Digital Lifescapes

For most of the last decade, the optical layer connecting data centers was an IT plumbing decision, delegated to network engineers and reviewed by executives only when something broke. That era is ending. As AI training workloads outgrow the power available at any single site, hyperscalers are splitting mega-clusters across multiple campuses, cities, and regions, and stitching them back together with high-capacity optical links so they behave as one logical data center. The connectivity choices being made right now, largely invisible to the CFO and the board, will determine which companies can scale AI infrastructure economically over the next decade and which will find themselves locked into constrained, expensive architectures. Optical Networking Market Development ABI Research forecasts that Open Line System, or OLS, scale-across revenue in the United States will climb from under $1 billion in 2026 to approximately $5 billion by 2035, a trajectory that reflects how quickly distribut...

The evolution from conversational artificial intelligence to action-oriented AI agents represents one of the most significant shifts in enterprise technology we've seen in years. While Generative AI impressed us with its ability to understand and respond to customer queries, it remained fundamentally passive. It's a sophisticated oracle that could inform but not act. AI agents change this equation entirely, transforming customer service from a reactive information exchange into a proactive problem-solving engine. AI Agents Market Development What distinguishes AI agents from their conversational predecessors is their ability to integrate with APIs, tools, and databases to actually execute tasks. They don't just tell a customer how to cancel an order or reschedule an appointment; they do it. This shift from directing customers to acting on their behalf marks a fundamental reimagining of the customer experience. A Market Poised for Explosive Growth According to the latest ma...

The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...

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...

Research in quantum computing is closely tied to the discipline of information theory, a mathematical concept concerned with communication, coding, and encryption. Various applications of quantum information theory were developed in the last 50 years. As a result, quantum computing has been high on the research agenda of governments and technology organizations worldwide. In a quantum computing model, the basic unit of information is called the quantum bit (qubit), which can be represented by photons. Using qubits and quantum gates, the development of a quantum circuit model of computation has been made possible, enabling the use of algorithms to theoretically solve highly complex mathematical problems in a much shorter time frame than is currently possible. Quantum Computing Market Development Most experts now agree that the creation of a quantum computer is simply a matter of engineering, and that the theoretical application will happen. Optimistic estimates for commercializ...

Fintech is being driven by the Financial Services sector. That said, leaders within the Technology, Media and Telecommunications industries are also planning a significant technology investment in blockchain during 2017, according to the latest worldwide market study by Deloitte. However, understanding of this new technology is uneven, based upon the study findings. Many senior executives are still uninformed about the use cases, while others consider it among their company’s highest priorities. Besides, ongoing commitments to blockchain varies by industry. Blockchain Applications Market Development Thirty-nine percent of senior executives at large U.S. companies indicated they had little or no knowledge about blockchain technology. The majority (61 percent), though, claimed blockchain knowledge ranging from broad to expert. Furthermore, some of these blockchain-informed executives see the nascent technology as crucial for their organization’s forward-looking business strategy...

The next generation of wireless communications will apply 5G technologies, and demand for service offerings is evolving slowly. The very first discussions about 5G started in 2012, and in 2013 NTT DoCoMo considered the possibility of deploying 5G in time for the Tokyo Olympics in 2020. Soon after, South Korea set the target for 5G pre-standard national service -- in reality, a 4.5G offering -- for the PyeongChang Winter Olympics in 2018.  Since then, 5G R&D developments have occurred in China, Europe and Japan -- fueling the hype to a level never seen for 3G and 4G. Moreover, Verizon announced last year at the CTIA show that it has a progressive 5G plan -- with first commercial deployments anticipated in 2017. 5G Service Market Development According to the latest worldwide study by IHS Markit , 5G will come in two waves: first, sub-6GHz in 2017, followed by the real 5G at higher spectrum bands in 2020. Sub-6GHz spectrum is not new: it’s where existing wireless communica...

One of the key principles that has enabled global wireless telecom network connectivity is the development and implementation of technology standards. As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to evolve, new standards will set the stage for market development to blossom. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, new 3GPP IoT standards will account for more than 50 percent of cellular IoT radio node unit shipments by 2021. Moreover, Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) is forecast to consume more than 70 percent of Release 13 shipments and more than one third of all cellular IoT shipments -- a value which is greater than legacy M2M or the current Cat-1 standard. 4G LTE Mobile Network Standards  "While some in the industry view the new 3GPP standards as competitors to the current non-3GPP LPWA technologies and predict their demise, we believe that NB-IoT will complement LPWA," said Nick Marshall, research director at ABI Research . However, ABI analysts belie...

