Digital Lifescapes

Artificial intelligence tools for product design have largely been sold to engineering leaders as a productivity story: faster renders, quicker iterations, fewer manual CAD operations. According to the latest market study by ABI Research, the market for artificial intelligence in product design is set to grow from $628 million in 2025 to $4.3 billion by 2035; that's a 21.3 percent compound annual growth rate. The trajectory reflects a market moving past assistive tools and into a phase where AI becomes structurally embedded in how products get engineered, simulated, and validated. For executives overseeing engineering, product development, and R&D organizations, this is no longer a tooling decision. It is a competitive positioning decision, and the window to shape it is narrower than most roadmaps assume. The Ten-Year Growth Outlook Mechanical product design and simulation is the AI beachhead within manufacturing. A full 62 percent of manufacturers are already running AI projec...

Commercial interest in Generative AI (GenAI) tools has reached a fever pitch, and the latest forecast from Gartner amplifies this emerging trend. Gartner predicts $644 billion in worldwide spending on GenAI in 2025, marking a dramatic 76.4 percent increase from the previous year. This surge underscores the impact GenAI will have across industries. It also requires a closer examination of the underlying dynamics of future potential. Generative AI Market Development This growth is fueled by the GenAI foundational model providers who invest billions into enhancing the size, performance, and reliability of their models.  Hardware also accounts for a significant portion of this spending, with ~80 percent allocated to servers, smartphones, and PCs equipped with artificial intelligence capabilities. This highlights the critical need for computational power to support the demanding workloads of GenAI. However, Gartner also injects a dose of reality into the GenAI hype cycle. There's a dec...

The global digital business arena's relentless expansion drives an unprecedented surge in IT data center demand. This comes with a significant challenge: rising energy consumption costs.  Based on the latest research, I've observed how this trend is reshaping the cloud computing industry and creating both obstacles and opportunities for leaders across the tech spectrum. Data centers are experiencing an infrastructure transformation, primarily fueled by the explosive growth of Artificial Intelligence (AI) workloads. Data Center Energy Market Development According to a recent IDC worldwide market study, AI data center capacity is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 40.5 percent through 2027. This AI-driven demand is reshaping the data center sector and redefining the economics of IT infrastructure. "There are any number of options to increase data center efficiency, ranging from technological solutions like improved chip efficiency and liquid cooling...

The commercial aviation industry has been at the forefront of innovation, constantly pushing the creative boundaries of what's possible in aircraft design and manufacturing. However, with this pursuit of advancement comes an unwavering responsibility for safety. Recent events have cast a spotlight on the importance of rigorous adherence to aircraft assembly, testing, and maintenance procedures -- serving as a stark reminder of the critical role technology plays in ensuring the safety of passengers and crew alike. Aerospace Digitalization Market Development The dramatic images of a hole appearing in a Boeing aircraft operated by Alaskan Airlines sent shockwaves through the aviation industry, highlighting the potentially catastrophic consequences of even the slightest deviation from established quality-control protocols. In the wake of this incident, aerospace manufacturers have been galvanized into action, recognizing the urgent need to embrace appropriate technologies that can enha...

The knowledge worker and frontline employee experience must adapt to support evolving work models. That includes a digital workspace solution, and perhaps a reimagined physical workplace. Workflow that is performed online will be augmented and optimized. Moreover, the format and design of enterprise office spaces are likely to be significantly transformed. It's inevitable. Traditional leaders who expected a return-to-normal environment have been greatly disappointed by the abandonment of inflexible workplaces. In contrast, many employees welcome the change.  Future Workspace Market Development Around 25 percent of organizations in the Asia-Pacific region are already redesigning their offices, and 70 percent will do so in an 18-month period, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Why invest now -- given the current economic outlook? Organizations are redesigning their offices to bring employees back onsite and, at the same time, attempt to...

Across the globe, government agency leaders continue to drive digital transformation initiatives. As a result, there is a growing demand for new digital experience development talent to help drive much-needed changes in online service delivery. By 2023, 85 percent of governments without a Total Experience (TX) strategy will fail to successfully transform government services, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Governments that focus on citizen and employee experience initiatives separately will miss out on potential synergies to effectively transform their services. "Over the past two years, most governments increased their investments in digital initiatives to respond to pandemic-induced operations disruptions. However, many digital initiatives are still occurring in silos," said Apeksha Kaushik, principal research analyst at Gartner . Multi-Experience Market Development Gartner believes that governments must move from a siloed approach to a cohesive strategy en...

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...

