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Nov 27
Game consoles, tablets competing for holiday shopping...

New research from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) finds tablets and game consoles are virtually tied among U.S. consumers for planned purchases in the 2013 holiday season.

Parks Associates' research reports purchase interest in game consoles has rebounded after tablets surged ahead in the 2012 holiday season. The research group's analysts say comparable percentages of U.S. broadband households purchased tablets and game consoles in 2011, and if current intentions reflect 2013 purchases, game consoles will soon be back on an equal footing with tablets.

"Tablets are poised to be a big seller this Black Friday and holiday season, with Apple, Microsoft, and Nokia announcing new models, but the launch of new game consoles from Microsoft and Sony may steal their momentum," says Harry Wang, director, Health & Mobile Product Research, Parks Associates. "2013 will not be a repeat of...

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Nov 26
Enterprise small cell installations set to increase 70...

The femtocell market has continued its steady growth in 2013 with the number of installations rising by 70% over the last year in the enterprise market with some notable deployments recently, including Telefónica in Germany and Free in France, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

The femtocell ecosystem is also developing with more equipment providers looking to capture a share of the market which has attracted vendors from different backgrounds including ICT, core network, and in-building/DAS providers. This is reflected by the number of femtocell shipments which will increase tenfold by 2018, jumping from 3.75 million in 2013 to 37.45 million.

Now that Wi-Fi has entered the gigabit era with the new 802.11ac standard delivering total data rate of 1.3 Gbps and femtocells migrating from 3G to LTE which offers considerably higher data rates than 3G, new applications and business models are...

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Nov 25
Gartner: limit data centers to two per continent of...

Most global organizations have too many data centers in too many countries, according to Gartner, Inc (www.gartner.com). The research group said that in order for enterprises to save costs and optimize service delivery, they need a twin data center topology for each continent of major business activity.

"It's a fact that most global organizations run too many data centers in too many countries. This is normally the result of business expansion, either organically or through acquisition over many years," said Rakesh Kumar, research vice president at Gartner. "While the logic of business growth makes sense, having too many data centers results in excessive capital and operational costs, an overly complex architecture and, in many cases, a lack of business-IT agility." 

Many companies have stated that having too many data centers inhibits their ability to respond quickly to business changes. This is because of...

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Nov 21
Broadband users are paying less for services

The most recent mobile broadband price benchmarking results from Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) shows that while service speeds have grown dramatically over the past year, users are paying less for them.

The average monthly cost for a tablet user needing 2GB per month has fallen 4% since the same period last year, to USD PPP 17.79, while average advertised speed for the same basket has risen by a massive 123%, to 26 Mb/s. For a laptop user requiring 5GB per month, the cost has fallen by 9%, and currently averages USD PPP 25.24, while the speed has risen by 35%over the year, and now stands at just under 24 Mb/s.

"We are seeing some very dramatic movements with mobile broadband pricing," says Strategy Analytics Teligen Director Halvor Sannaes. "The impact of 4G rollouts on speed is very evident, with some providers offering download in excess of 100 Mb/s. What is perhaps...

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Nov 20
Cloud-based security services market to reach $2.1...

The cloud-based security services market will be worth US$2.1 billion in 2013, rising to $3.1 billion in 2015, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). The search group says that growth in cloud-based security will remain strong, but revenue opportunities will vary.

"The cloud-based security market remains a viable one, offering providers many opportunities for expansion," says Ruggero Contu, research director at Gartner. "Encryption will be a new area of growth, but it remains a complex activity. The strongest interest will be in encryption products from cloud security brokers, which are relatively easy to deploy and have options for on-premises encryption management."

Gartner predicts that the top three most sought-after cloud services moving forward will remain email security, web security services and identity and access management (IAM). However, in 2013 and 2014, the highest growth is forecast to...

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Nov 19
Notebook market's annual plunge continues

How far have expectations fallen for the mobile personal computer (PC) business this year?

So far that single-digit sequential growth in the third quarter comes as the best news the notebook market has heard in many months — even as shipments plunged on a year-over-year basis. The year-over-year decline is making it increasingly apparent that the mobile PC market is headed for a second consecutive year of contraction in 2013, according to a new PC Dynamics brief from IHS Inc. (www.isuppli.com).

Mobile PC shipments worldwide are estimated to have reached 47.9 million units in the third quarter, up 6% from the second quarter. This represents the largest sequential growth since two years ago when the market rose 7% in the third quarter of 2011, as presented in the graph.

On the other hand, the third-quarter results show the market has now shrunk for five consecutive quarters on a year-over-year basis,...

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Nov 18
Cellular M2M device installed based to near 500...

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that the installed base of cellular M2M devices will approach 500 million modules by 2018, driven by more open M2M ecosystems and improved cloud-based APIs (application programming interfaces).

According to the report, the M2M space is seeing an increasing focus on the development of open platforms that simplify connectivity to a wide range of isolated devices through the cloud. It found that "Big Data" emerging from M2M service provision will, in time, allow for improved interrogation of M2M data, opening the door to new revenue streams for companies and M2M operators.
Towards the Internet of Things

The Juniper report found that M2M roll-outs have become increasingly global, with Mobile Network Operators facilitating M2M roaming and tailoring services and approaches to industry verticals.

"Mobile...

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Nov 14
NPD DisplaySearch: there's an increased demand...

As 5-inch full-high-definition (FHD, 1920 × 1080 resolution) smartphone panels continue to gain traction and demand increases, manufacturers are beginning to implement new technologies to reduce power consumption at higher resolutions, according to NPD DisplaySearch (www.displaysearch.com). More than 100 million 5-inch FHD smartphone panels will be shipped in 2013, 5% of all smartphone displays.

