Digital Lifescapes

Wireless cellular network M2M (Machine-to-Machine) module shipments approached 28 million in 2009, and according to the latest market study by ABI Research , they will quadruple to exceed 114 million in 2015. The M2M category is a market showing strong growth for both mobile service providers and wireless systems vendors, but not all segments of it are benefiting equally. "Not so long ago, it appeared likely that M2M would be making liberal use of the EDGE cellular air interface standard," says ABI practice director Sam Lucero. "However, market data suggests that EDGE has not become the technology of choice for many M2M vendors." EDGE is in some ways a logical option for M2M applications. A 2.5G technology, it operates in the same frequency bands as the GSM/GPRS wireless standard, but with greater spectral efficiency and lower cost. Since many M2M use cases don't require 3G speeds and bandwidth and not all carriers have 3G spectrum licenses, EDGE would s...

Are U.S. consumers really interested in watching television on a mobile device? eMarketer reports that according to data from Mediamark Research & Intelligence (MRI), more than one-fifth of U.S. mobile phone or PDA users are interested in watching live TV on their mobile device. However, the overall market study results are very mixed and inconclusive. Respondents to the research firm's latest market study were even more likely to be interested in watching mobile TV if they indicated that they viewed their mobile device as a source of entertainment -- 46.9 percent of such consumers said so. When it came to paying for mobile TV services, however, consumers were markedly less enthusiastic. Only 13.5 percent of all respondents said they would pay a subscription fee for mobile TV, and even among respondents who said mobile was a source of entertainment, the figure was just 34.5 percent. In addition, more than 70 percent of respondents found ads on mobile phones and PDAs annoying, ...

Mobile handsets still dominate shipments of devices with integrated Global Positioning System (GPS), but the new growth will come from mobile consumer electronics (CE) and mobile computing applications, according to the latest study by In-Stat. Mobile computing and CE devices will comprise over 100 million units in 2013. "With growing attach rates and market maturity, GPS chipset providers must carefully evaluate which technologies to integrate into single chip solutions," says Jim McGregor, In-Stat's Chief Technology Strategist. Integration of the RF front-end and base band processor may not be enough. For example, which radio makes the most sense to integrate with, given the single mini-card slot of PC-based platforms? In-Stat's market study found the following: - Although the number of devices shipping with integrated GPS is increasing, the attach rates and the devices shipments have been hampered by the faltering economy. - By 2012, there will be more CE devic...

ComScore released the results of a market study of U.S. Internet usage via mobile PC data cards, which showed that the subscriber base began to decelerate noticeably in Q4 2008. The study examined the usage and characteristics of mobile PC data card users through data collected from computers where Internet access via mobile broadband Internet service providers (ISPs) occurred. Mobile broadband employs cellular telecommunication networks, where users pay subscription fees for access and the connection is made using a PC card, built-in adapter, or connections can be tethered via a cell-phone or PDA. PC data card adoption grew 163 percent overall in 2008, slightly ahead of the 157 percent growth rate in 2007, a confirmation of the market's strong growth trajectory. However, despite this rapid adoption curve, Q4 2008 showed the first signs of softness in the market, as sequential quarterly subscriber growth fell to just 5 percent, following sequential growth of 22 percent in Q3 2008 ...

In November 2008 ABI Research carried out a survey of more than 1000 adult consumers in the United States, aimed at identifying their attitudes to netbook computers and mobile Internet devices (MIDs). The results are summarized in a Research Brief that provides critical insights into consumer perceptions of these products. Among many other results, the research found that only 11 percent would use a netbook as their primary computer, while a massive 79 percent view netbooks as a secondary device to be used in addition to a laptop or desktop computer. Netbooks are smaller, so they're not as easy to use or as powerful as a PC or a laptop, and generally don't include built-in CD or DVD drives. However, the flip side is that the smaller size and weight of netbooks makes them much easier to tote around the home or on-the-go. According to ABI principal analyst Philip Solis, "While their low price does cause some consumers to view netbooks as a replacement for a laptop given the ...

