone and tablet app users regularly use nearly eight apps on their smartphone and nearly seven apps on their tablet.

The average user spends 3.3 hours per week using social networking apps on a smartphone, while gaming and music apps score 2.7 and 2.6 hours per week, respectively. Fourteen percent of smartphone users and 26% of tablet users do not regularly use an app.

"Although the number of smartphone users has greatly expanded since 2012, the average app use among smartphone users has held relatively constant," says Harry Wang, Director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. "This leaves an increasingly wide variety of apps competing for the finite attention span of the consumer."

Parks Associates' research shows smartphone penetration increased rapidly over the past few years. Smartphone...

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Mar 16
Production printer shipments see double digit growth

The worldwide production print market enjoyed double-digit year-over-year shipment growth in the fourth quarter of 2014 (4Q14). Unit shipments grew 17.1% to approximately 11,650 units (printers and MFPs) and shipment value increased 4.5% to nearly $1.4 billion in the same time period, according to the IDC (www.idc.com) research group.

With exception of Japan, all of IDC's regional markets saw positive year-over-year shipment growth in the production print space. Among the regions, North America grew 19.4% year over year, EMEA grew 23.2%, and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) was up 14.7%.

All categories in the production print market recorded double-digit year-over-year growth. Production had year-over-year shipment growth of 50.1%, followed by Label & Packaging at 25.0% and Mid-Production with 10.2%.

Color laser grew by 44.8% on an annual basis while high speed inkjet saw a 27.9% year-over-year increase and...

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Mar 13
Worldwide LAN market shows slower growth in the fourth...

The combined consumer and enterprise worldwide wireless local area network (WLAN) market segments increased 7.0% year over year in the fourth quarter of 2014 (4Q14), according to new data from IDC (www.idc.com).

The enterprise segment continued to grow at a steady rate and increased another 7.4% over the same period last year, notes the research group. After an uptick in year-over-year growth in 3Q14 (9.4%), the enterprise WLAN market growth rate resumed a pattern of incremental growth rate decreases. For the full year 2014, the enterprise WLAN market grew 8.5% year over year, significantly lower than the gains seen in the last few years.

The 802.11ac standard continues to see adoption at a breakneck pace in the enterprise segment. After six full quarters of product availability, the 802.11ac standard already accounts for just over 30% of dependent access point shipments and 44% of dependent access point revenues,...

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Mar 12
Tablet adoption in commercial segment to drive growth...

According to figures published by the IDC research group (www.idc.com), the commercial tablet market will reach more than 11 million units by 2019 in Western Europe, achieving more than 130% growth. Tablets continue to represent a significant opportunity for device makers in the coming years.

Since their launch in 2010, tablets have been strong in the consumer segment and have benefited from early adopters in enterprises. The introduction of tablets contributed to an ever-growing number of computing devices increasingly differentiated in terms of screen size and product features as demand is influenced by end users' differing mobility needs.

Among other things, innovation has brought new product designs, with devices becoming lighter and better connected, and with greater input options, including keyboards, according to IDC. With traditional PC vendors expanding their offerings to include tablets, devices are...

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Mar 11
Top 10 ad markets account for nearly 3/4s of global ad...

The global advertising market surpassed a half-trillion USD in 2014 totaling $525 billion with the top 10 countries accounting for nearly three-quarters of global advertising spend, according to new data from Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com).

The United States alone accounted for over a third of global ad spend in 2014, 3.8 times higher than the second largest market, China, and over 16 times larger than Canada, the 10th largest market. Meanwhile China surpassed Japan in 2013 to become the second largest advertising market and will surpass Germany (4th largest market) and the U.K. (5th largest market) markets combined in 2015.

"While in absolute terms U.S. ad spend continues to grow its share of global advertising it is declining as spend in other regions grows." says Leika Kawasaki. "Despite this, the U.S. remains at #1 in ad spend across all media types and we do not...

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Mar 10
Reading convenience for students to be key for digital...

Device portability and reading convenience have had a positive impact on the global digital education publishing market, according to TechNavio (www.technavio.com).

