Digital Lifescapes

Many senior executives are taking a proactive approach to digital business transformation in order to achieve their strategic goals. Delivering revenue growth and profitability is now imperative for every function, including Human Resources (HR). The top 3 priority HR technologies this year are skills management, learning experience platforms, and internal talent marketplaces, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "With a tumultuous global economy, HR technology leaders face a balancing act in 2023," said Sam Grinter, director at Gartner . "Leaders must anticipate greater levels of accountability and demand for measurable outcomes to justify new technology investments." HR Transformation Market Development Forty-four percent of HR leaders report driving better business outcomes is their number one strategic priority for HR technology transformation over the next three years. Growth in headcount and skills (26 percent) and cost optimization (17 p...

During 2022, fuel prices increased very quickly, partly due to a number of macroeconomic reasons. In fact, the effects of the global COVID-19 pandemic are still impacting fuel prices, with many oil refineries having reduced capacity due to a prior fall in demand. Those significant events and other trends have created a demand for a growing variety of Electric Vehicles (EVs). While EVs have existed for decades, they really became a viable option for more consumers during the past five years. However, although EVs are suitable for some buyer needs, their usability is constrained by the current availability of battery charging infrastructure. EV Charging Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue from electric vehicle charging will exceed $300 billion globally by 2027 -- that's up from $66 billion in 2023. Regardless, the Juniper analysis found that fragmentation in battery charging networks is restricting further EV adoption in some...

Hybrid and fully remote work are inevitable in the Global Networked Economy where high-performance talent demands flexibility from employers. To enable these progressive work models, organizations are investing in a wide range of technologies to support more agile types of employment.  According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), leading organizations will spend nearly $1 billion on the Future of Work (FoW) in 2023 -- that's an increase of 18.8 percent over 2022. Future of Work Market Development "Work models continue to evolve, but 37 percent of decision-makers in a recent global survey note that Remote and Hybrid work models will be an embedded part of accepted work practices, supported by a continued shift to the cloud, increasingly instrumented and interconnected physical workplaces, and intelligent digital workspaces," said Holly Muscolino, group vice president at IDC . According to the IDC assessment, organizations must mak...

Today's supply chain leaders seek to access the most cost-effective road transportation. Deploying configurable and scalable fleet management solutions is enabling the efficient operation of commercial truck and van fleets of all sizes. Digital hardware and software advancements continue to create new use cases and capabilities of telematics to enhance the commercial fleet performance, improve efficiency, and save operating costs. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, commercial telematics revenues will reach $41.67 billion globally by 2027. Commercial Telematics Market Development The revenue includes hardware telematics units such as Telematics Control Units (TCUs) and subscription fees charged by telematics services vendors for Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) apps. These technology-based solutions could include a broad range of functionalities -- such as vehicle diagnostics, broader data sharing, and real-time data-enabled analytics. This upside growth po...

While it's true that CEOs plan ongoing spending in IT during 2023, it likely won't include a significant investment in end-user computing devices. By and large, digital transformation continues to be driven by software advances. Worldwide shipments of total end-user computing devices are projected to decline by 4.4 percent in 2023, to a total of 1.7 billion units, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Note, in 2022, the devices market already declined by 11.9 percent. "The depressed economic market will continue to dampen demand for devices throughout 2023. In fact, end-user spending on devices is projected to decline 5.1 percent in 2023," said Ranjit Atwal, senior director at Gartner . End-User Computing Market Development Just as business confidence was beginning to recover after the worst of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has now fallen significantly in most regions. Moreover, Gartner doesn't expect relief from inflation and the bottom of the recession to...

In the Business-to-Business realm, credit cards provide access to working capital and offer rewards with enhanced controls over spending. Looking ahead, payment networks and card issuers will collaborate with Fintechs to capitalize on this growing opportunity. Virtual cards are financial tools that exist only in digital form and are utilized for online payments. Unlike physical cards, issuers can create a disposable, one-time card, whose unchangeable account numbers are randomly generated for a specific transaction. These digital cards can be linked to either debit or credit accounts, but account information is never shared with merchants. The underlying technology of these cards was first introduced to the consumer payments market almost two decades ago. Today, digital cards are used for corporate accounts. Digital Card Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the number of credit cards issued via digital card issuance platforms will excee...

More CIOs and CTOs are exploring ways to accelerate the development of new software apps that enable the kind of digital transformation benefits that all senior executives crave. One emerging solution is to empower business leaders with tools to create new apps themselves. The global market for low-code, no-code, and intelligent developer technologies (LCNCIDT) continues to grow at a rapid pace, with revenue projected to reach $21 billion by 2026, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Intelligent Developer Technology Market Development "The market for LCNCDIT technologies is being driven by the global shortage of full-time developers," said Michele Rosen, research manager at IDC . "This situation is expected to continue throughout this decade, creating a strong market for technologies that increase developer productivity or expand the potential pool of developers." The LCNCIDT market includes low-code, no-code, and i...

The integration of emerging technologies into the hospitality industry is driving new growth opportunities and changing the way guests experience properties. Smart home technology is beginning to transform the global hospitality sector. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the smart home and connected equipment market across smart hospitality and coworking spaces will see connected shipments rise from 6.8 million devices in 2023 to 19.7 million in 2027 -- that's a CAGR of 23.5 percent. "Service flexibility, cost savings, and meeting changing customer expectations is driving investment in connected technology," said Jonathan Collins, research director at ABI Research . Some dedicated offerings address just one segment of the market. But now, new offerings are increasingly being adopted that address the broader smart homes and smart building markets.  Smart Building Market Development Smart technology is revolutionizing the way hotels operate and ...