The time is right for netbook computers to succeed. According to analysts at ABI Research, a confluence of social and technological factors has created demand that will lead to a market explosion for netbooks over the next few years. ABI forecasts worldwide shipments of nearly 35 million this year, rising to an estimated 139 million in 2013. ABI Practice director Kevin Burden describes this evolution as "PDA's began our reliance on instant accessible data while traveling. When PDA functionality converged with cellular voice, smartphones became the new darling of mobile professional technology that many expected to evolve into the hub for all data and communication needs for travelling professionals." Today, with a better understanding for what a smartphone is, is not, and may never be, along with a reality check on the usefulness of UMPCs, the market remains open for new device types. Smartphones did a lot to raise our comfort level with mobile technology as well our expe...

According to Infonetics Research, the worldwide WiMAX equipment market, including fixed and mobile WiMAX equipment, increased 59 percent sequentially to $363 million in 1Q08. Infonetics' latest report indicates the surge in the market was led by especially strong mobile WiMAX (802.16e) equipment sales, which jumped 141 percent this quarter to overtake revenue from fixed WiMAX (802.16d) equipment for the first time. "A significant number of new mobile WiMAX networks began rollout in the first quarter, and existing networks continued to scale up, driving sales in 1Q08. We expect healthy growth for the evolving mobile WiMAX market, which is seeing strong adoption from Tier 2 and 3 carriers." said Richard Webb, wireless analyst for Infonetics Research. Also, growth came from Tier 1 nationwide operators as well, like Sprint-Clearwire in the U.S., SK Telecom and KT in South Korea, Wateen in Pakistan, BSNL in India, and Vodafone and Orange in new territories. Highlights from the...

As categories of mobile devices converge, there are four primary types of productivity tools -- the ultra-mobile PC (UMPC), the mobile Internet device (MID), smartphones, and smartphones with mobile companions, according to the latest study by In-Stat. The clear winner in an In-Stat survey of U.S. consumers is the smartphone, either alone or with a mobile companion, the high-tech market research firm says. Nearly half of the respondents chose the benefits and capabilities associated with smartphones. Fewer than 10 percent indicated a preference for the capabilities of MIDs. "Helping the smartphone's chances for success are the established and successful channels of distribution and the fact that the actual pricing of this solution is somewhat less than end-user expectations," says Bill Hughes, In-Stat analyst. "That smartphones are established as a valuable solution today makes the sales process easier than for the other mobile device options." The In-Stat resea...

I use a separate mobile phone and pocket PC, by choice. The conventional wisdom within the portable device industry is that consumers have a preference to use converged devices, meaning single devices that combine the functionality of previously separate mobile devices, reports In-Stat. But the idea that there will be wholesale adoption of a device that simply combines multiple devices is unrealistic -- according to the high-tech market research firm. A recent In-Stat survey of U.S. businesspeople shows that users tend to remain loyal to reliable current technology, and employers are reluctant to force the issue of convergence. "On the other hand, once a converged device proves to offer additional value and technological obstacles are addressed, adoption progresses relatively quickly," says Bill Hughes, In-Stat analyst. "The smartphone is a successful example of a converged device where a single device combines a PDA computing device and a mobile phone. In this case, the...

IP Networks deployed by fixed and mobile operators will lead to mainstream Voice over IP and SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) services, driven by the increasing popularity of smart devices such as PDAs and smartphones. ABI Research principal analyst Ian Cox explains, "New affordable price points and ease of use will allow consumers to benefit from SIP services such as instant messaging, video sharing, and conferencing, which will join VoIP as it takes over from circuit-switched voice." Cox adds, "We have seen the start of a revolution, as mobile handsets become the product of choice not just for voice and simple text messaging, but also for any task that one can perform on a personal computer. And as networks are replaced by flat architecture all-IP with SIP application servers in the core, all forms of communications become possible. SIP services will develop into the norm after 2010 and rapidly begin to dominate the world's telecom markets. By 2012, almost half of...

