Portable Media Players Will Gain Momentum

Driven by increased broadband market penetration, declining price points, and a growing catalog of online audio and video content, the market for MP3 players and portable media players (PMPs) will remain strong over the next five years, according to In-Stat.

Nevertheless, according to In-Stat's latest primary research study, the main reason consumers are purchasing portable MP3 players and video-capable PMPs today is for the audio playback capability, the high-tech market research firm says.

"Only 11 percent of survey respondents say they will purchase a PMP primarily for its video playback function," says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. "Still, the cost of incorporating video into portable devices continues to decline. As a result, In-Stat expects shipment growth of video-enabled PMPs to outpace that of audio-only MP3 players by the end of 2008."

I believe that portable media player functionality will continue to reside in other devices -- such as handheld computers. As an example, I own a Windows Mobile-based pocket PC, and have no need for a separate device. Therefore, I suspect that the total addressable market for mobile digital media consumption will always be much greater than the dedicated device adoption.

In-Stat's market study found the following:

- Worldwide unit shipments for audio-only MP3 players and PMPs combined will reach 275 million units in 2011, up from 182 million in 2006.

- Of the 2,408 respondents to In-Stat's latest survey of U.S. consumers, 52 percent own an MP3 player or PMP.

- In-Stat does not expect music-enabled cell phone shipments to displace dedicated PMP/MP3 player shipments any time soon, but there is an opportunity for cell phone manufacturers to capture those consumers who are considering cheap, audio-only MP3 players.

Mobility-as-a-Service Creates Disruptive Travel Options

Building on significant advances in big data, analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT), more innovative transit service offerings aim to increase public transport ridership and reduce emissions or congestion within metropolitan areas. By providing these services through smartphone apps, the transit services also significantly increase user convenience, providing information on different human mobility offerings -- including public transport, ridesharing, and autonomous vehicles. Mobility-as-a-Service Market Development According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, Mobility-as-a-Service (MaaS) subscribers will generate $53 billion in revenue for MaaS platform providers by 2027 -- that's rising from $5.3 billion in 2021. Let's start with a basic definition. MaaS is the provision of multi-modal end-to-end travel services through single platforms, by which users can determine an optimal route and price. The study identified a monthly subscription model as key to incr

Robocall Mitigation Solutions to Halt Criminal Threats

If you answer the phone and hear a recorded message instead of a live person, it's likely a robocall. A robocall is a phone call that uses a computerized autodialer to deliver a pre-recorded message. In 2020, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) received 2.8 million consumer complaints about robocalls. Offering solutions to robocalling and associated fraudulent business practices, computerized mitigation platforms are an integral part of the solution. Platforms that are focused on actionable systems to disrupt unsolicited and potentially criminal phone calls help telecom service providers and industry regulators. Issues of whether one-size-fits-all developments are sufficient to be effective across the spectrum need to be addressed, and whether a single telecom network operator working unilaterally with a third-party platform could compromise desired or mandatory industry-wide standards. Robocall Mitigation Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Jun

Why a Distributed Workforce will Raise Productivity

While most senior executives at progressive organizations have already evolved their human resource policies to accommodate employee desire for flexible working models, others still resist change. Unfortunately, many of the laggards are now experiencing the "Great Resignation" phenomenon. The global pandemic required business leaders to rethink when, where, and how their knowledge workers and front-line employees perform their work. Yet even with the ongoing pandemic recovery slowly underway, some organizations are still trying to determine their workforce approach. According to the latest worldwide market study and recent survey data from International Data Corporation (IDC), stability and geography will likely define the balance of future work strategies. Distributed Workforce Market Development On a global basis, physical office sites are expected to be the dominant location for work as legacy organizations eventually find themselves in a more stable environment. However,

Digital Lifescapes

Search This Blog