Digital Lifescapes

Cloud computing solutions continue to move closer to the edge of networks across the globe, where compute and storage are located near the source of the data. Worldwide spending on edge computing is forecast at $176 billion in 2022 -- that's an increase of 14.8 percent over 2021. Enterprise and service provider spending on hardware, software, and services for edge solutions is forecast to sustain this pace of growth through 2025 when spending will reach nearly $274 billion, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC defines edge as the technology-related actions that are performed outside of the centralized data center, where edge computing is the intermediary between the connected endpoints and the core IT environment. Characteristically, the edge is distributed, software-defined, and flexible. Edge Computing Market Development "Edge computing continues to gain momentum as digital-first organizations seek to innovate outside of...

Enterprise network management complexity grows as more devices require connectivity from more locations. Case in point, the remote working phenomena has driven demand for software-defined solutions to reduce networking costs, improve scalability, and enable the integration of security. Although the emergence of Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) -- which integrates SD-WAN with edge security -- has caused some vendors to rethink their solutions, market opportunity remains across the software-defined networking sector for innovative vendors to explore vertical industry demand. Established networking vendors already lead the SD-WAN market. Next, the cloud-native innovators will drive growth by also offering solutions that shift end-user computing and integrated security to the cloud, enabling CIOs and CTOs to develop versatile enterprise networking strategies. SD-WAN Market Development Cloud-based solution providers will become increasingly important, given the benefits that shifting netwo...

Many senior executives remain upbeat about the potential of a business technology investment to drive digital business growth. Worldwide information technology (IT) spending is projected to total $4.5 trillion in 2022 -- that's an increase of 5.1 percent over 2021, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Despite the potential impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic and commercial disruption fueled by the Omicron variant, economic recovery with high expectations for digital market prosperity will continue to boost technology investments. Hybrid Enterprise IT Market Development "2022 is the year that the future returns for the CIO," said John-David Lovelock, vice president at Gartner . "They are now in a position to move beyond the critical, short-term projects over the past two years and focus on the long term." Simultaneously, staff skills gaps, wage inflation, and the demand for digital transformation talent will push CIOs to rely more on consultancies and ma...

The healthcare sector has advanced technological innovation. But the fragmented way in which many hospitals acquire solutions can introduce cost, time, and resource inefficiencies that hinder care delivery and the ability to meet strategic objectives. Therefore, the last several years have seen healthcare providers around the world embrace the concept of the 'smart hospital' as a means of optimizing multiple aspects of their IT performance. However, hospital implementation of new technologies can present significant challenges for the adopting organizations in terms of cybersecurity, interoperability, and execution. Smart Hospital Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, smart hospitals will deploy 7.4 million connected Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) devices globally by 2026 -- that's estimated to be over 3,850 devices per smart hospital. This global figure represents total growth of 231 percent over 2021 when 3.2 million dev...

Chief executive officers want business technology leadership as a top goal for their C-suite this year. To compete in a Global Networked Economy, organizations are prioritizing investments in digital tools to augment physical spaces and assets. Plus, enable secure data gathering and analysis. These IT investments empower organizations to provision enterprise workloads at edge locations in support of innovative use cases. Edge computing includes IT infrastructure and software apps deployed outside of central data centers, to support data gathering and analysis closer to the source. Edge Computing Market Development IDC has identified four workloads from its taxonomy that have a significant influence among edge use cases: business intelligence or data analytics; content delivery; text and image analytics; plus networking and security. Multiple workloads are combined to support specific edge use cases. For each workload category, IDC ranks the contained workloads by the primary, secondary...

This year may very well be another period of unprecedented challenges and opportunities. In 2022, several highly anticipated technology-related advancements will NOT happen, according to the predictions by ABI Research. Their analysts identify many trends that will shape the technology market and some others that, although attracting huge amounts of pundit speculation and commentary, are less likely to advance rapidly over the next twelve months. "The fallout from COVID-19 prevention measures, the process of transitioning from pandemic to endemic disease, and global political tensions weigh heavily on the coming year's fortunes," said Stuart Carlaw, chief research officer at ABI Research . What Won’t Happen in 2022? Despite all the headlines and investments, the metaverse will not arrive in 2022 or, for that matter, within the typical 5-year forecast window. The metaverse is still more of a buzzword and vision than a fully-fledged end goal with a clearly defined arrival d...

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...