Scarborough Research found that Austin, Texas; Portland, Oregon; San Francisco, California; and Seattle, Washington are the top markets for people who read or contribute to blogs. Fifteen percent of adults in Austin are bloggers , and they are 78 percent more likely than the national average to be in this consumer group. Fourteen percent of Portland adults are bloggers; followed by San Francisco and Seattle, with 13 percent of adults blogging in these cities. Nationally, eight percent of all U.S. consumers are bloggers. The top cities for bloggers have tech savvy and youth in common. Thirty-seven percent of Austin adults are between the ages of 18-34; they are 20 percent more likely than the national average to be within this age range. Adults in Austin and Portland are attracted to new technology. Austin adults are 17 percent more likely than adults nationally to be a part of a household that owns a DVR and 51 percent more likely to be a part of a household that owns a PDA. ...

A whole new class of always-on Internet-connected products, collectively termed Ultra-Mobile Devices (UMDs), will become popular over the next five years, according to ABI Research. By appealing to a wide range of buyers UMDs will reach shipments of nearly 95 million units by 2012, and should prove extremely profitable for their makers. "Mobile Internet Devices and UMPCs" is the first study covering both types of devices. It categorizes in unprecedented detail the buyers who will be adopting them, and what applications they will be running. "UMDs are a very exciting, potentially very lucrative area," says ABI Research vice president Stan Schatt. "What makes this market so intriguing is that products will assume so many different forms. That product differentiation will be an integral part of the ultra mobile device marketing plan." UMDs are of two types, Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs), which run Windows and business applications and are aimed at business users,...

Over the next 5 years, Linux is expected to be the fastest growing Smartphone operating system (OS) with a compound annual growth rate in excess of 75 percent. By 2012, a recent study from ABI Research forecasts the Linux-based OS to account for nearly 31 percent of all smart devices in the market — representing more than 331 million cumulative shipments over the same period. Research director Stuart Carlaw states, "Serious initiatives from the likes of Intel and Access are gathering pace and momentum, while the carrier community continues to identify Linux as one of the few operating systems that it intends to support in its long-term plans." Carlaw adds, "Linux is benefiting from growing support in the handset OEM community, most notably Motorola, but also Nokia with less traditional types of devices aimed at mobile broadband applications." The rise of mobile broadband and the impact that this has upon device convergence and format plays into the hands of Linux. T...

Driven by increased broadband market penetration, declining price points, and a growing catalog of online audio and video content, the market for MP3 players and portable media players (PMPs) will remain strong over the next five years, according to In-Stat. Nevertheless, according to In-Stat's latest primary research study, the main reason consumers are purchasing portable MP3 players and video-capable PMPs today is for the audio playback capability, the high-tech market research firm says. "Only 11 percent of survey respondents say they will purchase a PMP primarily for its video playback function," says Stephanie Ethier, In-Stat analyst. "Still, the cost of incorporating video into portable devices continues to decline. As a result, In-Stat expects shipment growth of video-enabled PMPs to outpace that of audio-only MP3 players by the end of 2008." I believe that portable media player functionality will continue to reside in other devices -- such as handheld c...

According to a new Harris Interactive market study, one in six (17 percent) U.S. adults currently own a GPS location device or use and associated GPS service. Among the Global Positioning System (GPS) owners and users, the most widely used devices were small handheld systems (34 percent) and portable car-mounted GPS systems (33 percent). Other systems used include GPS-enabled PDAs or laptop computers (26 percent), cars with integrated GPS systems (25 percent), cell phones (13 percent) and other methods (7 percent). "Despite advances in the technology, improvements in usability, dependability and falling prices, overall penetration remains relatively low for GPS services. At the same time, nine percent of adults indicate that they are very or extremely likely to purchase in the next 12 months," said Milton Ellis, Vice President of Technology Research, at Harris Interactive. Ellis suggests that GPS providers may be able to increase adoption rates by promoting popular features o...

