Digital Lifescapes

Demand for computer servers, disk storage systems, and networking hardware deployed within an enterprise hybrid cloud environment remains strong. Moreover, the investment in non-cloud on-premises infrastructure seems assured by the CIO and CTO need to deliver superior security and compliance with IT regulatory requirements in several key industries. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation ( IDC ), vendor revenue from sales of IT infrastructure products for cloud environments -- including public and private cloud -- declined 10.2 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2019 (2Q19), reaching $14.1 billion. Cloud IT Infrastructure Market Development IDC also lowered its forecast for total spending on cloud IT infrastructure in 2019 to $63.6 billion, down 4.9 percent from last quarter's forecast and changing from expected growth to a year-over-year decline of 2.1 percent. Vendor revenue from hardware infrastructure sales to publi...

As more digital technology innovations reside in software apps, and part of those software functions reside in a public cloud, the value of device-centric innovation has been eclipsed. Chances are, the device that you already have in your possession is 'good enough' to access those software-defined services. Worldwide shipments of devices -- personal computers (PCs), media tablets and mobile phones -- will decline by 3.7 percent in 2019, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Personal Device Market Development Gartner estimates there are more than 5 billion mobile phones used around the world. After years of growth, the worldwide smartphone market has reached a tipping point. Sales of smartphones will decline by 3.2 percent in 2019, which would be the worst decline the category has seen. "This is due to consumers holding onto their phones longer, given the limited attraction of new technology," said Ranjit Atwal, senior research director at...

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has been portrayed as a technology that can revolutionize the industrial manufacturing sector. The sentiment is somewhat valid, but the scenario is complex. AI in industrial manufacturing is a collection of use cases at different phases of the manufacturing process. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the total installed base of AI-enabled devices in industrial manufacturing will reach 15.4 million in 2024 -- with a CAGR of 64.8 percent from 2019 to 2024. Artifical Intelligence Market Development "AI in industrial manufacturing is a story of edge implementation," said Lian Jye Su, principal analyst at ABI Research . "Since manufacturers are not comfortable having their data transferred to a public cloud, nearly all industrial AI training and inference workloads happen at the edge, namely on device, gateways and on-premise servers." To facilitate this, AI chipset manufacturers and server vendors have de...

Across the globe, millions of people don't have a bank account -- they're the 'unbanked' masses. Mobile Financial Services (MFS) are alternative financial instruments that allow individuals, without an account at a traditional banking institution, to engage in financial activity via their mobile device -- such as a low-cost smartphone or media tablet. Since the inception of 'mobile money' services from the telecom provider in Kenya over ten years ago, these solutions have been instrumental in enabling financial inclusion in emerging markets, where large segments of the population have been unserved, or underserved, by traditional banks. Mobile Financial Services Market Development With the ability to reach anyone who owns a mobile device and the benefit of rolling out cost-effective agent networks, MFS players have managed to fill a gap which has been a challenge for traditional financial institutions within emerging markets. According to the latest worl...

Preparing for the adoption of new technologies is challenging for many large enterprise organizations. That's why savvy CIOs and CTOs seek information and guidance from vendors that can assist them on the journey to achieve digital business transformation. Meanwhile, investment in artificial intelligence (AI) systems and services will continue on a high-growth trajectory. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), spending on AI systems will reach $97.9 billion in 2023 -- that's more than two and a half times the $37.5 billion that will be spent in 2019. The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for AI in the 2018-2023 forecast period will be 28.4 percent. Artificial Intelligence Market Development "The AI market continues to grow at a steady rate in 2019 and we expect this momentum to carry forward," said David Schubmehl, research director at IDC . "The use of artificial intelligence and machine learning (ML) is oc...

More CEOs have now voiced concerns that their workforce is not ready for the implications of digital business transformation trends. Few believe that their HR team is capable of reimagining the future of work to drive high-performance across the organization. Just imagine, 45 percent of managers say they don’t feel confident in their ability to develop the skills employees need to succeed. In addition, managers lack time to coach their direct reports -- they're spending on average 9 percent of their time on skills development. Bridging the Digital Skills Gap Employee skill development challenges are particularly problematic in a multi-generational work environment. Millennials report wanting feedback 50 percent more often than other employees -- a Gartner survey found that more than 70 percent of HR executives believe that managers should get more involved in coaching employees compared with three years ago. "Today’s organizations are undergoing a digital transformatio...

Wireless communications technology continues to transform the telecom landscape. Projected growth across the smart home, wearables, beacons, healthcare, smart cities, automotive, and commercial building automation, will help accelerate the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth share of device shipments. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, Internet of Things (IoT) end markets will represent 31 percent of total Bluetooth and 27 percent of Wi-Fi device shipments in 2024 -- that's up from 13 percent and 10 percent respectively in 2018. Wireless Technology Market Development Smartphones will continue to be important markets for both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, however, when it comes to the Bluetooth shipments, the IoT market is expected to overtake the smartphone market for the first time in 2024 as its share of the market falls to less than 30 percent. Furthermore, the share of smartphones as a proportion of Wi-Fi device shipments is also set to fall below 40 percent by 202...

With the Fintech market gaining momentum across the globe, other markets -- such as Insurtech -- are now being examined to assess the disruptive potential of digital business technology. Regulatory compliance is one such area where IT innovation can transform the sector. More than $340 billion in fines have been imposed on financial institutions in the decade since the financial crisis -- one report estimates that the total is likely to top $400 billion by 2020. Increasing requirements for transparency and growing scrutiny of ethical practices means that the cost of regulatory compliance will surely increase. With an average of 10-15 percent of employee staff dedicated to compliance, banks and insurers are spending more each year to comply with government-imposed regulatory obligations. One solution to this growing challenge is better automation. Robotic Process Automation Market Development According to the latest market study by Juniper Research , insurers will spend $634 mil...