Worldwide smartphone shipments will rebound in 2017, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). While growth is expected to be consistent, IDC predicts shipment volumes to grow by 4.2 percent in 2017 and 4.4 percent in 2018 -- with a CAGR of 3.8 percent over the 2016-2021 forecast period. Furthermore, smartphone shipments are forecast to reach 1.53 billion units in 2017, and eventually grow to 1.77 billion units by 2021. From a platform perspective, IDC doesn't expect much change throughout the forecast with Google Android accounting for roughly 85 percent of all smartphone shipments, and Apple iOS making up the rest. That said, the outlook for Microsoft-based smartphones remains grim, given the lack of OEM partner support. Smartphone Market Developmen t Although IDC anticipates that Google Android growth will gradually decline, they do not yet see a point where shipments will contract year-over-year, given the demand for new features such...

When a consumer electronics vendor launches a new product category they are often uncertain about the overall market demand. While early-adopters may adopt the new device relatively quickly, the mainstream user market is far less likely to be interested or motivated to buy. Sometimes the leading vendor in a category will abruptly reach market saturation, as a key indicator of the future outlook. For the first time, the worldwide smart watch market saw a year-over-year decline of 32 percent, according to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Smartwatch vendors shipped 3.5 million units in the second quarter of 2016 (2Q16), which was down substantially from the 5.1 million shipped a year ago. Apple held the top rank by shipping 1.6 million watches. However, it was the only vendor among the top five to experience an annual decline in shipments. Smartwatch Market Development Challenges The year-over-year comparison is to the initial launch quart...

Historically, the competition within the mobile handset marketplace has been unrelenting. Prior success was never a guarantee of future prospects -- just consider the rise and fall of Motorola, Nokia and BlackBerry. The ongoing battles in the American smartphone arena were indicative of this trend. However, there's been a noteworthy shift in consumer sentiment. U.S. smartphone demand in Q2 2015 dropped steadily and has declined by 8 percent, compared to June 2014, according to the latest market study by Argus Insights. Consumer interest has apparently peaked. What happened? With data compiled from approximately 622,000 consumer reviews since January 2014, their study reveals that despite the introduction of the new flagship phones from Samsung and Apple customer acceptance of the latest iPhones, overall consumer demand and interest has fallen off significantly. "This last quarter showed a very dramatic decline in consumer interest in the available smartphones in the U.S....

An increasing trend toward personal manufacturing and small scale production is leading to incremental growth for three-dimensional (3D) printing technology across the globe. Furthermore, there has been an increase in interest with the development of heterogeneous material manufacturing capability, according the latest worldwide market study by Frost & Sullivan. Significant new opportunities have emerged with prototyping technologies, with 3D printing gaining momentum across various industries -- from printing a mobile phone cover to reconstructing human organs. Emerging as a technology of choice for a wide range of applications, 3D printing is expected to increase its market share rapidly by about 40 percent during 2015. Frost & Sullivan finds that personal manufacturing and small scale production is already starting to pave the way for further 3D printing adoption. Plus, combined with the automobile and aerospace industries, consumer goods manufacturing and healthcare...

The introduction of progressive smartphone designs have truly been a game changer in consumer electronics -- essentially re-imagining the user interface (UI) on a hand-held device. Meanwhile, user expectations have been elevated, as these devices are applied in a broader range of use-cases. The result is that mobile handset manufacturers have had to innovate and explore new modes of interactive device control that enable users to operate a handset without having to touch it directly. It's anticipated that by 2019 the global market for services based on gesture and biometric interface technologies will be worth an estimated $1.2 billion, that's up from less than $2 million this year, according to the latest market study by Juniper Research . Juniper found that innovation in mobile phone hardware and software has paved the way for a new paradigm of handset interaction, including touch-less command and biometric identification. They believe that although advanced Human Int...

Small consumer electronics, such as smart wearable devices, create new challenges for user interface (UI) designers that must find innovative ways to enable human interaction via emerging technologies. As a result, semiconductor component integration and software development will also evolve. The dominance of touchscreen user interfaces will reduce over the next 5 years as more sensors are introduced to mainstream products and entirely new product form-factors emerge, enabling and necessitating new user interfaces -- such as voice, gesture, eye-tracking, and neural. The latest ABI Research market study examined popular UI methods as well as the natural sensory technologies transitioning from research labs into future consumer electronics product solutions. "Touch got mobile device usability to where it is today, but touch will become one of many interfaces for future devices as well as for new and future markets," said Jeff Orr, Senior Practice Director at ABI Research ...

When a buyer visits a company's website, will their visit result in a good user experience -- regardless of the device they're using at the time? More often than not, that experience is within a smaller screen on a mobile device -- such as a smartphone or media tablet. Savvy marketers are already starting to influence the adoption of mobile-first design strategies for their online properties.  Making it easier to buy something via a mobile device is a forward-thinking competitive advantage, because this activity will become more mainstream over time. eBusiness teams are working on rebuilding their legacy desktop site experiences to be responsive across all web-enabled touch-points, but it's a huge undertaking and few organizations have the budget or risk appetite to redesign all of their web assets in one fell swoop. Many teams start with the easy places on their website -- such as the home page, the category pages, the campaign landing pages -- after all, these pages...