There are several manufacturing technologies that can produce the active matrix TFT backplane for 5-inch FHD smartphone panels: traditional a-Si TFT, oxide TFT, and low temperature polysilicon (LTPS) TFT, all of which are used with LCD. LTPS TFT can also be used as a backplane for AMOLED (active matrix OLED) displays.

"While Apple iPhone suppliers are focused on the production of LTPS LCDs, others with experience in oxide TFT are trying to address the issue and gain a competitive advantage," said Yoonsung...

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Nov 13
Cellular connectivity to deliver nearly 60% of M2M...

M2M connectivity will be embedded in more than 2 billion devices across nine key industries by 2018, but it will be cellular that will bring the bulk of the value and the connectivity revenues, according to ABI Research.

A new generation of smart devices is set to have embedded connectivity and manufacturers have a number of technologies to select to deliver network connectivity. ABI Research has examined the demand and appeal for M2M connectivity across cellular, satellite, fixed-line and short-range wireless technologies within nine key industry verticals. Each technology has specific advantages and appeal, but cellular is the best placed to deliver the most value, he

"Looking at demand for connectivity, while cellular will not have the highest number of connections, or the highest average revenue per connection, it will provide the greatest opportunity to drive the most overall value from those connections," says Jonathan Collins, principal analyst and author of...

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Nov 12
Mobile device platforms continue toward more...

There are many trends simultaneously affecting the market for mobile device semiconductors. Two have been the shift towards multicore application processors and the addition of x86 and MIPS to what used to be purely an ARM play. Two newer trends are the addition of heterogeneous processing functionality and 64-bit processors for mobile devices, according to ABI Research.

The trend towards more integrated platforms is the most crucial; however, it is because the revenue of standalone components is folding into integrated platforms and the revenue for mobile device semiconductors lie with the higher cost components — mostly the application processor, says the research group. So while the shift from standalone components to integrated platforms is drastic over the next five years in terms of shipments, this shift is even more radical in terms of revenue.

From 2013 to 2018, the share of integrated platforms compared to all application processors in terms of shipments...

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Nov 07
Mobile security services to drive billion dollar...

Mobile authentication and encryption services for enterprises are growing dynamically with the saturation of cloud-based applications and BYOD trends, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com).

Organizations are looking to maximize the benefits of these technologies while maintaining a level of security that satisfies compliance and the protection of corporate resources, according to the research group. These need to be further balanced against flexibility and manageability; without these guarantees, even the most secure solutions are useless.

For mobile encryption technology, this means effective key management. For authentication, it may be SSO or tokenless access. The field of application for mobile authentication and encryption services is wide, and the demands are varied.

ABI Research says an innovative market in mobile-specific services for authenticating users and devices has...

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Nov 06
Gartner: cloud computing to be the bulk of new IT...

The use of cloud computing is growing, and by 2016 this growth will increase to become the bulk of new IT spending, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). 2016 will be a defining year for cloud as private cloud begins to give way to hybrid cloud, and nearly half of large enterprises will have hybrid cloud deployments by the end of 2017, the research group says.

Gartner describes cloud computing as a style of computing in which scalable and elastic IT-enabled capabilities are delivered "as a service" using Internet technologies. It heralds an evolution of business in positive and negative ways. It has also become a hot industry term that has been used in many contradictory ways.

"Overall, there are very real trends toward cloud platforms, and also toward massively scalable processing. Virtualization, service orientation and the Internet have converged to sponsor a phenomenon that enables individuals...

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Nov 05
NFC to enable $48 billion in in-store mobile payments...

Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com) has lowered its outlook for NFC-based mobile payments to reflect the slow pace at which operators are pushing NFC payment services, limited NFC payment deployments by handset makers, and the continued slow adoption of contactless payments by retailers.

The research group estimates that 115 million NFC handset owners will spend just over US$48 billion using their NFC phones by 2017. Although that's a large amount, it represents a drop in the ocean of the multi-trillion dollar global retail sector. 

The healthy growth in sales of NFC handsets has yet to be matched by the adoption and use of handset based NFC payments services, with many mobile operators pushing back the launch of NFC-based mobile payment into the final quarter of 2013 or in to 2014 and beyond.

"With the exception of China, where we see some momentum from China Mobile...

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Nov 04
Tablet shipment forecast lowered through 2017

The forecast for global tablet shipments has been lowered as short-term build plans are being reduced, according to the NPD DisplaySearch research group.

NPD DisplaySearch (www.displaysearch.com) says shipments are still expected to be up 30% year-over-year, but projections between 2013 and 2017 are being scaled back by roughly 9% every year. The main factor in the forecast reduction is white-box tablet production in China, which is being pulled back following overly aggressive build plans that out-paced demand.

Despite the current situation in China, much of the future growth for tablet PC shipments will come from the China and Asia Pacific regions. These regions will make up nearly 50% of the worldwide tablet PC segment by 2015, increasing to nearly 60% by 2017. In comparison, North America and EMEA, which combined will make up 50% of the market in 2013, will fall to 36% in 2017, says NPD...

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Nov 01
Northern Spy: Surf's Up

By Rick Sutcliffe

The wave of Apple's future was supposed to be a simplification of the user interface, a de-skeuomorphism of visual elements, and a unification of MacOS and iOS. The most recent version of the latter went a long way toward this mark

However, MacOS 10.9, a.k.a. Mavericks, is, on the whole, a stay-the-course mild enhancement of Mountain Lion 10.8, nothing radical. Thos who want radical change will have to wait for MacOS 11.

The important changes are in the upgrade process itself. First, it is free to anyone who has Snow Leopard or higher (i.e. can access the Apple Store). This will increase adoption rates and customer satisfaction, and give IT departments at most organizations hissy fits, because they will not be able to prevent their user base from doing independent upgrades. Second, iWork is also free--at least if you are new to the eco-system, or you have a previous version of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers installed. But even...

