Digital Lifescapes

The consumer electronics and mobile device vendors have experienced a significant slowdown in demand, due to a number of related factors that result in the ongoing downward trend. This is a global phenomenon, where few markets across the globe are likely to drive significant new growth opportunities. The combined personal computer (PC), media tablet and smartphone markets are on pace to record 0.9 percent growth and eventually reach 2.28 billion units in 2018, according to the latest worldwide study by Gartner. The PC and tablet market is estimated to decline by 1.2 percent in 2018, while the mobile phone market is forecast to increase by just 1.4 percent. Digital Device Market Development "The PC market is still hindered by the undersupply of the DRAM market for all of 2018, due to the lack of new wafer capacity coming online. As a result, PC vendors will continue to increase their prices throughout 2018," said Ranjit Atwal, research director at Gartner . "Larger ...

A blockchain acts as a digital distributed ledger of transactions or records. The ledger, which stores the information or data, exists across multiple participants in a peer-to-peer network. There's no single, central repository. Distributed ledgers technology (DLT) allows new transactions to be added to an existing chain of transactions using a secure cryptographic signature. Worldwide spending on blockchain solutions is forecast to reach $11.7 billion in 2022, according to the latest global market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Blockchain Market Development IDC expects blockchain spending to grow rapidly throughout the 2017-2022 forecast period, with a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 73.2 percent. Moreover, worldwide blockchain spending will reach $1.5 billion in 2018 -- that's double the amount spent on the emerging technology during 2017. The United States will see the largest blockchain investments and deliver more than 36 percent of...

Mobile communication service providers across the globe have been eager to uncover new sources of subscriber revenue as over-the-top (OTT) apps continue to disrupt their traditional business model offering voice calling and text messaging. These operators are currently under pressure due to investment in emerging technologies, including 5G and M2M networks. Thus, they must develop and deploy new capabilities that can leverage their networks to both increase revenues from voice services and reduce OPEX (Operational Expenditure). That said, the latest worldwide market study from Juniper Research has found that operator-billed mobile voice revenues will fall from $354 billion in 2018 to $197 billion by 2023 -- that's an average annual decline of 10 percent. Mobile Services Market Development The new research, Mobile Voice: Operator Strategies & Vendor Opportunities 2018-2023, identified a series of new opportunities which collectively would enable mobile network operators t...

Worldwide spending on robotics and drones solutions will reach $201.3 billion in 2022 and achieve a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.6 percent over the 2017-2022 forecast period, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Spending on robotics solutions is expected to total $86.6 billion in 2018 and will account for more than 85 percent of all spending throughout the five-year forecast. Industrial robotic solutions will account for the largest share of robotics spending (more than 57 percent), followed by service robots and consumer robots. Discrete and process manufacturing will be the leading industries for robotics spending at more than $54 billion combined in 2018. The resource and healthcare industries will also make significant investments in robotics. That said, the retail and wholesale industries will see the fastest robotics spending growth over the forecast with CAGRs of 32.7 percent and 30.7 percent, respectively. Robotics and ...

While much of retailer digital transformation continues to drive online commerce applications, innovation is advancing the whole sector. Retail point of sale (POS) technologies is an example, as more CIOs and CTOs seek ways to improve in-store product or service payment transaction processing. According to the latest worldwide market study by Berg Insight, the market for NFC-ready POS terminals continued to show strong momentum in 2017 with annual shipments reaching an estimated 24.7 million units worldwide. Retail POS Market Development The attach rate for near field communications (NFC) was highest in EU28+2 and North America markets, where 90 percent and 88 percent respectively of the POS terminals shipped featured NFC. NFC was also a very popular feature in many other major markets worldwide -- including Brazil, Turkey and China. On a global basis, almost three out of every five POS terminals shipped in 2017 included NFC. Berg Insight projects the global installed base of...

The global adoption of public cloud computing services, the increased performance of smartphones and the demand for Chromebooks continue to negatively impact the rest of the consumer electronics market and to a somewhat lesser degree the enterprise IT marketplace. Results for the second quarter of 2018 (2Q18) showed shipments of traditional personal computers (PCs) totaled 62.3 million units -- that's a year-on-year growth of just 2.7 percent, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). While it's a relatively small improvement, it's actually better than IDC's initial forecast of 0.3 percent growth. Personal Computing Market Development Although helped to some extent by a weak second quarter in 2017, which was somewhat impacted by key component issues, the 2Q18 results reversed the trend from the previous three quarters, which had the market hovering slightly above or below flat growth. Business volume appeared to be t...

Savvy CIOs and CTOs in the the retail sector have embraced new technologies that enable them to evolve their business models -- both in-store and online. In particular, automation applications that improve productivity are likely to receive significant IT investment. Artificial Intelligence (AI), computer vision and robotics will ultimately enable retailers across the globe to provide improved customer experiences, streamline legacy business processes, and increase diminishing profit margins. Smart Retail Tech Market Development Brick and mortar retailers can, therefore, improve their chances of remaining competitive if they employ these technologies correctly, prioritizing long-term investment over short-sighted strategies, according to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research. "The high-cost barrier associated with AI, computer vision and robotics will ultimately be overcome by the potential for these technologies to offset the inherent disadvantages facing phy...