When you think about sources of business or technology innovation, does the current telecom or cable TV industry players come to mind? Yes, it's a rhetorical question, we already know the answer. Most broadband service providers are not recognized for new business ideas or product leadership. That's why they typically rely upon outside vendors to create the concepts for new original sources of revenue. That's particularly true for software-based innovations. The telecom network Application Programming Interface (API) is the conduit for that creativity. Telecom APIs are not a revenue item in and of themselves, but rather table stakes needed to continue growth of the $1 trillion telecom services market. Network operators in this huge market will benefit when opening up their networks to others through Telecom APIs, as they are delivering revenues of well over $100 billion per year. Telecom service provider monetization comes through increased usage of the service, an...

Three-dimensional (3D) printers, with the ability to print a variety of objects, have evolved significantly and are currently used for industrial and consumer prototype design applications. With use cases ranging from high-end industrial devices to children's toys, consumer 3D printing is witnessing an increased visibility among the do-it-yourself (DIY) and other early-adopter communities. New market study findings from Juniper Research reveal that the combined market value from consumer 3D Printer hardware sales and material spend is forecast to exceed the $1 billion mark by 2018, compared to just over $75 million this year. While 3D printer shipments are at relatively low levels, representing a limited opportunity in the medium term, Juniper expects them to increase significantly beyond the 5 year period. Industry leaders, including 3D Systems and Stratasys, confirmed a stronger demand for professional 3D printers and materials compared to a softer consumer demand. Howeve...

Most smartphones have a very similar shape, but that's about to change as new technology is applied to forward-looking designs. Mobile phones and associated wearable electronics are now part of what is called the Internet of People (IoP). The IoP encompasses internet-enabled personal electronics. It is rapidly spreading into the fabric of society giving a burst of new growth to add to the easing growth of mobile phones, tablets and other conventional personal electronics and associated networks and services. Many internet-enabled peripherals and alternatives are arriving that are worn, embedded in textiles and in products. This is thanks to new materials and ways of making electronics and more suitable human interfaces. They will often have very flexible displays, some tightly rolled into a conventional phone body. When pulled out, these screens will gather useful amounts of electricity from the sun as the user enjoys the large screen created with its haptic (feel what you do...

The Global Network Economy is clearly being fueled by the skills and talents of software developers and hardware engineers. ABI Research estimates that the number of developers involved in Internet of Things (IoT) activities will reach 1.7 million globally by the end of 2014. The size of the ecosystem is forecast to surpass 3 million developers in 2019. For comparison, this would by then account for approximately 10 percent of all software developers. "Currently, the IoT activity is largely polarized between hobbyists and makers at one end, and enterprise-level developers at the other end," said Aapo Markkanen, principal analyst at ABI Research . But owing to a combination of various enablers, ABI says they can also see a growing number of start-ups taking the commercial plunge and starting to productize the concepts they've prototyped earlier with Arduino or Raspberry Pi. That productization, however, can be an extremely difficult feat to execute, requiring very ...

Where are the key growth opportunities for smartphones? What are the effects of the increasing division between the opportunities of maturing regions and the emerging regions? These are questions that vendors must consider as the worldwide marketplace for these devices evolves. Juniper Research estimates that the number of smartphone shipments reached 286 million in Q1 2014, representing 34 percent year-over-year growth and 1 percent quarter-over-quarter growth. Samsung accounted for 30 percent of all smartphone shipments globally, with an estimated 85 million shipments during the quarter. While the company’s market share remained broadly flat on the previous quarter, this represented a record Q1 for Samsung with a y-o-y growth in shipments of 25 percent. Meanwhile, Apple also posted its best ever first quarter -- shipping 43.7 million iPhones, representing a y-o-y growth of 17 percent. Nevertheless, Apple’s shipment volume fell by 14 percenet compared with the traditionally str...

Three-dimensional (3D) printers, with the ability to print a variety of objects, have evolved significantly over the past few years and are currently re-shaping the future for industrial and consumer applications. With the ability to print solid objects ranging from high-end mechanical devices to a variety of children's toys, consumer 3D printing has gained early adoption among the do-it-yourself and hobbyist communities. Findings from the latest market study by Juniper Research reveal that sales of consumer-grade 3D printers will exceed 1 million units by 2018, rising from just over an estimated 44,000 this year. While shipments of 3D printers are at relatively low levels, representing a limited opportunity in the medium term, Juniper expects them to increase significantly beyond the five-year period. This will be a result of an ever widening scope of application scenarios, driven by the entry and growth of the more established printing vendors. This, in turn ,will likely ...