According to IDC's "Worldwide Handheld QView," vendors shipped a total of 720,000 units during the second quarter of 2007, a 43.5 percent decrease from the same quarter one year ago and a 21.8 percent decrease from the previous quarter. This marked the second consecutive quarter in which total worldwide shipments have not crested above the million unit mark. Following Dell's decision to withdraw from the handheld Pocket PC/PDA device market, other vendors were able to increase their shipments and capture more market share during the 2Q 2007. Overall, however, the handheld device market experienced year-over-year decline as demand decreased and vendors transitioned their resources towards other product lines. "The departure of a major player allows other vendors to fill the gap and increase shipments. But the market as a whole is still contracting and other vendors, with fewer resources and less distribution, may be forced to withdraw from the market altogether,...

Mobile e-mail, sales force automation tools, mapping applications and Internet access -- these are all mobile data applications and services that make enterprise customers more efficient and improve their work quality. According to a new report from ABI Research, mobile data applications and services used by business customers will generate over $100 billion in worldwide revenue by 2012. Principal analyst Dan Shey comments, "The industry is at the cusp of some phenomenal growth for data applications and services delivered to the handset. Although voice will still generate the bulk of revenues from business customers, mobile data services revenues will become 26 percent of ARPUs by 2012, a 29 percent compound annual growth rate." Business applications and services for the handset include communications, information access, computing, integrated information access & computing, and business process solutions. The communications category includes real-time communications and ...

With technology market research firms such as Gartner, 451 Group and Current Analysis already advising their clients against allowing the Apple iPhone into their enterprise network environment, other researchers are eager to issue their own warnings. The list price of the new device and the cost of switching mobile phone service providers may dampen the demand for Apple's iPhone, according to the analyst interpretation of the results from a new survey conducted by IDC. The survey of online mobile phone shoppers, conducted by IDC and Market Insight Corp., found that while a majority of the respondents -- nearly 60 percent of a sample of 456 individuals -- were interested in the iPhone, they were unlikely to buy one anytime soon owing to the cost of the device and the potential cost of switching carriers. "While the allure of owning the next 'cool' device will undoubtedly have early adopters -- and die-hard Apple fans -- queuing up to get the iPhone regardless of the pri...

To the current or potential user of a complicated mobile smartphone, the promise of a user-friendly Apple iPhone is a welcomed development. To a corporate chief information officer (CIO) who leans towards the legacy "command and control" mindset, the iPhone is potentially yet another renegade user-initiated revolt that must be contained or quashed. However, I would caution all highly-strung CIOs to think carefully before engaging in this battle. We know that the average tenure of the typical U.S. CIO has decreased, and they often lose their jobs because they confront a peer executive that has funded independent technology projects that were not mandated by the CIO and their staff. More often than not, when the dust has settled, the CIO is the one that's shown the door. Why do so many CIOs follow this path? It's partly because they don't truly view their user clusters as internal "customers" who must be "served" -- but it's also due to a no...

Converged Mobile Devices -- Smartphones, PDA-style phones, and BlackBerrys -- have become indispensable tools for mobile workers, according to an IDC study. While the majority of formal enterprise adoption to date has been within large enterprises, predominately in the United States and Canada, potential for strong growth exists among small businesses in all markets and enterprises throughout other regions of the world. Furthermore, individual business users are coming in through the backdoor of corporate networks with their own (individually purchased) devices. IT departments will move to remedy this and gain control of such actions. According to IDC's latest mobile enterprise device usage forecast, worldwide shipments of corporate-liable mobile devices will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 54 percent to reach more than 82 million units shipped in 2011. IDC data shows that the U.S. market accounted for 42 percent of enterprise shipments of converged mobile devic...