Digital Lifescapes

Artificial intelligence (AI) projects are slowly gaining momentum, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. That said, just four percent of CIO respondents have already implemented AI technologies, while 46 percent have started to work on deployment plans. "Despite huge levels of interest in AI technologies, current implementations remain at quite low levels," said Whit Andrews, vice president at Gartner . "However, there is potential for strong growth as CIOs begin piloting AI programs through a combination of buy, build and outsource efforts." Artificial Intelligence Market Development As with most emerging technologies, the early adopters are facing many obstacles to the progress of AI within their organizations. Gartner analysts have identified the following four lessons-learned that have emerged from these early AI projects. "Don’t fall into the trap of primarily seeking hard outcomes, such as direct financial gains, with AI proje...

American smartphone buyers are quickly adopting device "early upgrade" plans offered by their mobile service providers. Upgrade plan enrollment has more than quadrupled since September 2013 -- going from 7 to 31 percent by the end of the first quarter (Q1) 2014, according to the latest market study by NPD. The rapid acceptance of these new plans can be attributed to the awareness among some mobile phone owners. Overall, 73 percent of mobile phone owners who were asked if they were aware of the early upgrade plans being offered confirmed their awareness -- with about half of these people being "very aware." "As one might expect, older consumers are less interested in frequently upgrading their phones; but, surprisingly, Android smartphone owners are as interested in upgrading as their iPhone counterparts," said Stephen Baker, vice president at The NPD Group . In fact, 22 percent of Android and 25 percent of Apple owners are extremely interested in upg...

According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, worldwide service revenues generated by 4G LTE mobile networks are forecast to grow rapidly -- once all the planned networks are launched, and when the early-adopters have subscribed -- eventually exceeding $265 billion by 2016. While the total number of LTE consumer subscribers will be higher than enterprise in 2016, it is a different picture from a service revenue perspective, with the consumer segment accounting for under half of the total. Premium service tariffs -- to provide high-end enterprise users with required guaranteed connections and/or service levels -- was identified as an important offering, to help derive the much needed incremental revenues to justify a carrier's investment in LTE infrastructure. The study found that early-adopters of LTE will be mobile service subscribers who are currently in the higher echelons of monthly spend. This will be the case in developing countries as much as in developed c...

Recent findings from a survey of U.S. smartphone and tablet owners indicate that tablet ownership increases the frequency of mobile shopping, improves the purchase experience -- and makes people who own both devices use their smartphone more often. The study revealed that tablet ownership increases mobile purchase frequency, with owners of tablets (as well as smartphones) buying nearly twice as often as those who only have smartphones. Further, more than 40 percent of these “dual owners” made more than 20 mobile purchases over the past year. Nearly two-thirds of dual owners indicated higher overall spending due to their mobile purchasing activity. “Dual owners have the classic markings of early tech adopters, including skewing high-income and male,” says Todd Board, SVP of Ipsos OTX MediaCT . “That said, our study clearly suggests that owning both a smartphone and tablet can positively reinforce mobile shopping and spending habits.” “We are starting to see more retailers t...