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Nov 01
Most organizations running cloud apps -- even if they...

More than 55% of organizations are running Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications on their corporate devices whether they know it or not, according to new research by Softchoice, a North American technology solutions and services provider.

The challenge isn't necessarily that these apps are being used predominantly for file sharing, storage, and remote access. It's that many of them are being used without proper oversight by IT departments, posing a serious threat to the security of corporate data, according to Softchoice.

"Shadow IT in the Enterprise: Softchoice SaaS Study 2013" examines the presence of SaaS on 7,200 corporate devices across 23 distinct organizations. The study reveals the most common apps in use today, the benefits and security risks posed by certain apps, and offers recommendations on how IT departments can best manage their use without squelching the benefits they deliver in terms of employee productivity and engagement.

"As the front...

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Oct 31
Which city is the U.S.'s highest for smartphone,...

New research from app tester SOASTA (www.soasta.com) shows which city in America has the highest smartphone and tablet adoption. It’s not the San Francisco Silicon Valley area. 

The home of Apple, Facebook, Twitter, and Google comes in at number six for smartphone adoption. It’s not New York either.  Out of 10 major metropolitan American cities, it’s the nation’s lowest in smartphone adoption.

The city with the highest smartphone adoption is… Dallas. Here’s the ranking:

Dallas – 76%
LA – 66%
Washington, D.C. 64%
Philadelphia 62%
Houston – 62%
San Francisco 61%
Atlanta – 60%
Chicago – 57%
Boston – 55%
New York – 48%
 
The city with the highest tablet adoption is… also Dallas. Here’s the ranking:
 
Dallas – 48%
Washington, D.C. – 43%
Chicago – 39%
New York – 39%
Boston – 38%
LA – 38%
...

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Oct 29
Microsoft edges Sony in ABI Research’s Game Console...

Microsoft just edged Sony for the top position in ABI Research’s game console Competitive Assessment, based on expectations for the impact of Sony’s PS4 and Microsoft’s Xbox One game consoles.

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) evaluated a number of companies across three device categories: game consoles, smart set-top boxes, and TVs/Blu-ray players. Several factors were used to score each company based on two main axes of Innovation and Implementation. The assessment provides deep insight into consumer electronics ecosystems and modern video experiences in the connected home.

"With the hardware specs between Microsoft’s Xbox One and Sony’s PS4 so similar this leaves Nintendo’s Wii U on the outside," says ABI Research Senior Analyst Michael Inouye. "If not for Nintendo’s wider distribution network, console heritage, and first party titles it would start to find itself in closer competition with many...

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Oct 28
IDC: exchange rate volatility affected PC shipments in...

Preliminary results from the IDC research group (www.idc.com) show that hat the Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan) PC market increased 2% quarter-on-quarter but declined 12% year-on-year in 2013 Q3 to reach 27.8 million units, 1% lower than IDC's initial forecasts.

China posted modest gains compared to last quarter on the back of improved commercial spending there, but declines in a few big ASEAN markets and continued weakness in most mature markets offset those gains, keeping the overall region suppressed yet again in Q3.

"Sluggish economic activity, exchange rate volatility and fuel price hikes plagued markets in South East Asia, with Indonesia and Thailand bearing the brunt of this pressure," says Handoko Andi, research manager at IDC Asia/Pacific. "And there are still many risks ahead, despite a number of new products being launched towards the end of the year."

Lenovo did well in the seasonally high Q3...

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Oct 25
Smartphone apps processor revenue jumped 44% in Q2...

The global smartphone applications processor market continued to show strength and grew 44 % year-on-year to reach US$4.4 billion in the second quarter of the year (Q2 2013), according to Strategy Analytics (www.strategyanalytics.com).

According to the report from the research group, Qualcomm, Apple, MediaTek, Samsung and Spreadtrum captured the top-five revenue share spots in the smartphone processor market in Q2 2013. Qualcomm maintained its dominance in the smartphone applications processor market with 53% revenue share followed by Apple with 15% share and MediaTek with 11 percent share in Q2 2013.

"Strategy Analytics estimates that low-cost suppliers MediaTek and Spreadtrum together captured over one-third volume share in the smartphone applications processor market in Q2 2013, thanks to the smartphone boom in emerging markets," says Strategy Analytics Senior Analyst Sravan Kundojjala...

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Oct 24
Over 25% of CE shoppers use mobile commerce apps

A new Parks Associations (www.parksassociates.com) study finds that over 25% of CE buyers in U.S. broadband households use mobile commerce apps on their smartphone to help with an in-store purchase decision, including functions such as product research, barcode scanning, and interaction with a retailer or brand app.

The research group's data reveals that 43% of U.S. smartphone users purchased a good via their device in the last month. However, consumers, especially shoppers at Walmart, Target, and Best Buy, are starting to use their smartphones while shopping in stores. Walmart in particular encourages in-store shoppers to use its app, but Parks Associates reports that currently Target shoppers are more likely than Walmart shoppers to use mobile commerce apps when shopping at any store for a CE product.

"Consumers are using apps and smartphones to enhance their brick-and-mortar shopping...

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Oct 23
Mobile smart wearable devices to be worth $19 billion...

New findings from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com), has revealed that the retail revenue from smart wearable devices, including smart watches and glasses, will reach US$19 billion by 2018 compared with $1.4 billion this year. Revenues will be driven by high price points for these devices allied to their anticipated strong market demand.

In its latest report, Juniper Research has revised upwards the adoption of devices in the two key segments of consumer electronics "Multimedia & Entertainment," and "Multi-functional" devices. Revisions such as these are common in the early years of a new technology category, and reflect the latest announcements from vendors across the sector.

"It is worth observing that this change in adoption levels can also be attributable to heightened consumer awareness of wearable technology and a better visibility of product adoption, especially in the...

