The smartphone market is getting more complex and dynamic, as well as maturing and being highly commoditized. In such mature market, technology improvements in smartphone has brought incremental enhancements and these are often not perceived by users as critical for them.

Roberta Cozza, research director at Gartner, Inc., has identified 10 technologies and capabilities whose developments and transformations cannot be ignored by any mobile device vendor. The 10 technologies and capabilities for 2016 and 2017 are: fast charging, wireless charing, augmented reality/virtual reality, multiple-lens camera solutions, biometric authentication sensors and technologies; virtual personal assistants, flexible/curved displays, Wi-Fi 802.11 standards, USB Type-C and embedded SIM (e-SIM)

They were selected looking at five main potential areas of impact: the battery, an immersive experience, a personalized experience, display technology and connectivity. Gartner says they represent...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that wireless home security sales are increasing and almost one-half of home security owners in the U.S. have a self-installed home security system that connects wirelessly to sensors.

"The emergence of 'monitor-it-yourself' and hybrid professional monitoring options for self-installed devices is a key trend for the smart home in 2016," said Brad Russell, research analyst, Parks Associates. "Almost 50% of smart home devices currently in U.S. broadband households are self-installed, by the owner or by the owner's friends or family members.”


The research also shows that:

° 80% of U.S. security dealers currently install smart home devices as part of their services.

° About 25% of security replacements or upgrades include at least one smart home device, such as smart thermostats, networked video cameras, or smart...

Businesses that want to win, serve, and retain customers on digital platforms are increasingly turning to American IT firms who can get them to market faster with more effective customer engagement solutions than offshore providers, according to a new CapTech study (www.captechconsulting.com).

New numbers reveal that 63% of IT sourcing decision makers will hire more onshore third-party service providers for digital transformation projects in the coming year. Late projects, poor communication, poor quality, and escalating total costs were cited as the main reasons for bringing offshore work back onshore. The survey found that U.S. service providers deliver more value and consistently better results for meeting the demands of today’s digitally empowered customers.

A key driver behind this outcome is that onshore services are more grounded in agile development. Using the agile approach...

According to a new research report from Berg Insight (www.berginsight.com), the number of North American and European homes with a smart thermostat grew by 81% to 5.8 million in 2015.

The North American market recorded a 78% growth in the installed base of smart thermostats to 4.5 million. In Europe, the total number of homes with a smart thermostat grew by 90% year-on-year to reach 1.4 million.

Berg Insight forecasts that the number of homes with smart thermostats in Europe and North America will grow at a compound annual growth rate of 54.5%during the next five years to reach 51.1 million in 2020. North America will remain the largest market at the end of the forecast period with 32.2 million homes that have smart thermostats, whereas the installed base in Europe is expected to reach 18.9 million homes.
 
Smart thermostats is a particularly attractive opportunity in the smart home...

Mobile app users spend 24% more on in-app transactions than on upfront app payments, according to an online consumer survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Consumer preference for in-app transactions indicates that the flexibility they offer is delivering a better customer experience than paid-for downloads, according to the research group.

"Overall, the survey results showed that mobile app users are spending $7.40 on paid-for apps every three months and $9.20 on in-app transactions, resulting in a quarter more spending on in-app transactions," said Stephanie Baghdassarian, research director at Gartner. "This confirms that once users are confident that an app delivers the expected value without having to pay upfront, they then find it easier to spend on in-app transactions.”

She added that not all users will activate in-app transactions, especially those who cannot see the value of the app. However,...

ABI Research (www.abiresearch.com) forecasts global revenues of aftermarket mobile accessories to top $110 billion in 2021. Aftermarket Bluetooth headsets for smartphones will grow the fastest, in terms of both revenue and shipments, with shipments expected to show a 9% compound annual growth rate between 2016 and 2020, per the research group.

"Bluetooth stereo headset shipments are rising steadily, and Apple's rumored decision to remove the headphone jack from its new iPhone only further supports our belief that mobile accessory manufacturers will largely focus on Bluetooth audio listening in the near future," says Marina Lu, Senior Analyst at ABI Research. "Wired headsets are also showing strong growth, as consumers usually have to buy additional headsets for their smartphones."

Screen protectors, protective cases, and chargers also contribute to growth in aftermarket mobile accessories. Apart from...