Automation can improve commercial productivity by achieving exponential improvements in business performance. Within the digital transformation realm, chatbots hold the potential to replace the tasks of many human workers with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities that are able to conduct fluent conversations. Analysts describe chatbot technologies as computer-based interactive services that utilize software apps designed to simulate conversational capabilities, which may also include automated business processes triggered from these interactions. Chatbot Application Market Development Chatbots are becoming increasingly influential in our day-to-day life. They have been developed to assist a range of industries, from simple banking transactions, to retail customer service enquiries. In fact, the financial services and retail sector are considered most likely to explore chatbot apps. Online retailers, in particular, are being attracted to the technology by the potential for ...

As more progressive business leaders choose to support mobile, team-oriented and non-routine ways of working, an increasing number of them are looking for assistance in adopting digital workplace technology. But why are they searching for actionable information and qualified guidance? According to the findings from the latest Gartner survey, only 7 to 18 percent of organizations possess the 'digital dexterity' to adopt New Ways of Work (NWOW) solutions -- such as virtual collaboration and a mobile workplace. Furthermore, it's already apparent that forcing employees to accept rigid and inflexible workplace mandates are a recipe for poor performance. Ongoing Change Reshapes the Workforce According to the Gartner assessment, an organization with high digital dexterity has employees who have the cognitive ability and social practice to leverage and manipulate media, information and technology in unique and highly innovative ways. By country, organizations exhibiting the...

CIOs and CTOs report that they continue to explore new internet technology apps. According to the latest worldwide market study by Berg Insight, the global market for the Internet of Things (IoT) device management and application enablement platforms reached $1.1 billion in 2017. Growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 36.2 percent, the total market value is expected to reach $4.9 billion in 2022. Internet of Things Platform Market Development IoT platforms provide middleware to connect and manage devices and integrate collected data into various applications and services. These platforms are intended to reduce the cost and development time for IoT solutions by providing standardized components that enterprises can build upon. The IoT platform market is notably crowded and hosts a multitude of players spanning from small start-ups to major legacy companies in the technology and industrial sectors. These pioneers have developed offerings that typically have a specific...

In-flight Entertainment has been the norm on long-haul flights for several decades. In an age where permanent Internet connectivity is commonplace, in-flight Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity is now becoming a standard as well. Developing communications technology, the changing nature of the airline industry and the increasing desire for passengers to stay connected at all times are driving the deployment of new services. Broadband connectivity is drastically changing the consumer passenger experience, the business passenger experience and the operational challenges aircraft operators face. In-flight Entertainment Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, increasing adoption of in-flight entertainment and connectivity systems by airlines and private aircraft operators will drive annual service revenues from an estimated $3.7 billion in 2018 to reach over $8.4 billion by 2023. The research found that systems installation by Low Cost C...

Vendor revenue from sales of infrastructure products -- server, storage, and Ethernet switch -- for cloud IT grew by 45.5 percent year-over-year in the first quarter of 2018 (1Q18), reaching $12.9 billion according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). IDC also raised its forecast for total spending on cloud IT infrastructure in 2018 to $57.2 billion with year-over-year growth of 21.3 percent. Let's consider the key trends that are driving this phenomena. What really matters most, going forward? Cloud Infrastructure Market Development Public cloud infrastructure quarterly revenue has more than doubled in the past three years to $9 billion in 1Q18, growing 55.8 percent year-over -year. Private cloud revenue reached $3.9 billion for an annual increase of 26.5 percent. The combined public and private cloud revenues now represent 46.1 percent of the total worldwide IT infrastructure spending, up from 41.8 percent a year ago. Traditional (...

Ongoing disruption of the video entertainment industry is most apparent in North America, where incumbent pay-TV service providers continue to report significant subscriber declines. Past attempts to slow or reverse the customer losses have proven to be unsuccessful. Clearly, it's a huge challenge. Furthermore, relatively new rivals in the sector, such as AT&T and Verizon, have invested heavily to acquire legacy media and online advertising companies in the hope of finding a viable business model to compete with more innovative offerings from a growing list of alternative providers. Video Entertainment Market Development Meanwhile, the growth of subscription over-the-top (OTT) video services has been driving the changing trends in the pay-TV landscape. OTT video services have attracted hundreds of millions of subscribers worldwide, causing pressure on traditional pay-TV operators. This OTT growth trend is expected to continue, reaching a subscriber base of 400 million i...