Building on significant advances in disruptive mobile app technology, ride-sharing services have emerged to become a popular means of urban mobility. This is unsurprising given the advantages of ride-sharing options over traditional transport modes, such as buses and more expensive taxis. Innovative ride-sharing platforms enable app users to customize their journeys according to real-time phenomena, such as nearby traffic conditions, time of day, and rider demand. However, this is not to say that ride-sharing services are perfect. The popularity of ride-sharing has resulted in some additional traffic congestion in major cities already struggling to control this issue, while the widespread disruption caused by the pandemic affected most stakeholders within the local transportation value chain. Ride-Sharing App Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, ride-sharing spending by consumers globally will exceed $937 billion by 2026 -- that's c...

Cloud computing gained additional momentum during 2021. More organizations modernized their IT applications and invested in new digital transformation projects. Multi-cloud strategies are now pervasive across global markets as CIOs and CTOs spread their apps across the cloud hyperscalers. The European public cloud market continues to grow at double digits, with European organizations investing in public cloud solutions to support their innovation strategies and digital business objectives, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). European Cloud Service Market Development "Over the past five years, the public cloud market has significantly changed the IT industry and grown like no other segment of the European IT market. The COVID-19 pandemic has accelerated the adoption of cloud services in Europe as cloud computing is seen as a crucial enabler of business resilience, agility, innovation, and efficiency," said Filippo Vanara, research anal...

The savvy CEOs of multinational organizations will accelerate their investment in digital transformation projects in 2022, and beyond, to improve their competitiveness. Every industry leader that is forward-looking will act swiftly to grasp the upside opportunity. Global oil & gas companies face a myriad of operational, commercial, and existential security threats. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, oil & gas firms apply digitalization to combat these threats and will spend $15.6 billion on digital technologies by 2030. Oil & Gas Digital Apps Market Development Investments in digitalization can help to analyze a supply pipeline’s condition, prepare for fluctuations in the changing prices for oil and gas, as well as aid action plans to create more sustainable operations and transfer to producing renewable energy sources. "Safety and Security are top priorities for oil & gas operators. Data analytics allied with IoT platforms have become ...

CEOs who have continued their quest for a "return to normal" environment during the COVID-19 pandemic created significant challenges for human resource (HR) leaders who had to develop new policies. Senior executives that resisted the need to change perpetuated a culture of ongoing denial. Now, organizations must focus on equipping people managers, who are the stewards of sustainable performance, with the right skillsets to ensure they and their teams succeed in their preferred "hybrid working" environment, according to the latest research by Gartner. To achieve these desired outcomes, Gartner recommends that organizations pursue new tactics to ensure managers are prepared to lead people in this new setting -- hoping that a hybrid work model is eventually manageable and successful. However, many troubling questions still remain. Why not simply accept the 'remote working' phenomenon, and learn how to evolve away from a 'command and control' mindset tha...

The number of mobile communication subscriptions worldwide is currently estimated at 8 billion, with 6 billion on smartphone connections, from a user base of 5.9 billion unique subscribers among a global population of 7.9 billion. Fifth-generation (5G) mobile service subscriptions using a compatible device significantly grew during the COVID-19 pandemic, but 4G connections remain the dominant force within the global telecom service provider sector. While the use of mobile phones is common throughout developing nations, 4G services are still an emerging technology in many parts of the world. Overall, 5G subscriptions will likely grow from 580 million at the end of 2021 to 3.5 billion by the end of 2026. 5G Mobile Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, revenue generated from 5G mobile services will reach $600 billion by 2026 -- representing 77 percent of global network operator-billed revenue. The adoption of 5G services across consumer and...

Given the trend thus far, quantum computing developments will be slow and steady. Meanwhile, optimistic growth projections abound. Enterprise spending for quantum computing will grow from $412 million in 2020 to $8.6 billion in 2027, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). This represents a 6-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 50.9 percent over the 2021-2027 forecast period. The forecast includes core quantum computing as a service, as well as enabling and adjacent quantum computing as a service. IDC states that major breakthroughs in quantum computing technology, a maturing quantum computing as a service infrastructure and platform market, and the growth of performance-intensive computing workloads suitable for quantum technology will drive the majority of the market growth. Quantum Computing Market Development IDC also expects ongoing investments in the quantum computing market will grow at a 6-year CAGR (2021-2027) of 11.3 per...

Wireless communications technology applications will gain new momentum in 2022. Looking ahead, wireless device connectivity innovations such as Wi-Fi 6 and Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology adoption will accelerate new growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, next year Wi-Fi 6 will reach over 1.5 billion annual chipset shipments, while 6 GHz enabled Wi-Fi 6E chipsets are forecasted to nearly triple. Meanwhile, Ultra-Wideband devices are expected to reach nearly half-a-billion units as adoption increases within smartphones, wearables, speakers, personal trackers, and RTLS applications. Wireless Innovation Market Development "The wireless connectivity landscape continues to evolve thanks to the emergence of new technologies, enhancements to established technologies, and continued innovation and competition across the chipset, module and device ecosystems," said Andrew Zignani, research director at ABI Research . 2022 will be a critical year for wire...