With digitally published material, students, especially in the post-secondary segments, don't have to carry bulky textbooks, notes the research firm. E-readers, tablets and other devices provide easy access to the same content as a print book.

"Overall the convenience of e-textbooks will cement their place in the education sector over the forecast period," says Faisal Ghaus, Vice President of TechNavio.

The TechNavio report also emphasizes changes in value propositions, with the shift from print textbooks to digital media. As the supply chain shifts, publishers are finding it difficult to maintain a monopoly with high entry barriers.

"Competition is much higher in the digital environment than it is in print, which actually...

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Mar 09
Healthcare cybersecurity a 'massive' concern

The healthcare sector is ill-prepared for the new cyberage, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). Hospitals, clinics, trusts, and insurers are constantly under attack from malicious online agents, says the research group.

The value of personal health information, made more easily available with the convergence to electronic health records, is 10 times that of financial data such as credit card numbers. Medical identity theft and fraud are on the rise, and healthcare providers are struggling to cope, with the past 2 years seeing hundreds of instances of data breaches leaking millions of personal records.

Yet the industry spends very little on cybersecurity, comparatively to other regulated critical industries. ABI Research calculates cybersecurity spending for healthcare protection will only reach US$10 billion globally by 2020, just under 10% of total spend on critical infrastructure...

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Mar 06
Augmented, VR devices to explode to 55 million units...

The augmented (AR) and virtual reality (VR) markets are seeing much action, from new devices and new content, to existing content adapting to make use of the new medium, according to ABI Research (www.abirsearch.com). Head Mounted Displays (HMDs) will be the prevailing form-factor for both AR and VR devices, but AR will see varied form-factors as the technology progresses into more applications, notes the research group.

"Among the three categories of devices defined by ABI Research—standalone, mobile-reliant, and tethered—mobile-reliant devices like the Samsung Gear VR will see the most success early, while tethered devices like the Oculus Rift and standalone devices like those manufactured by ODG for industrial applications will need more time to mature before establishing a large user base," says Eric Abbruzzese, research analyst.

Virtual reality will be most popular in the gaming market, because...

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Mar 05
10% of U.S. broadband households have smart device...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) reveals that approximately 10% of U.S. broadband households have a smart device with energy-related functions-including 8% with a smart thermostat and 6% with smart lighting. A smart energy device includes a programmable thermostat, light bulb, power strip, outlet, or plug adapter capable of connecting to the Internet.

"Smart products introduce new capabilities into the home, including data analytics that utilities can use to promote and enhance their energy efficiency (EE) and demand response (DM) programs," says Tom Kerber, director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates. "Energy providers can use the new capabilities in smart meters and smart home products to reinvigorate energy management business models, including bundles with value-added monitoring services, where our research finds strong consumer interest. In this...

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Mar 04
Large format printer shipments Grew 3.5% year-over-...

According to new data from the IDC (www.idc.com) research group, large format printer (LFP) shipments grew 3.5% in 2014 when compared to 2013 while revenue from those shipments declined by less than -1%. Product mix changes and some very aggressive price promotions were responsible for the revenue declines.

"The fourth quarter is often the strongest quarter of the year for the wide format digital printer market in some segments and some geographies, particularly due to the aggressive promotion by major manufacturers and distributors," says Phuong Hang, program director, Worldwide Large Format Printer Tracker, IDC. "Shipment growth is an important indicator for the overall wide format market because even though hardware revenue declined slightly, the vast majority of the decline came from inkjet products, and with inkjet products a great deal of revenue is driven by the consumption of supplies."

Highlights of the IDC...

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Mar 03
Cloud security software market will see aggressive...

TechNavio (www.technavio.com), a tech-focused research firm, says the cloud security software market will see a compound annual growth rate of 48.46% from 2014-2019.

According to the new report, traditional on-site security software has a high total cost of ownership, as it includes high upfront software license and software implementation costs, coupled with high maintenance costs. Cloud security software circumvents these expenses, since cloud vendors are responsible for the implementation, maintenance, updates, and backup of software, thereby reducing the need for internal IT administration.

