Digital Lifescapes

Basic forms of Brain Machine Interface (BMI) technology have already been utilized in the medical field for a number of years. This existing use focuses around the cochlear implant, a medical device which uses BMI technology to provide a sense of sound to a person who is deaf or severely hard of hearing. However, further applications in the medical field and in other areas -- such as an entertainment device, for use in industry, for integration with automobiles or as a control mechanism -- are becoming increasingly possible, as the science and research develops. Brain Machine Interface Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, global hardware sales revenue from BMI will reach $19 billion per annum by 2027 -- that's up from an estimated $2.4 billion in 2018. BMIs bridge the gap between technology and the brain, interpreting brain signals for the purpose of interpretation or control. The study found that medical uses will account f...

There's been a significant increase in enterprise investment on technologies that analyze, organize, access, and provide advisory services that are based on use cases for unstructured data. In fact, worldwide spending on cognitive and artificial intelligence (AI) systems will reach $19.1 billion in 2018 -- that's an increase of 54.2 percent over the amount spent in 2017. With industries investing aggressively in projects that utilize cognitive and AI software capabilities, International Data Corporation (IDC) now forecasts cognitive and AI spending will grow to $52.2 billion in 2021 and achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 46.2 percent over the 2016-2021 forecast period. Cognitive Systems and AI Market Development "Interest and awareness of AI is at a fever pitch. Every industry and every organization should be evaluating AI to see how it will affect their business processes and go-to-market efficiencies," said David Schubmehl, research director at ID...

More CIOs and CTOs are seeking to gain benefits of a simplified and more manageable IT infrastructure for their organizations. As a result, worldwide integrated systems revenue is forecast to total $12.3 billion in 2018 -- that's an increase of 18.4 percent from 2017, according to the latest study by Gartner. The hyperconverged integrated systems (HCIS) segment will experience the strongest growth (55 percent). By contrast, integrated stack systems will experience a five percent decline. IT Integrated Systems Market Development "The majority of integrated systems replace existing infrastructure, which is great for cost, agility and consolidation of IT and efficiency metrics," said Naveen Mishra, research director at Gartner . When implementing this as part of a digital business initiative, however, IT organizations must look at how the potential savings of capital expenditure (capex), may be offset by potential shifts in operating expenditure (opex). According to ...

Internet of Things (IoT) technology deployments have increased across the globe, as more CIOs and CTOs explore new commercial applications. However, many organizations continue to seek IoT solutions that include comprehensive data protection capabilities. Security continues to be a major concern for IT professionals when deploying IoT projects within their organizations, according to the latest worldwide market study by 451 Research. When asked to rank which technologies or processes their organizations considered for current or planned IoT initiatives, 55 percent of respondents ranked IoT security as their top priority. IoT Security Market Development As 451 Research data consistently shows, security is a headwind that must be overcome. Survey respondents have consistently rated IoT security as their highest priority – but why? "The nature of IoT deployments make them particularly difficult to secure against cyber threats," said Brian Partridge, vice president at 4...

Worldwide spending on mobility solutions is forecast to grow 3.2 percent year over year in 2018, reaching more than $1.6 trillion, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). This growth is expected to continue through 2021 with investment on mobility-related hardware, software, and services surpassing $1.7 trillion as the market achieves a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 2.8 percent. "The new mobility use cases and technology adoption in enterprises is driving growth in all three facets of the market, from devices to software and services," said Phil Hochmuth, program director at IDC . Mobility Solutions Market Development Mobility services will be the largest technology category throughout the 2016-2021 forecast period, accounting for nearly 60 percent of overall mobility spending and surpassing $1 trillion in 2021. The category is dominated by mobile connectivity services, which will deliver more than 90 p...

The retail banking sector continues to pursue digital transformation projects. Mobile devices are key to their strategy, as banks move to a ‘mobile first’ approach. It's a global trend supported by the scale of a declining financial services workforce, and the number of physical branches. According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, over 2 billion users will access retail banking services via smartphones, media tablets, PCs and smartwatches in 2018 -- that's up by 10 percent year-over-year. Digital Banking Market Development The new research found that accelerated adoption in key emerging markets -- such as India and China -- means that mobile banking users now represent 50 percent of the global banked population. Juniper expects that the number of global mobile banking users will now overtake online users in 2018 -- 2 years earlier than previously anticipated. 2017 saw banks worldwide engaging in both technology investments and new tech offerings, although...

Cloud service providers continue to drive computing server investment. Meanwhile, vendor revenue in the worldwide server market increased 26.4 percent year-over-year to $20.7 billion in the fourth quarter of 2017 (4Q17), according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The server market continues to gain momentum, as traction for newer Purley- and EPYC-based offerings grows. While demand from cloud service providers has propped up overall market performance, other areas of the server market continue to show growth now as well. Global Server Market Development According to the IDC assessment, worldwide server shipments increased 10.8 percent year-over-year to 2.84 million units in 4Q17. Volume server revenue increased by 21.9 percent to $15.8 billion, while midrange server revenue grew 48.5 percent to $1.9 billion. High-end systems grew 41.1 percent to $2.9 billion, driven by IBM's z14 launch in the last quarter of 2017. However, IDC expects co...

Around the globe, metropolitan and suburban municipalities continue to explore digital transformation projects. Emerging technology spending for Smart City applications is forecast to reach $80 billion in 2018, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC has provided a detailed look at the technology investments associated with a range of Smart City priorities and use cases. As these initiatives gain traction, IDC expects spending to accelerate over the 2016-2021 forecast period, growing to $135 billion in 2021. Smart City Market Development "Smart Cities have recently evolved from a collection of discrete flagship projects to a sizeable market opportunity that will drive significant technology investments in 2018 and beyond," said Serena Da Rold, program manager at IDC . IDC believes that strategic priorities  will drive digital transformation across cities of all sizes, but the analyst's research demonstrates there...

Across the globe, eRetail is now the mainstream -- with well over half of all adults making purchases for products and services online, increasingly from their mobile devices. Meanwhile, traditional bricks and mortar retailers have had to incorporate digital channels into their offerings. Unfortunately for the retailer, there are numerous steps during the online shopping experience where the shopper may abandon their journey to payment. Online Payments Market Development The value of spending on remote payments for digital and physical goods will surpass $3.3 trillion this year -- that's up 10 percent on the 2017 total of $3 trillion, according to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research. The new research findings uncovered that alternative payment mechanisms would comprise an ever increasing proportion of online spending. PayPal already accounts for 20 percent of mobile and online physical goods transactions made outside China, while the success of Alipay an...