As more multinational companies plan for their digital transformation, most are assessing their communication network capabilities. Meanwhile, the enterprise software-defined networking (SDN) market is maturing, and increasing adoption indicates that it's gaining momentum. SDN early-adopters are completing proof-of-concept trials and shifting to production deployments, which will transition into mainstream market adoption between now and 2020, according to the latest worldwide market study by Technology Business Research (TBR). "SDN will become a substantial contributor to the overall network infrastructure market," said Krista Macomber, data center analyst at TBR . Production deployments have started within large-scale enterprise environments, and will spread as international standards bodies finalize their work and SDN vendors expand into new use cases. According to the TBR assessment, previously a small number of large vendors dominated networking standards, bu...

Worldwide subscribers to the 4G wireless standard known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) are projected to surpass the 100-million mark this year, according to the latest market study by IHS iSuppli. LTE subscribers worldwide will reach 198.1 million in 2013 -- that's up by 115 percent from 92.3 million last year. Since being adopted in 2010 with just 612,000 users, the 4G next-generation wireless technology has grown by leaps and bounds, surging by an astounding factor of 22 to 13.2 million subscribers in 2011, and then jumping another 599 percent in 2012 to nearly 100 million subscribers. By 2016, LTE will claim more than 1.0 billion users, as shown in the figure below, equivalent to a five-year compound annual growth rate of 139 percent. "With LTE emerging as a true global technology standard, its ecosystem now faces both challenges and opportunities," said Wayne Lam, senior analyst for wireless communications at IHS iSuppli . Rapid adoption will drive design innova...

There are people in developed nations who simply don't want broadband access to the Internet -- clearly, they're now in the minority. Increasingly the most significant barrier to further broadband adoption around the world is affordability -- or the lack thereof. Now leaders across the telecom sector are working together to bring broadband services into the reach of the digitally deprived, according to the latest market study by Point Topic . With superfast broadband solutions finally reaching the marketplace, it is more important that infrastructure suppliers are able to align their network offerings -- and service providers implement delivery solutions -- that are cost effective. Standards are core to the effort says Point Topic CEO Oliver Johnson. "The next wave of broadband, commonly entitled Superfast, is gathering momentum." With more than half a billion fixed lines already in use and many markets extending the reach of fixed broadband across thei...

According to the the latest market study by ABI Research , more than 2.1 billion mobile devices (such as smartphones and media tablets) will have HTML5 browsers by 2016 -- that's up up from just 109 million in 2010. While the official position from the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) is that the HTML5 mark-up language standard will not be complete until 2020, ABI believes that 25 HTML5 features currently in development will become widely used at varying intervals within the next three to five years. "We expect HTML5 features in categories such as graphics, multimedia, user interactions, data storage, and others to be widely adopted sooner rather than later. A significant number of HTML5 features will be adopted in the mass market in the next three to five years," says Mark Beccue, senior analyst at ABI. HTML5 adoption is going to accelerate because it will be a key differentiator in the smartphone operating system competitive race to world dominance. Moreover, Appl...

LTE will still become the mainstay 4G mobile network technology, although its universal use is still in the future. According to the latest market assessment by ABI Research , some service providers will benefit from a dual-platform or multi-platform strategy that's initially based on both LTE and WiMAX. According to ABI research director Philip Solis, "Intel and others are pushing the idea of heterogeneous networks. This is not to deny LTE's long-term position as the leading 4G platform, but to recognize that a small part of the ecosystem will still be characterized by diversity for some time." Who stands to benefit from that multi-platform scenario? Some operators, such as Sprint and Clearwire, KDDI and UQ Communications, and KT, will use both technologies for some time. When asked why network operators would prefer to support multiple technologies, Solis said, "By using both standards, they'll have access to more spectrum, which helps with capacity...

While it's still true that LTE, the 4G mobile network standard, is destined to become the globally dominant wireless airlink, several formidable challenges will make its widespread adoption slower than many expect. As an example, spectrum has to be cleared, licensed, and either allocated or sold off before LTE gains meaningful momentum. As every country has its own telecommunications regulations, these factors will take varying periods of time to be resolved. However, despite this difficult path to adoption and growth, according to the latest market study by In-Stat , the number of LTE subscribers will approach 115 million by 2014. "U.S. operator LTE CAPEX spending will drive wireless leadership from Asia and Europe to North America," says Chris Kissel, Industry Analyst for In-Stat. From 2009 to 2014, more than one quarter of global LTE CAPEX spending will occur in the U.S. market. As a result, the U.S. will have more LTE subscribers than the entire Asia-Pacific r...

The Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) and UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) are two industry standards that enable consumer electronic (CE) devices to easily connect for data sharing, communications, and video entertainment applications. However, most mainstream consumers are unaware of the apparent benefits. Despite the current low consumer awareness of these standards, shipments of DLNA-enabled devices will surpass a billion units by 2014, up from several hundred million in 2009, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Over 85 million DLNA-enabled Blu-Ray players and recorders will ship in 2014. The fastest growth is expected in the photo-frames product category. While less than 1 million units shipped in 2009, In-Stat expects over 33 million DLNA-enabled digital photo frames to ship in 2014. "Including DLNA in Windows 7 is a key market driver," says Norm Bogen, In-Stat analyst. However, adoption of UPnP and DLNA is broader than just PCs. Handsets and d...

The continuing growth of video content that's delivered via the Internet and through mobile wireless services will drive the multi-format transcoder market to more than double its revenues by 2014, according to the latest market study by In-Stat . Multi-format video transcoder products were developed to ingest content in one format and output it in another, often at varying resolutions and bit-rate profiles. This technology is vital to IP video distribution. "Robust growth in the multi-format transcoder market will continue over the next several years as more tape archives are converted to digital files, more video content is uploaded or streamed over the Internet, and multi-screen TV delivery services move from lab trials in 2010 to deployments," says Michelle Abraham, In-Stat analyst. The further out in the distribution network that video is transcoded, the more transcoders are needed. In-Stat's latest market study found the following: - The IP video mark...

According to a new IMS Research assessment, the FCC has adopted the disruptive technology formed when the "open" home network standard DLNA is combined with DTCP-IP and seems determined to use the opportunity to mandate the end of the "closed" pay-TV digital set-top box (STB). The FCC goal: enable any consumer electronics (CE) manufacturer's devices to access pay-TV content, which the Commission believes would foster meaningful new competition and innovation in smart video devices. The current restrictive vendor-centric service delivery model will be replaced by the FCC's non-restrictive AllVid concept -- which is a Pay-TV Gateway that translates from the platform-specific modulation and encryption (Conditional Access) to DLNA & DTCP-IP. The proprietary STB will be replaced with standards-based Digital Media Adapters that support the same protocols. An increasing number of TVs and Blu-Ray players are also including DLNA & DTCP-IP standards sup...

The femtocell has the potential to improve indoor cellular coverage. But an older technology, the picocell, has existed for about a decade. Picocells provide larger coverage and capacity than femtocells, which should make them well suited to small and medium businesses. Yet global shipments of picocells will total only about 18,000 this year. Why haven't picocells gained greater market share, and what can vendors do about it? According to ABI Research senior analyst Aditya Kaul, "One major reason for picocell's low penetration has been their high total cost of ownership. Picocells are mostly operated and maintained by mobile operators, and every installation and service call costs them money. Many operators underestimated these costs when they initially opted for picocells." The market has also focused on femtocells, with their minimal ownership costs. Mobile phone operators have avoided picocells because they've been waiting for femtocells to be thoroughly tested...

Digital visual interface (DVI) and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) are related high-bandwidth, unidirectional, uncompressed digital interface standards. According the the latest In-Stat market study, 2008 has brought continuation of trends that have developed over the last few years -- the rapid rise of HDMI and the slow decline of DVI. Over 100 million DVI-enabled devices shipped in 2007, most in the PC space. High-end consumer desktops, aftermarket graphics cards and LCD PC monitors comprise the lion's share of the DVI market. However, both DVI and new entrant DisplayPort are encroaching on DVI's space resulting in long-term decline. The primary driver of HDMI's success is the Consumer Electronics (CE) segment, where HDMI was instantly successful upon its 2003 launch. In 2007, HDMI ports were found in over 90 percent of the digital televisions (DTV) shipped worldwide, the greatest volume for HDMI in any product. The rapid escalation of HDMI in all types of DVD...

The 10 Gigabit (10G) networking system market is already big and growing fast, on target to reach nearly $9.5 billion worldwide in 2008, according to the latest market study by Infonetics Research. Their report, which tracks 10G, 40G, 100G optical and Ethernet ports, plus revenue on various types of service provider and enterprise systems, shows that despite the economic downturn the 10G market is thriving and will continue to thrive for many years to come. Now 40G is increasing rapidly, and 100G should begin soon and take off by 2013. "A majority of service providers we've spoken to are expecting to invest in 40G until the 100G market is up and running; some providers are hoping to skip the 40G phase altogether, but we don't see that being a viable option, as growing traffic demands are outstripping current capacities and 100G won't reach reasonable price points until about 2012 or 2013, said principal analyst and co-founder of Infonetics, Michael Howard. "When 1...