"Cloud security software eliminates connection-related expenditures because it is offered with a wide variety of connection options," says Faisal Ghaus, vice president of TechNavio.

The new TechNavio report also draws attention towards growing partnerships between cloud service providers (CSPs) and...

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Mar 02
Managing identities, access critical to the success of...

Managing identities and access is critical to the success of the Internet of Things (IoT), but in its current form identity and access management (IAM) cannot provide the scale or manage the complexity that the IoT brings to the enterprise, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com).

"IAM leaders must reconsider how traditional approaches to cybersecurity and IAM work in a world where devices and services are so abundant, in so many different forms and positioned at so many different points within the IT ecosystem," sahs Earl Perkins, research vice president at Gartner.

The growth of the IoT means that IAM leaders of digital businesses require a way of defining and managing the identities of "entities" (people, services and things) within a single framework. The IoT is not only about the introduction of different forms of networked devices into digital business moments; it is a transformational approach to...

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Feb 27
Worldwide datacenter install base sees minimal growth

Data from 451 Research reveals that the worldwide datacenter install base grew at +0.2% Y/Y [year-over-year] in Q4 2014 to 4.3 million datacenters and IT sites. The weak demand for new facilities was primarily driven by a decline in traditional enterprise demand, particularly in mature markets, according to the research group.

This decline was offset by the booming demand for large premium and hyperscale facilities from cloud, service provider and multi-tenant datacenter vendors. While datacenters from those organizations are typically very large, from a datacenter count perspective they are still the minority, representing only 5% of the market combined when server closets and rooms are excluded. 

From a square footage perspective, enterprises continue to control the vast majority of the worldwide market, at 83%. MTDC and cloud providers control 12% and 5%, respectively. That balance will continue to shift over time as enterprises invest less in their own datacenter...

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Feb 26
LTE-Advanced coverage reaches 100 million people

LTE-Advanced networks have been actively deployed around the world. At the end of 2014, LTE-Advanced covered its first 100 million people worldwide, just 4 years since the network’s inception. ABI Research (www.abirsearch.com) predicts that the coverage will reach one billion in four more years.

At the end of 2014, there were 49 commercially available LTE-Advanced networks around the world. Western European operators lead the commercialization with 20 operators, followed by 13 in Asia-Pacific; however, North America still commands the largest population coverage at 7.8%.

"All four major operators of the United States have either commercially deployed (AT&T and Sprint) or have been actively deploying (Verizon and T-Mobile) their LTE-Advanced networks," comments Lian Jye Su, research associate of Core Forecasting, ABI Research.

Globally, a number of major auctions are expected to take place...

| Read more »
Feb 25
Global pay-TV subscriber base to surpass 924.4 million

The worldwide pay-TV market is expected to have grown 5% in 2014, surpassing 924.4 million subscribers, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

"IPTV is expected to grow a market leading 14% in 2014, followed by satellite TV platform at 7%. The growth rates of cable and terrestrial TV platforms are expected to slow to around 3%," comments Jake Saunders, vice president and practice director of Core Forecasting at the research group.

Global cable TV market growth is driven by the Asian-Pacific and Latin American markets. A combination of the two regions is likely to add over 13 million subscribers in 2014 while the cable TV market in North America is expected to decline approximately 1% in 2014. In 3Q 2014, major cable TV operators in North America lost over 400,000 TV customers, although cable companies are doing well in broadband.

Video streaming services such as Netflix and TiVo,...

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Feb 24
Global 2D gesture recognition market will post a CAGR...

Increased demand for gesture recognition solutions in the healthcare sector has resulted in the unprecedented growth of the global 2D gesture recognition market, which will post a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 32.12% from 2014-2019, says research firm TechNavio (www.technavio.com).

According to the latest report by the research group, gesture recognition in video games has enabled otherwise inactive individuals to participate in physical activity to a certain extent. These games are ideal for elderly people who should have a minimum amount of physical activity every day for their overall health. The TechNavio report also draws attention to the increasing demand for gesture-enabled electronic devices, which are being increasingly used for human-device interaction.