By Rick Sutcliffe

The Spy spotted an article this month (which he won't loan credibility by providing a link) suggesting Apple was becoming the next Blackberry, doomed to fail because it is falling behind the times. Perhaps so, but that doom seems a long time off yet.

The good news is that WWDC, upcoming in two weeks, is likely to see a plethora of incremental upgrade announcements to please the faithful (though the Spy is giving it a pass again this year, as he's not expecting any blockbusters). Here's his list, in order of likelihood:

° New editions of both iOS and (rebranded) macOS (guaranteed);

° Incremental updates to Swift and Siri (almost certain);

° New products and alliances in medical, home automation (a must to retain a foothold);

° New Apple Pay alliances (also necessary);

° At least one new iPad;

° Bumps in Apple TV and consumer Mac models (one or two for sure);

° A bump in...

In its annual survey of high net worth business owners (www.ustrust.com/survey), U.S. Trust found that business ownership can be challenging, but most entrepreneurs wouldn’t consider any other line of work and have personally invested themselves and their families in their businesses. While there are distinct differences between younger and older owners, entrepreneurs of all ages share a strong desire to control their own destiny.

The study of 242 high net worth business owners with at least $3 million in investable assets, part of the 2016 U.S. Trust Insights on Wealth and Worth survey, found what worries entrepreneurs most is what they don’t have control of: the unknown impact of the 2016 presidential election and a breach in cybersecurity, both of which could have significant implications for their business and personal financial interests.

The majority (95%) of business owners surveyed...

Technavio (www.technavio.com) is forecasting positive growth for many segments of the publishing and advertising market over the next four years as several markets, including mobile ad spending, programmatic ads, and advertising display, will witness an increase in revenues.

A rapid increase in the number of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets has compelled advertisers to choose mobile advertising over other forms of advertising. Recently, it has been observed that many service providers have developed tools for programmatic advertising and real-time bidding. These tools allow app developers and advertisers to monetize customer usage by displaying relevant ads, according to Technavio.

These ads are customized based on data regarding the customer's mobile usage, location, and search keywords acquired from cookies embedded in apps and web pages. Technavio market research analysts predict the...

Global sales of smartphones to end users totaled 349 million units in the first quarter of 2016, a 3.9% increase over the same period in 2015, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Smartphone sales represented 78% of total mobile phone sales in the first quarter of 2016, notes the research group.

Sales were driven by demand for low-cost smartphones in emerging markets and for affordable 4G smartphones, led by 4G connectivity promotion plans from communications service providers (CSPs) in many markets worldwide.

"In a slowing smartphone market where large vendors are experiencing growth saturation, emerging brands are disrupting existing brands' long-standing business models to increase their share," said Anshul Gupta, research director at Gartner. "With such changing smartphone market dynamics, Chinese brands are emerging as the new top global brands. Two Chinese brands ranked within the top five...

Intel Security has released findings from its new study, “Online Security Diet: You Are What You Click,” which examines the online behaviors and attitudes of Americans ages 21 to 54 toward dieting clickbait. The research revealed that when it comes to the desire for the ideal body, people may be willing to sacrifice their online security if it takes them a step closer to achieving desired results.

With the summer season approaching, May is a popular month to start a new diet routine, and people are turning online for quick solutions. Thanks to better weather, more hours of sunlight and planned vacations, consumers have more opportunities to be active, which kick-starts a new wave of diets long after New Year’s resolutions come to an end.

“Cybercriminals are becoming increasingly savvy at understanding the seasonality of consumer search habits and exploiting that information to their full potential,” said Gary Davis, chief consumer security evangelist at Intel Security...

Canalys (www.canalys.com) predicts vendors will ship 6.3 million virtual reality (VR) headsets worldwide in 2016, of which 40% will be in China.

VR has the potential to thrive in the country and the research group believes competition will be fierce this year. Barriers to enter the VR market have been lowered. Local vendors are releasing VR headsets that overcome the quality and performance issues of simple viewers, such as Samsung’s Gear VR and Google’s Cardboard. 

“The competition is around the user experience, hardware quality and content,” says Canalys Analyst Jason Low. “Currently, there isn’t a clear leader for VR content in China. Local content providers, game publishers and service providers are racing to exercise their influence on the development of VR beyond hardware. Numerous Chinese vendors are exhibiting their VR headsets at CES Asia 2016 this week. Attendees are willing to suffer long queues...

