Digital Lifescapes

Commercial wireless communications have evolved rapidly over the last decade. Also, private cellular connectivity differs between enterprise verticals. Exploring the various applications and industry use cases provides an important indication of where infrastructure deployment will occur next. With fifth-generation (5G) wireless technology maturing, the importance of private networking solutions for the enterprise domain will continue to grow. Looking ahead, the growing demand for private network deployments will be driven primarily by heavy industry verticals. Industrial manufacturing, energy production (including mining, oil and gas, and logistics) alone will generate private network revenues of $32.38 billion by 2030, representing half of the $64 Billion overall private network revenues, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. Private 5G Network Market Development "These findings show the importance of private networks, particularly for automating missio...

CEOs agree, enabling 'remote working' options for their highly skilled talent is now essential to their digital growth goals. For many CHROs, supporting remote work is routine. HR leaders must cater to parts of their workforce that drive key growth initiatives, and deliver new human resource policies that are most beneficial. A survey of HR leaders has revealed that 90 percent of respondents plan to allow employees to work remotely at least part of the time, even after the COVID-19 pandemic vaccine is widely adopted. Furthermore, 65 percent of respondents reported that their organization will continue to offer employees flexibility on when and where they choose to work. That's a 'talent retention' imperative for 2021. Hybrid Work Infrastructure Market Development As the global distribution of various COVID-19 vaccines begin, HR leaders who responded to a recent Gartner survey predict that about 50 percent of their workforce may want to return to the workplace – at l...

The concept of a 'digital identity' is now established as a high priority, in an online world that's plagued with cybercriminals and others that profit from fraudulent activities. That said, digital identity is less about presenting a digital persona, and more about sharing verified identifiable data. A digital version of ‘you’ does have a place in the commercial ecosystems being built today. With the versatility inherent in many modern digital identity systems, life events and portable identities take on new meaning. Besides, there's a significant market opportunity for telecom service providers. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, mobile network operator (MNO) revenue from digital identity will reach $8.1 billion in 2025 -- that's up from just $1.3 billion in 2020. Secure Digital Identity Market Development Juniper analysts found that, as the online identity space evolves, MNOs will play an increasingly important role in providing v...

Many organizations across the globe have considered ways to optimize and contain their information technology (IT) investments, due to the current economic environment. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has actually proven to be an accelerator of cloud services adoption, driving the quest for greater results from digital business transformation projects. Total worldwide spending on cloud computing -- the hardware and software components underpinning cloud services, and the professional and managed services opportunities around cloud -- will surpass $1 trillion in 2024 while sustaining a double-digit compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 15.7 percent, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Whole Cloud Computing Market Development "Cloud in all its permutations – hardware/software/services/ 'everything-as-a-service', as well as public cloud, private cloud, hybrid cloud, multi-cloud and edge computing – will play ever greater, and even domi...

Incumbent telecom service providers are consumed by the ongoing quest for substantive new revenue opportunities, beyond the delivery of internet access via wired and wireless broadband infrastructure. The leaders have long held the belief that value-added offerings were the key to sustainable growth. Once again, that quest has led them to explore potential upside opportunities within the cloud computing arena. Global telco cloud computing revenue is now forecast to reach $29.3 billion by 2025, up from $8.7 billion in 2020, at a 5-year Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 27 percent. That ongoing growth will be driven primarily by cloud infrastructure-related investments, such as Virtual Network Functions (VNFs), Management and Network Orchestration (MANO), and Cloud-Native Functions (CNFs). Telco Cloud Computing Market Development By 2025, the telco cloud computing market will be worth $10 billion in North America, $9 billion in Asia-Pacific (APAC), and $8.2 billion in Europe, accordi...

The traditional enterprise software landscape has evolved significantly over the last decade. CTOs and line of business leaders look to online service offerings that deliver functionality via a usage-based pricing model. It's often the fastest path to demo application software and determine user acceptance. Furthermore, while new agile software development methodologies have replaced legacy waterfall approaches that were common during the mainframe and client-server computing era, today's app developers seek on-demand IT infrastructure solutions that they can easily provision and deploy themselves. Worldwide end-user spending on public cloud services is forecast to grow 18.4 percent in 2021 to total $304.9 billion -- that's up from $257.5 billion in 2020, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Public Cloud End-User Market Development "The pandemic validated cloud’s value proposition," said Sid Nag, vice president at Gartner . "The ability to use on-...

More CEOs in the wholesale and retail sectors have accelerated the adoption of digital business models. As a result, it's now relatively easy for anyone to seek out the best product deals online or on their mobile devices, and purchase whatever they need via eCommerce platforms. This transition has forced many traditional wholesalers and retailers to shift their strategies and increase their digital presence and product availability, with the COVID-19 pandemic bringing the fortunes of those lagging behind into sharp focus. In particular, both traditional and online retailers are under immense pressure to offer improved shopping experiences and to meet growing consumer demand for omnichannel digital payments, while also adhering to evolving financial services sector regulatory requirements. Global eCommerce Market Development That said, the line between physical and digital commerce is becoming increasingly blurred. According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research,...

