Next-generation television services that focus on interactivity are most likely to find success in Spain, the UK and Japan, with the US ranking sixth in a study that examines the digital readiness of 12 countries for interactive and personalised television services -- Consumers in general exhibited varied levels of interest in targeted television services specific to enhanced communications, personalisation, interactivity, and TV-to-PC convergence. The report suggests that operators planning to deploy IPTV or internet protocol television services will need to take into account the requirements of each region. In Spain, nearly 80 percent of those surveyed showed an interest in at least one key advanced television offering, especially those related to interactive features such as personalised recommendations and voting. In both the UK and Japan, 75 percent showed an inclination towards interactive services. In France and Canada the number was 73 percent, while in the US it was 72 percent. These were followed by Australia and Taiwan with 70 percent, with Korean and China with 69 percent and 68 percent respectively. There was apparently less interest in Germany and Italy, where 65 percent and 58 percent of respondents expressed an interest.
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