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Oct 22
Smart machines to have deep business impact through...

Sixty percent of CEOs believe that the emergence of smart machines capable of absorbing millions of middle-class jobs within 15 years is a "futurist fantasy," according to Gartner's 2013 CEO survey. However, Gartner (www.gartner.com) predicts that smart machines will have widespread and deep business impact within only seven years through 2020.

"Most business and thought leaders underestimate the potential of smart machines to take over millions of middle-class jobs in the coming decades," says Kenneth Brant, research director at Gartner. "Job destruction will happen at a faster pace, with machine-driven job elimination overwhelming the market's ability to create valuable new ones."

CIOs must change their mission to address the proliferation of smart machines in a widening range of jobs and consider the impact this trend might have on their career paths and on increasing levels of unemployment, according to...

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Oct 21
ABI Research: wearable devices provide opportunities...

Smart watches will provide the biggest opportunity for flexible displays in the short term. A number of new smart watch vendors have incorporated some form of flexible display technology to maximize the screen size of the small device.

Market Intelligence firm ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) believes most of the digital smart watches and other fitness and health wearable devices will incorporate a flexible display over the next eighteen months due to the robust and rugged characteristics of the displays.

Furthermore, flexible displays or e-ink displays could be used as secondary displays on smartphones and media tablets. Phablets are predicted to be a key application for secondary displays -- it is anticipated more than 6% of annual phablet shipments could include the display type in 2015.

"Samsung’s YOUM technology (flexible display) has been highly publicized and it is clearly...

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Oct 18
IDC: The Internet of Things is poised to change...

The Internet of Things (IoT) represents a new construct in the information and communications technology (ICT) world that is occupying the minds of IT vendors, service providers, and systems integrators as it represents huge potential for new streams of revenue and new customers.

International Data Corp. (IDC) has looked at the components, processes, and supporting IT and connectivity for the Internet of Things and expects IoT technology and services spending to generate global revenues of US$4.8 trillion in 2012 and $8.9 trillion by 2020, growing at a compound annual rate (CAGR) of 7.9%.

"The momentum of the Internet of Things is driven by a number of factors. There is no doubt that business and consumer demand exists and will continue to expand for IoT solutions," says Vernon Turner, senior vice president of IDC's Enterprise Infrastructure, Consumer, Network, Telecom, and Sustainability Research. "I expect the current IoT use cases are just the tip of the iceberg...

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Oct 17
Worldwide shipments of 3D printers to grow 49% in 2013

Worldwide shipments of 3D printers (3DPs) priced less than US$100,000 will grow 49% in 2013 to reach a total of 56,507 units, according to Gartner, Inc.'s first forecast of the less than $100,000 consumer and enterprise 3D printer market.

Rapid quality and performance innovations across all 3DP technologies will drive enterprise and consumer demand. Gartner said that shipments will increase further in 2014, growing 75% to 98,065 units, followed by a near doubling of unit shipments in 2015. 

"The 3D printer market has reached its inflection point," says Pete Basiliere, research director at Gartner. "While still a nascent market, with hype outpacing the technical realities, the speed of development and rise in buyer interest are pressing hardware, software and service providers to offer easier-to-use tools and materials that produce consistently high-quality results." 

In 2013, combined end-user spending on 3DPs will reach $412 million, up 43% from spending of $...

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Oct 16
Datacenter, VPN, Cloud Service Connectivity to Drive...

Adoption rates for Ethernet services are soaring, propelled by superior cost effectiveness, high-bandwidth scalability, greater availability, and overall flexibility for connecting to cloud and datacenter virtualization applications. According to new a forecast from International Data Corporation (www.idc.com), total U.S. Ethernet revenue will increase from US$6.2 billion in 2013 to $10.1 billion in 2016.

Enterprises across all major verticals are utilizing Ethernet services for domestic and international wide area network (WAN) and metro area connectivity, as well as for access to other services, such as connecting to the Internet, IP VPNs, and cloud service providers, says the research group. The primary drivers of Ethernet adoption among U.S. enterprises are high-bandwidth applications, such as datacenter inter-connectivity, disaster recovery/business continuity, and data storage replication. Enterprises rank security...

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Oct 15
Mobile payments see 27% growth in the past four months

Adyen (www.adyen.com), a global payments solutions company, has announced the most recent findings from its Adyen Global Mobile Payments Index, which showed that mobile payments transactions on its platform from May to August 2013 have increased by 27% worldwide, jumping from 13.8% of all transactions at the end of April 2013 to 17.5% in August 2013.

The Index analyzed all mobile transactions completed over its platform for thousands of merchants globally, including Vodafone, Mango, SoundCloud, KLM and PopCap Games. It found that the overall percentage of worldwide purchases made using mobile phones and tablet devices both increased during this period Smartphones went from 6.5% to 9.2%; tablets went from 7.4% to 8.3%. 

However, in a reversal from the previous Index, the share of tablet devices used for mobile purchases decreased during this period from 53.2% to 47.4% -- the lowest percentage since May 2012,...

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Oct 14

Half of large enterprises to have hybrid cloud...

Nearly half of large enterprises will have hybrid cloud deployments by the end of 2017, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). In the past three years, private cloud computing has moved from an aspiration to a tentative reality for nearly half of large enterprises.

Hybrid cloud computing is at the same place today that private cloud was three years ago; as actual deployments are low, but aspirations are high. When it comes to drivers of private cloud computing, while cost is always an important consideration, a business case for private cloud cannot rely on lower costs as the primary justification. 

"Virtualization reduces capital expenses, and standards and automation reduce operational expenses," says Thomas Bittman, vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner. "However, taking the next step of adding usage metrics, self-service offerings and automated provisioning requires investment in...