"Vendors are constantly upgrading gesture-enabled consumer electronics to make the interaction between devices and humans simpler and...

| Read more »
Feb 23
Worldwide personal, entry level Storage market...

The worldwide personal and entry-level storage (PELS) shipments remained flat year over year in 2014, finishing the year with 75.7 million units, according to the IDC (www.idc.com) research group.

Annual shipment values were down -1.5% year over year to $6.6 billion. Unit shipments were down slightly in the fourth quarter (4Q14), declining -0.9% from a year ago to 20.5 million units, while 4Q14 shipment values were also down, declining -5.2% to $1.7 billion.

"The personal and entry-level storage market finished 2014 flat, despite strong growth during the previous quarter," says Jingwen Li, research analysts, Storage Systems, IDC. "The entry-level portion of the market showed consistent growth throughout the year, but it remains too small to drive growth for the entire market. The largest market segment, personal storage, fell victim to continued price declines, increased competition from public cloud providers, and...

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Feb 20
Smart city traffic systems to reduce congestion for...

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) forecasts that smart city traffic management and parking projects will reduce cumulative global emissions in the order of 164 MMT (million metric tonnes) CO2 between 2014 and 2019, equivalent to the annual emissions produced by 35 million vehicles.

Not only will this benefit the environment, but it will also significantly impact the quality of city dwellers’ lives, with some 700 million automobiles projected to be on city roads by 2019, says the research group. The report found that high levels of city traffic congestion combined with advancements in the "Internet of Things" sensors and software solutions has driven plans to reduce high traffic levels through smart initiatives.

Juniper Research says the establishment of a sensor-networked and monitored city communications infrastructure, efficiently phasing traffic lights and...

| Read more »
Feb 19
Home care/lawn care robotics market to reach $2.9...

The home care/lawn care robotics market will surpass US$2.9 billion by 2019, up from US$1.2 billion in 2014, according to a new study published by ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). Approximately seven million robotic home care/lawn care products will be sold in 2019, up from 3.4 million in 2014, representing a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 15.6%, notes the research group.

"The home care/lawn care sector is the largest, fastest growing, and most dynamic component of the overall consumer robotics marketplace, and this will remain so for the foreseeable future," says Dan Kara, practice director, Robotics at ABI Research. "Moreover, the addressable markets for these devices are substantial, penetration levels are nowhere near saturation, and in some cases markets are virtually untouched. New advances in low-cost, highly functional, consumer class enabling technology, coupled with greater levels of...

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Feb 18
Biometrics market to hit US$13.8 million in revenues...

Overall revenues for the biometrics market are forecasted to hit US$13.8 million in 2015, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). The majority of revenues in most biometric recognition technologies are still stemming from governmental entities.

However, due to increased consumer acceptance of biometric modalities, consumer and enterprise segments are predicted to catch up with governmental spending in late 2017, thus becoming the dominant portion of the market, says ABI Research. Recent events will no doubt increase governmental spending in 2015 as security measures are intensified in Europe and the U.S., adds the research group.

Government spending on biometrics is increasing worldwide and will continue to do so up until late 2016-early 2017 with growing terrorist threats in European Union (E.U.) and U.S. intensifying this effect. Fingerprint recognition is the most commonly used.

...

| Read more »
Feb 17
Multi-factor authentication market worth US$13.2...

Market intelligence from ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) finds that the global mobile multi-factor authentication software and service market will be worth US$1.6 billion by the end of 2015.

Username and passwords have been widely used to authenticate user identity but fail to provide adequate authentication, says the research group. Authentication-based attacks continue to plague organizations of all sizes with the majority of breaches being attributed to weak or absent authentication.

This has created significant market demand for mobile user authentication technologies that can be used to provide additional factor of authentication thus adding an extra layer of security. One-time-passwords (OTPs) and tokens have emerged as the preferred choice of authentication as they offer greater security because the password they generate is only valid for a single session/transaction.