As more CEOs of forward-looking organizations accelerate their digital business growth agenda, the adoption of cloud computing continues to gain momentum as savvy CIOs and CTOs seek the most effective ways to support the demand for just-in-time IT computing and storage resources.  Vendor revenue from sales of IT infrastructure products for cloud environments -- including public and private cloud -- increased 34.4 percent year-over-year in the second quarter of 2020 (2Q20). Meanwhile, investments in traditional, non-cloud, IT infrastructure declined by 8.7 percent year-over-year in 2Q20, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation ( IDC ). These growth rates show the market response to major adjustments in business, educational, and societal activities caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and the role IT infrastructure plays in these ongoing adjustments. Cloud IT Infrastructure Market Development Across the globe, there were massive shifts reported to...

IT vendors seeking to convince CIOs and CTOs about their blockchain-related solutions have been challenged by an apparent shift in market perception. Distributed ledger technology hype reached a peak and as a result, the upside growth potential had fallen significantly. Global blockchain revenues fell by 35 percent between 2018 and 2020. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the potential loss could have reached $2.8 billion. Moreover, the reported 'crypto winter' of 2018 removed 80 percent of the aggregate market cap, and more than 2,000 cryptocurrencies collapsed. However, that market correction was enlightening. Blockchain Market Development This dampened overall blockchain adoption significantly in other markets, with many startups folding and different verticals showing a distinct lack of market adoption. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on investment opportunities and appetite for new blockchain applications. That said,...

Across the globe, many forward-thinking leaders continue to provide funds for Information Technology (IT) innovation that's intended to fuel their digital growth. Some apply proven ways to reduce their Communication Services spend, which is typically the largest IT expense, and thereby reinvest that budget. As an example, despite the disruptive impacts of the COVID-19 global pandemic, 47 percent of organizations plan to increase their investments in the Internet of Things (IoT), according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Following the COVID-19 lockdown, the survey found that 35 percent of organizations reduced their investments in IoT, while a larger number of organizations are planning to invest more in IoT implementations. IoT and AI Market Development One reason behind the increase is that while companies have a limited history with the Internet of Things use cases, those implementers did produce a predictable ROI within a specified timeframe. "They use key ...

Forward-thinking CIOs and CTOs in the financial services sector have evolved. The increased competition from digital-only challenger banks has redefined customer expectations. While some traditional banks have been disrupted by the rise of fintech, others have advanced and prospered. Tech-savvy bankers chose to adapt and transform the way they operate, in order to lower their operating costs and compete more effectively. The adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and machine learning has been essential to their digital transformation, plus the use of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) platforms. While many of these workflow optimizations are in the back-office processes, most also have a positive customer experience impact. Chatbots are being used to offer a better online user experience. Several banks also offer AI-based insights within their mobile banking apps, or AI-assisted investing via Robo-Advisors. Fintech AI Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by...

If you want to thrive and prosper, then encouraging 'remote work' must be part of your organization's digital transformation agenda and knowledge worker culture. Each individual 'branch of one' person must be supported at the edge of an organization's secure network infrastructure. Edge Computing refers to the facilities and services between centralized enterprise data centers and intelligent endpoints -- either a branch location or more recently an employee home office. Moreover, an endpoint can be a mobile device, such as a smartphone or media tablet. It could also be a sensor. Proliferating devices benefit from a digitally transformed IT world through cloud edge capabilities. Regardless of how that edge is being defined, the compute, storage and networking cornerstones gird data creation, analysis, and management outside of the centralized core. Edge Computing Market Development A future scenario is unfolding where extraordinary value and opportunity for esse...

The success of Wi-Fi 6 isn't a foregone conclusion. There's growing interest among CIOs and CTOs in strategic applications for fifth-generation (5G) network deployment with unlicensed and shared spectrum in both the consumer and the enterprise Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) markets.  Distributed Antenna Systems (DASs) have become a vital component for in-building wireless cellular communication coverage, especially in the U.S. and Asian markets. However, many legacy DASs are facing challenges incorporating 5G and increasing the overall capacity of the systems. To overcome these challenges, many Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) are starting to transition from traditional in-building DASs to 5G-Ready digital Distributed Radio Systems (DRS) due to technical and financial aspects and a smooth transition to 5G networks. Wireless Infrastructure Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, worldwide revenue for DASs will grow approx. 2.7 times...