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Oct 11
Ultra-premium smartphone segment market share to fall

New findings from hi-tech analysts, Juniper Research (www.juniperrsearch.com) says that a new ultra-low cost generation of smartphones is emerging, capturing large volumes of the emerging markets.

Juniper forecasts almost 200 million in shipments by 2018, compared to nearly 10 million in 2014. On a global scale, this means that the "ultra-premium" end of the smartphone market is set to diminish proportionally by volume over time, not due to a drop in sales but a faster level of growth at other price points.

The report, "Smartphone Futures: Differentiation Strategies & Emerging Opportunities, 2013-2018," argues that this new generation of devices will permanently change the market, splitting the global market in two, with the developed high margin low volume markets on one side and low margin high volume markets on the other.

The ultra-premium smartphone market is currently dominated...

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Oct 10
There'll be 9.7 million carrier Wi-Fi access...

Carrier Wi-Fi started to gain momentum in 2013 driven by increasing data demands and new Wi-Fi advancements. Cable operators are enthusiastically adopting the technology as an entrance into the wireless market. ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) forecasts Carrier Wi-Fi access point shipments in 2018 to reach 9.7 million with the Asia-Pacific region accounting for 70% of that number.

In the U.S., a very successful model was deployed by Cable WiFi: an alliance formed of five of the biggest cable operators in the country including Bright House Networks, Comcast, Cablevision, Cox, and Time Warner Cable. Customers of any of the alliance members can roam seamlessly in the biggest Wi-Fi network in the U.S. with more than 150,000 hotspots.

"While it is a great marketing strategy allowing Cable operators to retain their customers and enhance the service, Cable WiFi also shows that monetization is a...

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Oct 09
4G networks to handle more data traffic than 3G...

Even though 4G’s share of cellular subscriptions stood at a meager 2.9% at the end of 2Q 2013, it is expected to account for slightly more than 20% of the total data consumed on mobile networks worldwide this year. After surpassing 3G networks in 2016, 4G networks will go on to capture two-thirds of data traffic by 2018, according to market intelligence firm ABI Research (www.abirsearch.com).

4G data traffic will surge at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 82.2% between this year and 2018. Underpinning this trend is the aggressive LTE network deployment by wireless operators and the expanding portfolio of smartphones and tablets which are also falling in price.

"These two factors work hand in hand to enable consumers to stream videos,: says Ying Kang Tan, research associate at ABI Research. "Already, Verizon saw video accounting for 50% of its network traffic earlier this year. ABI Research...

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Oct 08
Many organizations fear their privacy activities are...

The perceived level of maturity attached to organizations' privacy activities has decreased since 2011, as many organizations deem their existing privacy activities to be inadequate, according to a survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com) The survey found that 43% of organizations have a comprehensive privacy management program in place, while 7% admitted to "doing the bare minimum" regarding privacy laws.

"More than a third of organizations still 'consider privacy aspects in an ad hoc fashion' and it is surprising that so many companies are saying that they are not conducting privacy impact assessments before major projects," says Carsten Casper, research vice president at Gartner. "Sixty-two percent do not scan websites and applications, or conduct an organization-wide privacy audit every year. Organizations must put these activities on their to-do list for 2014."

These results are based on 221 respondent...

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Oct 07
IDC predicts thin client growth in the business market

According to the International Data Corporation (www.id.com), worldwide thin client and terminal client device shipments totaled 1.3 million units in the second quarter of 2013 (2Q13), an increase of 7.4% from the previous quarter and 8.2% lower than IDC forecast for the quarter.

The research group expects shipments for the full year to be 5.3 million units, representing 2.1% year-over-year growth. However, the forecast for 2014 is for shipments to reach 5.9 million units, representing 10.4% year-over-year growth. By 2017, these devices are expected to reach 8.3 million units shipped worldwide.

"NComputing grew 70.9% over the first quarter in 2Q13 by strengthening its focus on the education sector in Asia/Pacific, establishing itself as the top vendor in the region, and by increasing its presence in Latin America," says Jennifer Song, research analyst, Worldwide Trackers, IDC. "The United States is still the largest...

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Oct 04
Smartphone management, security options to expand

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) predicts the number of type-1 or type-2 smartphone virtualization activations will grow 20 fold by 2018, exceeding 8 million devices. Worldwide, activation rates will exceed 114% YoY [year-over-year] with North America and Western Europe seeing the greatest number of smartphone activations. The Asia-Pacific region will see the largest growth increasing nearly 50 fold by 2018, or 165% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] growth YoY.

"The mobility management space continues to amaze as it seems new enterprise mobility solutions emerge daily, says ABI Research senior analyst Jason McNicol. "The latest solution now involves virtualization, where a type-1 or type-2 hypervisor is used to create two distinct profiles on the user’s mobile device, work and personal. This kind of virtualization solution provides IT complete control over the enterprise workspace while the personal side...

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Oct 03
Airports, airlines struggle to meet mobility...

Airports and airlines are clearly focused on improving the travel experience. But are the investments they’re making having the desired impact? Based on new research reports -- for both airlines and airports -- of 2,160 travelers just released from FlightView (www.FlightView.com), a day-of-travel information company, the answer is a resounding "no."

"WiFi is and has been the highest priority for travelers, yet satisfaction levels have remained largely the same -- with approval for airport WiFi actually decreasing by 4% and improving for in-flight WiFi by a little more than 1%, since this time last year," says Mike Benjamin, CEO of FlightView. "With more travelers using smartphones at the airport, and 82 percent using them in-flight -- improving WiFi is absolutely critical to improving the overall travel experience."
Despite all the hype, only 8% of those surveyed find value in virtual assistant...

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Oct 02
BI software market to exceed $40 billion by 2018

According to TBR’s "2Q13 Business Intelligence Software Vendor Benchmark," the business intelligence (BI) software market will surpass US$40 billion by 2018 as vendors expand and integrate portfolios to capitalize on customers’ BI software investment plans.