Savvy vendor CEOs know that every employee that comes into contact with a customer can potentially impact new growth. And, they're raising the bar of expectations. Sixty-four percent of customer service and support leaders now report "grow the business" is their most critical priority in 2022, according to the latest market study by Gartner. The results of Gartner's survey of customer care and support leaders, conducted in August-September 2021, indicate a significant shift towards "adding value" and growing existing clients that have become a top priority for forward-thinking organizations. "Business growth as a goal is well-aligned with the idea of value-added customer service that creates more value for the customer beyond simply resolving their issue," said Brad Fager, research director at Gartner . Reimagine Customer Service Value Creation Adding value in customer service interactions can lead to new revenue streams while also protecting exis...

Mobile channels are increasingly important for enterprises to connect with employees, business partners, and customers, with telecom service providers emerging that offer a comprehensive platform that enables the management of this essential tool. Plus, they're now frequently cloud-based solutions. These solutions are collectively known as Communications Platform-as-a-Service (CPaaS) offerings. There are a number of services that can be considered part of CPaaS platforms, including messaging technologies such as SMS, Rich Communication Services (RCS), and Over-the-Top (OTT) messaging applications. Also offered are push notifications, digital voice services, and email. CPaaS Market Development According to the latest market study by Juniper Research, CPaaS revenue generated within the North American marketplace will reach $15 billion by 2026 -- that's rising from $3.7 billion in 2021. The study found that significant demand for mobile channels -- such as SMS and mobile voice -- ...

Savvy senior executives have moved beyond denial. They know their "Future of Work" vision can't include a return-to-normal approach. Instead, it embodies the adoption of hybrid work models by a majority of forward-thinking organizations, supported by the broad deployment of digital business technology. Driven by digital transformation initiatives and the realities of a rapidly evolving global economy, employers will adopt more dynamic ways of working. Meanwhile, employees will redefine themselves as members of reconfigurable teams that adapt quickly -- anytime, anywhere, and from any location. Led by CEOs and the board of directors, Future of Work initiatives will be key enterprise-wide imperatives. The insights gained from digital-first ways of working will enable organizations to respond to the needs of key stakeholders, with solutions that empower an acceleration of workflows. Future of Work Solutions Market Development "As organizations continue to define and ref...

Many nations across the globe are eager to welcome additional, readily available and competitively priced, broadband internet access services. The Fixed Wireless Access (FWA) market is expanding to fulfill the demand for high-speed broadband connectivity for both business and consumer segments. Fifth-generation (5G) FWA, a powerful platform providing an alternative broadband service offering, will be accelerating the FWA market. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, the FWA market will exceed 180 million subscriptions and generate $70 billion in revenue in 2026. The 5G FWA market will then account for 40 percent of the total global FWA market. 5G Wireless Broadband Market Development Since 5G deployments continue to accelerate, operators are taking advantage of the 5G technology to provide high-capacity FWA services. High-speed and low latency supported by 5G networks enable providers to offer an attractive alternative to fixed broadband services in the areas ...

The informed CEO, and board of directors for multinational enterprises, will seek digital growth from their business technology investments. Moreover, the ongoing global pandemic and the surge in digital services are making cloud computing the centerpiece of new digital experiences, according to Gartner. "There is no business strategy without a cloud strategy," said Milind Govekar, vice president at Gartner . "The adoption and interest in public cloud continues unabated as organizations pursue a 'cloud first' policy for onboarding new workloads." Global Cloud Computing Market Development In 2022, global cloud revenue is forecast to total $474 billion -- that's up from $408 billion in 2021. Over the next few years, Gartner analysts estimate cloud revenue will surpass non-cloud revenue for relevant enterprise IT markets. Gartner analysts believe that more than 85 percent of organizations will embrace a cloud-first principle by 2025 and will not be able to ...

Open Banking initiatives are driving market disruptors in financial services, with Banking-as-a-Service (BaaS) and Embedded Finance. They're an enabler for the delivery of these fintech digital services transformation concepts.  While the basic concepts are not totally new, their rise to prominence was fuelled by the European Union's Second Payment Services Directive (PSD2) and other key initiatives in recent years. This transition has helped shape interaction patterns between traditional and emerging actors in the payments marketplace. As such, Open Banking will be a game-changer for business model innovation in the face of customer demands for improved financial products and services. Open Banking Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the value of global payment transactions facilitated by Open Banking will exceed $116 billion in 2026 -- that's up from just under $4 billion in 2021. This extraordinary growth rate of over 2,...