Most enterprise CIOs and other information technology (IT) executives have the support of their organization's forward-looking board of directors. However, given the current global economy, IT cost optimization is a hot topic at executive briefings about the CFO's budget allocations. Worldwide IT spending is forecast to total $3.8 trillion in 2021 -- that's an increase of 4 percent over 2020. Meanwhile, IT spending during 2020 is now expected to total $3.6 trillion -- that's down 5.4 percent from 2019 levels, according to the latest market study by Gartner. "In the 25 years that Gartner has been forecasting IT spending, never has there been a market with this much volatility," said John-David Lovelock, vice president at Gartner . "While there have been unique stressors imposed on all industries as the ongoing pandemic unfolds, the enterprises that were already more digital going into the crisis are doing better and will continue to thrive going into 2021....

The applications for the Internet of Things (IoT) technologies has gained new momentum within industrial sectors. With a focus on machine-to-machine (M2M) communication and machine learning, Industrial IoT enables CIOs and CTOs to improve the efficiency and reliability of key operations. The primary sectors served by Industrial IoT solutions include agriculture, energy and utilities, logistics, manufacturing, mining, plus petrochemical oil and gas. Leaders within the Industrial IoT ecosystem must ensure that they implement the most applicable connectivity technologies for each application scenario. These IoT solutions can utilize various available wireless networking technology standards -- such as Wi-Fi, LoRa, Zigbee, Bluetooth, or 5G cellular -- which demonstrates the potential for fragmentation. That said, each of these network types has specific characteristics optimized for different industrial use cases, which can create significant challenges while integrating different communic...

It's inevitable, the Chief Human Resource Officer (CHRO) and Chief Information Officer (CIO) must now work together more closely to deliver the progressive employment policies, flexible business processes, and adaptable IT platforms that enable the work-from-anywhere economy. The American mobile worker population will grow over the next four years, increasing from 78.5 million in 2020 to 93.5 million mobile workers in 2024, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). By the end of the forecast period, IDC expects mobile workers will account for nearly 60 percent of the total U.S. workforce. "COVID-19's disruption of the U.S. labor force has had a dramatic impact on how large businesses operate and will continue to shape how and where people work in the months to come," said Bryan Bassett, senior research analyst at IDC . Mobile Worker Market Development The ability to quickly mobilize different segments of a company's workforce wi...

In the past, most CIOs and CTOs would consider Wi-Fi infrastructure as the primary mode of delivering wireless local area network connectivity to their organization. Now, the development of fifth-generation (5G) cellular technologies has created alternative modes of wireless networking. Moreover, the demand for private networks in the enterprise domain continues to rise. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, private cellular network deployments within the enterprise domain will generate equipment revenues of more than $64 billion by 2030. While very large enterprises will likely drive the market for the next 10 years -- accounting for 50 percent of private networks by 2030 -- companies with annual revenues between $250 million and $1 billion will account for 40 percent of private networks by 2030, with their proportion expected to rise further beyond the forecast period. Private Cellular Network Market Development "These numbers underline the huge momentu...

While many organizations are concerned about cash flow and other financial metrics, given the current economic environment, the most forward-looking leaders plan further investments in strategic Digital Transformation projects.  Sixty-nine percent of enterprise boards of directors (BoDs) accelerated their digital business initiatives in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic disruption, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Almost half anticipate changing their organizations’ traditional business model as a result of the pandemic. The '2021 Gartner Board of Directors Survey' was aimed to understand how boards of directors view digital business model evolution in their enterprises, along with the role of the CIO and other executive leaders, specifically in the context of responding to the current economic crisis. Digital Business Market Development "BoDs play a strong role in helping the executive leadership team focus beyond the short-term risks associated with this...

The global pandemic has accelerated the expansion of eCommerce deployments and the adoption of new and innovative online payment methods. Moreover, instant or real-time payments are having a disruptive effect on the traditional payments market by enabling rapid transaction processing. However, the transition to instant payments is not happening in a universal way. Rapid payment schemes tend to be updated versions of legacy payment settlement approaches that were created by individual authorities in countries. Debit card payments, while certainly fast, do not tend to lend themselves to the same use cases as instant payment applications, given the requirement for the supplier to accept the card transaction -- which historically include significant transaction processing fees. Instant Payments Market Development While instant payments are somewhat unique -- in terms of replacing old payment schemes to enable faster payments -- the outcome of this approach is not unique by any means. Acros...

Courageous leadership is most valuable when others fail to act, due to fear and uncertainty. As an example, when a pandemic disrupts the Global Networked Economy, there's still an opportunity for bold and brave executives to lead an investment in platforms that enable sustainable digital growth. Global spending on artificial intelligence (AI) is forecast to double over the next four years, growing from $50.1 billion in 2020 to more than $110 billion in 2024. Investments in AI systems will accelerate as more organizations deploy new platforms for digital transformation projects, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). The compound annual growth rate (CAGR) for AI technologies and associated platforms will reach 20.1 percent during the 2019-2024 forecast period. Artificial Intelligence Market Development "Companies will adopt AI -- not just because they can, but because they must," said Ritu Jyoti, vice president at IDC . ...