Fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) revenues will reach $80 billion in 2009, or 6 percent of total communications spend worldwide, according to a new Pyramid Research report. The report credits converged service revenue growth to value-added services and the migration of digital content from broadcasting networks to new converged networks. Pyramid expects converged services adoption to accelerate only after 2007, as more consumers are migrated to convergent platforms. "Key drivers of FMC include fixed-mobile substitution, industry consolidation, and strong uptake of VoIP services" said Pyramid Research analyst Svetlana Issaeva. End-users in the traditional fixed and Internet access segments will continue to spend less, as competition puts downward pressure on prices and subscribers trickle away to mobile networks. Fixed providers are most keenly aware of these trends as fixed-mobile substitution slowly gains ground. For them, a prompt launch of FMC networks promises to cut CAPEX and OPEX, and offers an arsenal of new value-added services that will improve loyalty and increase revenues.
The global cloud computing market is undergoing new significant growth, driven by the rapid adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) and the demand for flexible, scalable infrastructure. The recent market study by International Data Corporation (IDC) provides compelling evidence of this transformation, highlighting the accelerating growth in cloud infrastructure spending and the pivotal role of AI in shaping the industry's future trajectory. Shared Infrastructure Market Development The study reveals a 36.9 percent year-over-year worldwide increase in spending on compute and storage infrastructure products for cloud deployments in the first quarter of 2024, reaching $33 billion. This growth substantially outpaced non-cloud infrastructure spending, which saw a modest 5.7 percent increase to $13.9 billion during the same period. The surge in cloud infrastructure spending was partially fueled by an 11.4 percent growth in unit demand, influenced by higher average selling prices, primari