New data from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that the value of online fraudulent transactions is expected to reach $25.6 billion by 2020, up from $10.7 billion last year. This means that by the end of the decade, $4 in every $1,000 of online payments will be fraudulent.

The new study identified three hot areas for online fraud: eRetail (65% of fraud by value in 2020 - $16.6 billion); banking (27% - $6.9 billion); and airline ticketing (6% - $1.5 billion). The study also claimed that eRetail would be particularly susceptible to online fraud, with the value of fraud in this sector increasing at twice that of banking and seven times that of airline ticketing.

Juniper Research says that, although banks are able to counter online banking fraud by deploying new technologies such as 3D-Secure and device fingerprinting, these measures often only provide temporary respite as...

Active matrix organic light-emitting diode (AMOLED) displays are rising fast, thanks to lowering costs, wider use in end-market consumer electronics devices and the ramp-up of new manufacturing capacities.

While liquid crystal display (LCD) technology is still the dominant technology in the display industry, AMOLED display shipments will grow 40% year-over-year year, to reach 395 million units in 2016. AMOLED display revenue is expected to increase by 25 percent, to reach $15 billion in 2016, according to IHS (www.ihs.com).

“AMOLED is becoming the shiniest spot in the flat-panel display industry,” said David Hsieh, senior director, displays at the research group. “AMOLED has a simpler structure than LCD, as well as a thinner and lighter form factor, better color saturation, greater contrast ratio, faster response time and easier integration with touch functions. In addition, AMOLED is formed on a polymer base...

A recent survey conducted by Lux Insights, Inc. puts consumer awareness of Bluetooth wireless technology at 92% globally, with 62% of respondents reporting a purchasing preference for Bluetooth enabled products, noting Bluetooth is reliable, easy to use, and makes life easier.

The proliferation and success of Bluetooth captured the imagination of the consumer, leading to increased demand for unique wireless applications, most notably home automation, location-based services, personal monitoring and tracking, and remote access control. Industry analyst ABI Research projects that over three billion Bluetooth enabled products will ship this year alone.

“Bluetooth delivers a connection that just works for consumers globally, whether they are listening to music or tracking their steps. This has led to a shift in expectations of what connectivity can be,” said Errett Kroeter, vice president of marketing for the Bluetooth SIG. “Consumers are looking to experience that same...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) finds 47% of U.S. broadband households are concerned their private information stored on connected devices could be made public.

Another 47% are worried companies will sell their personal information. Both findings present challenges for companies as they look to leverage connected product data to enhance the consumer experience and deepen engagement.

"Nearly 50% of U.S. broadband households plan to buy a smart home product in 2016, and two-thirds already have at least one Internet-connected entertainment device," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "The data generated by these devices can extend the product lifecycle and open many new value propositions to consumers. In this webcast, we will discuss the best ways to use data in the expanding consumer IoT environment and how to alleviate consumer concerns so that they...

The steep downward trajectory in national customer satisfaction continues, as the free fall of the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) reaches the two-year mark. The aggregate ACSI (theacsi.org) score for the fourth quarter of 2015 is down 0.5 percent to 73.4 on a 100-point scale, its lowest score in a decade after eight consecutive quarters of decline.

“Consumer spending and retail sales in the fourth quarter were disappointing but actually predictable, given the extended weakening of customer satisfaction and lack of wage growth,” says Claes Fornell, ACSI chairman and founder. “Unless both wages and customer satisfaction improve, consumer demand is not likely to pick up enough to lift the economy from its sluggish pace of growth.”

The cause of the sustained decline in customer satisfaction is unclear, though it does coincide with a weakening of corporate earnings and with a reduction in unemployment. When unemployment is high, the job market is more...

With consumers becoming increasingly comfortable using smartphones and tablet PCs, touch screens are now increasingly making their way into their vehicles, too. In fact, the automotive touch panel market is expected to expand from 28 million units shipped in 2013 to 86 million in 2021, according to IHS Inc. (www.ihs.com), the leading global source of critical information and insight.