TBR research shows customers’ BI software consumption patterns are maturing and broadening, with customers moving from stand-alone tools to packaged BI applications and then to analytic complements of business applications. TBR market sizing projects an average 4% year-to-year annual revenue growth between 2013 and 2018 -- a slowdown from the double-digit growth rates of 2011 and 2012 that reflects the rising maturity of this market and the extent to which customers can extend BI software deployments.

The projected 2013 growth for the BI software market shows the market is at an inflection point: Revenue grew by double digits across the start of the year, fueled by IPOs around high-interest segments including data...

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Oct 01
iPhone 5 not expected to have much effect in emerging...

The recently launched iPhone 5c is not expected to have an effect on overall smartphone adoption rate in emerging markets, while Microsoft's acquisition of Nokia provides a reason for cautious optimism, according to a new research note by Pyramid Research (www.pyramidresearch.com).

Emerging markets will be the driving force behind the global smartphone sales growth, with 70% of total smartphone sales originating in this part of the world in 2018. Projections provided in the Pyramid Point assume that the global smartphone average selling price will gradually decline and that this number will be below US$100 across the poorest countries in the emerging world.

However, in order for the next two billion people to be connected to the Internet via smartphones in the next five years, the price of these devices should fall to around $50. This relatively hard to reach target is attainable if more...

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Sep 30
The Northern Spy: Hey You Kids -- Get Off My...

By Rick Sutcliffe

"Hi Nellie." I didn't need to turn around. The sound of her cowboy boots and a certain air of eau de geek that pervades her space tipped me to her presence.

"What'ya workin' on?"

"This column."

"Still into self referentialism as always, so no doubt you'll quote us quoting us."

Lest we get tied up in logical knots, I ignored this sally. "So what's got your shirt in a knot today, Nellie." She rarely visited unless she wanted to sound off about something.

"Remember what I said the first time I came into your office?"

"That was back in the early 80s. Sure I remember. You put your boots up on my desk and proclaimed you could break into any computer in the world? Of course I remember it. I believed you. Still do. So?"

"So what do you think about all this fuss over the NSA reading people's mail and files down in the Excited States "

"And around the world to boot? Seems a lot of tempest over a...

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Sep 30
Many companies face challenges moving to new revenue...

A new Gatepoint Research study (http://tinyurl.com/kllawxg), commissioned by cloud billing expert Aria Systems and released today, finds that a significant percentage (42%) of respondents from the high tech, telecom, and retail sectors are experiencing frustration with their current billing systems when trying to use them to support new recurring revenue models. Often at the heart of the problem are legacy billing systems that limit a business’s ability to adapt quickly and flexibly to changes in their marketplace.

According to the Gatepoint study, 33% of respondents report being “barely or less than satisfied” with their current billing system. Of the 42% that identify using an internally-built, or “homegrown” solution, 40% report “low-levels of satisfaction”. The primary frustration? Nearly two-thirds (67%) report being limited by a system that only supports simple subscription models, while over...

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Sep 28
Fifty-one percent of U.S. population watches streaming...

Call it a tipping point -- more than half (51%) of the U.S. population (ages 13 to 54) now watches TV programs or movies using streaming video at least once a week. Connected TVs, mobile devices, videogame consoles, and streaming services such as Netflix have helped turn a “tecchie” phenomenon into a mainstream entertainment source.

According to a just-released GfK report, "How People Use Media: Over-the-Top TV 2013," the weekly streaming audience for TV and movies in the US has risen from 37% three years ago to 48% in 2012, and edged over the halfway point in the past year.

Tablets and smartphones are playing emerging roles in this transformation; 5% of consumers now use a tablet to watch streaming video of TV programs or movies on a weekly basis, while 4% use a smartphone. Among those who watch TV or movies on tablets or smartphones, three in five say they access such content through an app, while one-third stream directly from a website; the breakdown for...

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Sep 26
Worldwide semiconductor market to grow 3% in 2013

The worldwide semiconductor market is expected to grow 3% from 2012 to 2013, according to ABI Research (www.abirsearch.com). There has been sequential market growth from 1Q13 to 2Q13 and the vast majority of the top 20 vendors are expecting 3Q13 to grow revenues again.

"It has been a tough few years for the semiconductor industry. While we haven’t seen a dramatic decline in overall revenues since the 2008/2009 period the market has been pretty stagnant since 2010," says Peter Cooney, practice director, ABI Research. "We will see some growth in 2013 as the wider economic environment improves but major market growth is not expected until later in 2014/early 2015."

Consolidation continues to be rife in the industry: a number of major mergers and acquisitions are expected to take place in the second half of 2013; these include the merger of Fujitsu and Panasonic semiconductor divisions and the acquisition...

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Sep 25
Smartphone-based fitness users to approach 100 million...

The next five years will see a major shift towards smartphone- based mHealth, where hardware attachments link to companion app on the smartphone, according to a new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com).

The report forecasts that by 2018 there will be 96 million users of app-enabled mHealth and mobile-fitness hardware devices, up from 15 million this year. In the healthcare sector, app-enabled mHealth will be used to enable services ranging from remote patient monitoring to mobile ultrasound services.

However, Juniper Research found that it will be the mFitness sector that will experience strongest growth in the short and medium term. According to the report, this growth will be driven by a motivated target market, an increasing demand for lifestyle consumer applications and a diversifying array of attachments. App-enabled mFitness will therefore reach maturity much more...

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Sep 24
Mobile phones becoming more susceptible to spam calls

NumberCop (www.numbercop.com), a mobile security company dedicated to combating phone spam, has announced research findings that reveal the amount of spam calls arriving on mobile phones is increasing on a daily basis.