Digital...

| Read more »
Feb 16
Sending on mobile devices, SaaS, IaaS shot up in 2014

Mobile workers now comprise nearly one-third or approximately 30 percent of corporations’ total workforce, according to the results of the Strategy Analytics Mobile Workforce Strategies (www.strategyanalytics.com) survey.

The survey which polled over 1,200 organizations found that a workforce comprising nearly 1/3 of mobile employees is the most common. In general, mobility solution decisions are increasingly driven by line-of business management and IT and spending on mobile devices, SaaS, IaaS, and security software have increased the most in 2014 compared to 2013.

Strategy Analytics interviewed 1,217 different size organizations in the US, UK, France, and Germany, across key vertical segments: F.I.R.E (Financial, Insurance, Real Estate), Manufacturing, Professional Services, Education/Public Sector, Healthcare/Pharmaceutical and Telecom/Media/Technology. Findings include:

° IT...

| Read more »
Feb 13
By 2017, mobile commerce revenue to be 50% of U.S....

Rampant interest in mobile payments is expected by 2015, along with a significant increase in mobile commerce. Due to this, Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com) predicts that by 2017, U.S. customers' mobile engagement behavior will drive mobile commerce revenue in the U.S. to 50%of U.S. digital commerce revenue.

A recent Gartner survey found that mobile commerce currently generates 22% of digital commerce revenue. 

"Some sectors will migrate more quickly than others to accepting mobile payments and promoting mobile commerce," says Jennifer Polk, research director at Gartner. "For example, big-box retailers may not need to move as quickly as other industries because the in-store experience is still a critical part of their value proposition and the customer experience, making digital and mobile commerce a smaller portion of their overall revenue. However, new credit card standards will cause a shift in liability...

| Read more »
Feb 12
Google: The biggest threat in mobile to hotels and...

According to the App Overlap Report Series published by the Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) research group, only 20% of those that use airline applications also use hotel applications leading to bifurcated trip planning.

According to the data gathered from the 1,500-plus user US AppOptix Android panel just 17% of travelers that used an airline app have also used a hotel app. The overlap between these services is considerably higher and the dynamic demonstrates a break in the experience.

Already struggling to win millennial mindshare airlines and hotels are met with two other immediate threats. Itinerary planning apps such as TripIt and Worldmate are quickly emulating many of the unique features that hotel and airline apps offer to provide the cohesive single-app experience hotel and airline apps lack.

What's more, Google continues to release new service features...

| Read more »
Feb 11
Monthly mobile data consumed to reach 2,289 megabytes...

As network operators and vendors continue to achieve breakthroughs in upload and download speeds, the growth in total mobile data traffic shows no sign of slowing down. ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) predicts that the average monthly data consumed per wireless subscriber will increase from 445 megabytes in 2014 to 2,289 megabytes by 2019.

In early December 2014, Nokia Networks unveiled its carrier aggregation solution with Ooredoo and China Mobile which was capable of reaching 300 Mbps uplink and 3.8 Gbps downlink. Earlier on, ZTE demonstrated the world’s first 40 MHz LTE uplink carrier aggregation solution.

These breakthroughs and stability of upload and download throughput, once commercially deployed, will enable mobile users to rely on mobile devices as primary entertaining and productivity solutions, in addition to communication.

"Therefore, it is not surprising that applications such...

| Read more »
Feb 10
More and more cars are connected to the Internet

Is your car connected to the Internet? In 2013, approximately 23 million vehicles around the world had embedded Internet access, offering their drivers a multitude of smart options and benefits.

These include better engine controls, automatic crash notifications and safety alerts, to name just a few. Owners can also interact with their connected vehicles through apps from any distance.

Connected cars are going to become increasingly common on our roads. IHS Automotive (ihs.com) estimates that by 2020, the market will grow sixfold to 152 million vehicles. Gartner is even more optimistic, predicting that a quarter of a billion cars on our roads will be connected by 2020. The market for smart vehicles is certainly set for takeoff and many analysts predict they could revolutionize the world of automobiles in much the same way smartphones have changed the face of telecommunications.

| Read more »
 

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