“Projected capacitive touch technology is commonly found in consumer smartphones and tablets, which consumers have grown very comfortable using,” said Shoko Oi, senior display analyst at IHS Technology. “Although there are concerns about how direct touch operations could affect safety while driving, automotive touch panels are becoming a standard feature in new vehicles coming to market.”

The content shown on automotive displays now comes from a variety of sources, both inside and outside the car. Many of these applications require...

CEOs have underlined that growth will be their top business priority for 2016, according to a recent survey by Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com).

The 2016 Gartner CEO and senior business executive survey found that despite indications that the global economy is struggling in early 2016, CEOs don’t plan to significantly change their priorities. After growth (54%), the second and third business priorities are customers (31%) and workforce (27%). The Gartner CEO and senior business executive survey of 400 senior business leaders in user organizations worldwide was conducted in the fourth quarter of 2015, asking questions about 2016/2017.

Most responding organizations were those with annual revenue of $1 billion or more. The survey results show that while business conditions are challenging, CEOs remain confident enough to sanction strategic investments, particularly when it comes to digital business...

Organizations are far less willing than their employees to adopt agile working methods and are missing out on the benefits such as earlier delivery of projects and return on investment, according to a new global survey published by AXELOS (www.axelos.com).
 
The survey of more than 2,400 professionals found that more than three-quarters (81%) of respondents – across all job roles and industry sectors surveyed – now see value in working in an agile way. In fact, the appetite to use agile methods among individual professionals is on average 37% greater than their employer’s.
 
The lack of appetite among organizations for agile working exists despite the finding that people in senior management roles were among the most enthusiastic for it, with 83% acknowledging its value. AXELOS’ research also showed how more professionals with a PRINCE2 certification than those without see the value of agile working...

More than 80% of banks surveyed recognize that online and mobile banking channels improve customer engagement, and 93% of banks expect customer satisfaction to improve if a high quality video banking service were to be implemented.
 
A newly released research report, co-sponsored by Efma (www.efma.com), a not-for-profit association of 3,300 retail financial services companies in more than 130 countries and Vidyo, Inc. (www.vidyo.com), which specializes in video collaboration, aims to bring clarity to the role that video banking plays in the digital transformation of banks. The research results uncovered massive support for video banking among financial organizations worldwide, with nearly 80% of all banks planning to offer video-enabled banking services. The research from Vidyo and Efma also found:

° Nearly 70% of banks prioritize video banking...

According to the latest market research report by Technavio (www.technavio.com), the global data center colocation market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of over 12% until 2020. To calculate the market size, Technavio researchers have considered revenues garnered from sales of new units in leading geographies.

“Accessing information stored in a data center involves the use of many devices. A robust networking solution is required to offer high-availability services. During the forecast period, a growing need for digitalization will enable processing of application workloads on servers with cross-platform support,” said Rakesh Panda, one of Technavio’s lead industry analysts for data center research.

He adds: “The use of cloud-based services and big data analytics is growing rapidly. Also, increasing digitalization has resulted in a significant rise in the amount of enterprise...

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a technology concept that is currently transforming and redefining virtually all markets and industries in fundamental ways. In fact, IHS forecasts that the IoT market will grow from an installed base of 15.4 billion devices in 2015 to 30.7 billion devices in 2020 and 75.4 billion in 2025, according to “IoT Platforms: Enabling the Internet of Things” a new white paper available as a free download from IHS Inc. (www.ihs.com), a global source of critical information and insight.

An important sign of the fundamental significance of the IoT concept is that most major information and communication technology vendors are now strategically developing IoT offerings, adds IHS. Companies that sit at the heart of the telecom, networking, industrial infrastructure, enterprise system, and cloud computing sectors are now offering platforms to facilitate the broader economy’s transformation to pervasive...

New data from Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that 65% of U.S. broadband households with a security system plan to buy a smart home device in the next 12 months.

"Nearly 20% of U.S. broadband households own at least one smart home device, and over one-half of these device owners also have a security system," said Stuart Sikes, president, Parks Associates. "Security households, rather than being content with their current system, have a proclivity to add more smart features to their home. Companies need to use this insight to capitalize on the growing demand for connected devices in the home.”

Smart home solutions are available to consumers through multiple sales channels. Parks Associates' data shows 70% of U.S. security dealers currently install some type of interactive smart home device or system within their residential offerings or plan to do so within the next 12 months...