Research among NumberCop's phone-spam-index for 5,000 subscribers in four countries (US, CA, UK, AU) from January to July 2013 shows that the most prevalent form of reported phone spam are sales agent-based spam calls (43%), spam text messages (11%) and automated robocalls (9%). Phishing calls seeking personal or financial details and other fraudulent calls, such as phone scams, have risen to 27%, an increase of 170% compared  to 2008 when NumberCop's phone spam tracking started.

The research also finds that phone spam frustrates iPhone users more than Android users. For over 25% of NumberCop's indexed spam numbers iPhone users reported phone spam up to 3 times more frequently than...

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Sep 23
Half of Bluetooth-enabled devices shipped in 2013 will...

The growth of Bluetooth v4.0 (Smart and Smart Ready) devices has been phenomenal, from zero shipments in 2010 to over one billion shipments in 2013, according to ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com). This speaks to the desire for ultra-low power wireless technology across the industry.

"Today, Bluetooth v4.0’s success has been largely due to its rapid adoption in smartphones, media tablets, and other portable electronic devices," says Peter Cooney, practice director of the research group. "This is the first stage in the growth cycle for the latest version of Bluetooth and points to the rapid growth that OEMs expect for Bluetooth Smart Sensors."

Bluetooth Smart node devices accounted for less than 10% of total Bluetooth v4.0 devices shipped in 2012. However, as device vendors have embraced the technology a wider ecosystem of vendors have gained confidence in v4.0 and it’s emerging as the key wireless...

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Sep 20
Over 40% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to an...

Park Associates (www.parksassociates.com) has announced results of a 2013 survey of 10,000 U.S. broadband households, which shows 44% currently have a subscription to some kind of online video service, such as Netflix, Hulu Plus, or Amazon. Younger consumers are more likely to subscribe to OTT (over-the-top) video services, and 8% of consumers 18-24 have never subscribed to a pay-TV service.

"Consumers have a variety of viewing options now thanks to OTT content, which is dismantling the traditional TV business models," said Heather Way, Senior Analyst, Parks Associates. "Online video is now a common source of video viewing in U.S. households, while transactional VOD (TVOD) is near the bottom. However, industry players, from service providers to retailers, have many new options in monetization models, including advertising, t-commerce, transactions, and subscriptions."

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Sep 18
Base of carrier-grade Wi-Fi access points to hit 15...

According to a new research report by Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), telecom operators had deployed more than seven million carrier-grade Wi-Fi access points worldwide at the end of 2012. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.5%, the installed base is forecasted to reach 15 million units by 2018.

Making use of Wi-Fi in unlicensed spectrum is an increasingly attractive solution for mobile operators. Virtually all new smartphones now have Wi-Fi connectivity as standard and a majority of smartphone owners already use Wi-Fi at home and at work. The installed base of Wi-Fi enabled handsets is forecasted to grow from nearly 1.5 billion units at the end of 2012 to more than four billion units in 2018.
 
Mobile network equipment vendors and mobile operators are now quickly reversing their skepticism towards Wi-Fi as the rise in mobile data traffic necessitates investments in...

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Sep 17
The installed base of small cell base stations will...

According to a new research report by Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), the installed base of small cell base stations increased to about 4.1 million units worldwide in 2012. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.2 percent, the installed base is forecasted to reach 40 million units by 2018.

Small cells encompass a range of low power cellular base stations including femtocells, picocells and microcells with gradually higher output power and capacity in terms of simultaneous users. Small cells are designed to complement the large base stations forming the cellular macro network by providing enhancements in coverage and capacity in locations such as homes, offices and public venues.
 
"Mobile operators worldwide are experiencing rapid growth in mobile data and signalling traffic," says André Malm, senior analyst, Berg Insight. He adds that total mobile data traffic in cellular...

| Read more »
Sep 16
Most collaboration apps will be available across...

Most collaboration applications will be equally available on desktops, mobile phones, tablets and browsers by 2016, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Currently, a variety of apps and services for mobile content access, collaboration and productivity enable employees to collaborate in real time and work more effectively, but the fragmentation of options creates complexity and challenges for the IT organization, says the research group.

"In the past, collaboration on mobile devices meant interaction through wireless messaging and voice calls," says Monica Basso, research vice president at Gartner. "Today, smartphones and tablets have larger screens, touch-based user interfaces (UIs), location support, broad network connectivity, enhanced cameras and video support, voice over IP (VoIP), and so on. Such features enable a range of applications -- both traditional and new -- for employees to better...

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Sep 13
Worldwide public IT cloud services spending to reach...

Worldwide spending on public IT cloud services will reach US$47.4 billion in 2013 and is expected to be more than $107 billion in 2017, according to a new forecast from the IDC research group (www.idd.com). Over the 2013–2017 forecast period, public IT cloud services will have a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 23.5%, five times that of the IT industry as a whole.

As one of the key technologies enabling the industry-wide shift to the 3rd Platform, cloud computing has played a crucial role in changing the way companies consume and use information technology. Now, there are signs that cloud services are starting to shift into a "Chapter Two" phase where the scale of cloud adoption will not only be much bigger, but also more user and solution driven, according to IDC. In this phase of growth, cloud and the other 3rd Platform technologies -- mobile, social, and Big Data -- will become even more interdependent as they...