While there's less commentary about the challenges of "Shadow IT" projects within the enterprise market, the underlying issues that created this phenomena are still very apparent in the workplace. Bypassing the legacy IT organization is a common practice. It's now somewhat expected. As many IT workers develop greater technology skills and apply them to advance their careers, savvy digital workers in non-IT departments believe their CIO is out of touch with their technology needs. Less than 50 percent of workers (both IT and non-IT) believe their CIOs are aware of digital technology problems that affect them, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. The Gartner survey further revealed that European workers said that their CIO is more aware of technical challenges (58 percent) than U.S. workers believe they are (41 percent). Clearly, it's a big problem. Ongoing Indifference to Legacy IT "Non-IT workers aren't likely to use the IT h...

Across the globe, more CIOs and CTOs are exploring new applications for internet-related technologies. As a result, mobile network service providers continue to make infrastructure investments to support the growing demand. Global IT vendors are also developing new product offerings. International Data Corporation (IDC) announced that Internet of Things (IoT) technology spending will experience a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.6 percent over the 2017-2022 forecast period and reach $1.2 trillion in 2022. The forecast is based on the latest worldwide research in the burgeoning IoT technology and associated applications market, which offers business investment opportunities across a spectrum of industries and illuminated through new use case implementations. IoT Applications Market Development As the diverse IoT market reaches broad-based critical mass, innovative offerings in analytics software, cloud computing technologies, business and IT services have expanded rapidl...

While mobile service subscriber growth rates are slowing, operator-billed ARPU (Average Revenue per User) levels continue to shrink. The decline in certain regions is exaggerated because of the depreciation of local currency bundles against the dollar (e.g. in Latin America and Europe), but the implications are clear. Juniper Research believes that the key trends of recent years are likely to continue. In pluralistic markets typically inhabited by at least three network operators and MVNO providers, competitive pricing will continue to impact service provider revenue growth. Mobile Services Market Development Juniper Research has found that annual global mobile network operator-billed revenues from voice and data services are expected to fall by over $50 billion during the next 5 years -- that's from $837 billion last year to $785 billion in 2022. Their latest global research findings attributed the anticipated decline to further consumer migration toward Over-the-Top (OTT)...

As more organizations in different industries consider emerging applications for robotics technology, new business models for vendors are also envisioned. Robotics-as-a-Service (RaaS) is an elastic concept. It refers to robotics systems providers that in addition to selling products, will now rent or lease their product to customers as a full-service solution. Though the total market continues to grow, competitive pressure on robotics vendors to maintain profit margins means that they'll have to broaden growth opportunities beyond selling robots as products. Following a recent worldwide market study, ABI Research highlights the potential of RaaS in unlocking the next phase of robotics adoption. Robotics Market Development Overall, ABI Research estimates that the installed base for RaaS will grow from 4,442 units in 2016 to 1.3 million in 2026. The yearly revenue from RaaS providers is expected to increase from $217 million in 2016 to nearly $34 billion in 2026. "This w...

Once upon a time, a few years ago, technology industry analysts reported on global market growth for new devices -- where personal computers, media tablets and smartphones were in demand by both consumers and businesses. However, then came widespread market saturation, and declines in demand. Worldwide tablet and PC shipments will fall by 2.1 percent to 398 million units in 2018, according to the latest market study by Canalys. But this represents the smallest decline of the past four years and sets the tone for an era of stability. So, when does the market trend return to growth? That remains a mystery. Personal Computing Device Market Development Consumer refresh cycles have started to stabilize, and the legacy PC vendors have focused on new categories, such as gaming PCs, Chromebooks and convertibles. On the commercial side, Microsoft Windows 10 migration is a driver for hardware refresh, as some businesses are forced to move from Intel Skylake-generation architectures to newe...

Across the globe, CEOs continue to promote business technology-enabled growth. Worldwide spending on the technologies and services that enable digital transformation (DX) is forecast to be more than $1.1 trillion in 2018 -- that's an increase of 16.8 percent over the $958 billion spent in 2017, according to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). DX spending will be led by the discrete and process manufacturing industries, which will not only spend the most on DX solutions but also set the agenda for many DX priorities, programs, and use cases. Discrete manufacturing and process manufacturing are expected to spend more than $333 billion combined on DX solutions in 2018. This represents nearly 30 percent of all DX spending worldwide this year. Digital Transformation Market Development From a technology perspective, the largest categories of spending will be applications, connectivity services, and IT services as manufacturers build out their digital ...

Who is leading digital transformation at the most forward-thinking organizations across the globe, and what are the most significant roadblocks to their progress? That depends, on who you ask. Let's consider the most common digital business challenges today, and how savvy leaders overcome them. Digital growth tops the list of CEO business priorities in 2018 and 2019, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. However, as growth becomes harder to achieve, CEOs are concentrating on changing and upgrading the structure of their companies -- including digital business investments. Exploring Digital Business Transformation Culture "Although growth remains a CEO's biggest priority, there was a significant fall in simple mentions of it this year, from 58 percent in 2017 to just 40 percent in 2018. This doesn't mean CEOs are less focused on growth, instead it shows that they're shifting perspective on how to obtain it," said Mark Raskino, vice pr...