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Jump into one of Volkswagen's most...
We spoke about PUBG Mobile yesterday and their Esports development, so it is a little early to revisit them, but we have to because this is just too amusing. Someone needs to tell Krafton that PUBG Mobile is a massive title because out of all the... | Read more »
PUBG Mobile will be releasing more ways...
The emergence of Esports is perhaps one of the best things to happen in gaming. It shows our little hobby can be a serious thing, gets more people intrigued, and allows players to use their skills to earn money. And on that last point, PUBG Mobile... | Read more »
Genshin Impact 5.1 launches October 9th...
If you played version 5.0 of Genshin Impact, you would probably be a bit bummed by the lack of a Pyro version of the Traveller. Well, annoyingly HoYo has stopped short of officially announcing them in 5.1 outside a possible sighting in livestream... | Read more »
A Phoenix from the Ashes – The TouchArca...
Hello! We are still in a transitional phase of moving the podcast entirely to our Patreon, but in the meantime the only way we can get the show’s feed pushed out to where it needs to go is to post it to the website. However, the wheels are in motion... | Read more »
Race with the power of the gods as KartR...
I have mentioned it before, somewhere in the aether, but I love mythology. Primarily Norse, but I will take whatever you have. Recently KartRider Rush+ took on the Arthurian legends, a great piece of British mythology, and now they have moved on... | Read more »
Tackle some terrifying bosses in a new g...
Blue Archive has recently released its latest update, packed with quite an arsenal of content. Named Rowdy and Cheery, you will take part in an all-new game mode, recruit two new students, and follow the team's adventures in Hyakkiyako. [Read... | Read more »
Embrace a peaceful life in Middle-Earth...
The Lord of the Rings series shows us what happens to enterprising Hobbits such as Frodo, Bilbo, Sam, Merry and Pippin if they don’t stay in their lane and decide to leave the Shire. It looks bloody dangerous, which is why September 23rd is an... | Read more »
Athena Crisis launches on all platforms...
Athena Crisis is a game I have been following during its development, and not just because of its brilliant marketing genius of letting you play a level on the webpage. Well for me, and I assume many of you, the wait is over as Athena Crisis has... | Read more »
Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Editio...
For our last full controller review on TouchArcade, I’ve been using the Victrix Pro BFG Tekken 8 Rage Art Edition for PC and PlayStation across my Steam Deck, PS5, and PS4 Pro for over a month now. | Read more »
Matchday Champions celebrates early acce...
Since colossally shooting themselves in the foot with a bazooka and fumbling their deal with EA Sports, FIFA is no doubt scrambling for other games to plaster its name on to cover the financial blackhole they made themselves. Enter Matchday, with... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Apple Watch Ultra available today at Apple fo...
Apple has several Certified Refurbished Apple Watch Ultra models available in their online store for $589, or $210 off original MSRP. Each Watch includes Apple’s standard one-year warranty, a new... Read more
Amazon is offering coupons worth up to $109 o...
Amazon is offering clippable coupons worth up to $109 off MSRP on certain Silver and Blue M3-powered 24″ iMacs, each including free shipping. With the coupons, these iMacs are $150-$200 off Apple’s... Read more
Amazon is offering coupons to take up to $50...
Amazon has Apple’s M2-powered Mac minis in stock and on sale for up to $110 off MSRP, each including free delivery. Prices are valid after free coupons available on each mini’s product page, detailed... Read more
Use your Education discount to take up to $10...
Need a new Apple iPad? If you’re a student, teacher, or staff member at any educational institution, you can use your .edu email address when ordering at Apple Education to take up to $100 off the... Read more
Apple has 15-inch M2 MacBook Airs available f...
Apple has clearance, Certified Refurbished, 15″ M2 MacBook Airs available starting at $1019 and ranging up to $300 off original MSRP. These are the cheapest 15″ MacBook Airs for sale today at Apple.... Read more
Mac Studio with M2 Max CPU on sale for $1749,...
B&H Photo has the standard-configuration Mac Studio model with Apple’s M2 Max CPU in stock today and on sale for $250 off MSRP, now $1749 (12-Core CPU and 32GB RAM/512GB SSD). B&H offers... Read more
Save up to $260 on a 15-inch M3 MacBook Pro w...
Apple has Certified Refurbished 15″ M3 MacBook Airs in stock today starting at only $1099 and ranging up to $260 off MSRP. These are the cheapest M3-powered 15″ MacBook Airs for sale today at Apple.... Read more
Apple has 16-inch M3 Pro MacBook Pro in stock...
Apple has a full line of 16″ M3 Pro MacBook Pros available, Certified Refurbished, starting at $2119 and ranging up to $440 off MSRP. Each model features a new outer case, shipping is free, and an... Read more
Apple M2 Mac minis on sale for $120-$200 off...
Amazon has Apple’s M2-powered Mac minis in stock and on sale for $110-$200 off MSRP this weekend, each including free delivery: – Mac mini M2/256GB SSD: $469, save $130 – Mac mini M2/512GB SSD: $689.... Read more
Clearance 9th-generation iPads are in stock t...
Best Buy has Apple’s 9th generation 10.2″ WiFi iPads on clearance sale for starting at only $199 on their online store for a limited time. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary... Read more

Jobs Board

Senior Mobile Engineer-Android/ *Apple* - Ge...
…Trust/Other Required:** NACI (T1) **Job Family:** Systems Engineering **Skills:** Apple Devices,Device Management,Mobile Device Management (MDM) **Experience:** 10 + Read more
Sonographer - *Apple* Hill Imaging Center -...
Sonographer - Apple Hill Imaging Center - Evenings Location: York Hospital, York, PA Schedule: Full Time Full Time (80 hrs/pay period) Evenings General Summary Read more
*Apple* Systems Administrator - JAMF - Activ...
…**Public Trust/Other Required:** None **Job Family:** Systems Administration **Skills:** Apple Platforms,Computer Servers,Jamf Pro **Experience:** 3 + years of Read more
Cashier - *Apple* Blossom Mall - JCPenney (...
Cashier - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Blossom Mall Read more
Omnichannel Associate - *Apple* Blossom Mal...
Omnichannel Associate - Apple Blossom Mall Location:Winchester, VA, United States (https://jobs.jcp.com/jobs/location/191170/winchester-va-united-states) - Apple Read more
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