Digital Lifescapes

Enterprise IT is no longer a cost center. It is a strategic enabler of business growth. More senior executives are realigning their IT budgets to focus on growth initiatives. By reinvesting IT budget savings, they can ensure that their organizations are well-positioned to succeed in the future. Growth remains the top strategic business priority for both CFOs and CEOs, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Forty-five percent of CEOs surveyed ranked growth in their top 3 strategic priorities, down from 53 percent in 2022, while 62 percent of CFOs put it in their top 3 -- that's up from 59 percent in 2022. Enterprise Digital Technology Market Development   While CFOs and CEOs agree on growth as their top priority, their emphasis on this and other priorities differ, according to the Gartner survey of CEOs, CFOs, and other senior executive business leaders. For example, the CFOs’ second top priority is corporate action such as M&A and restructuring (41 percent),...

eCommerce is a major growth engine of the Global Networked Economy. It experienced an economic boost as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, the continued shift of commercial and consumer transactions has contributed to even greater upward momentum. There are several trends that are driving the growth of global eCommerce. These include the rise of social commerce, the increasing importance of mobile commerce, and the growing popularity of cross-border shopping. Global eCommerce Market Development Social commerce is enabled by the use of social media platforms to sell products and services. This trend is growing rapidly, as more people are using the channel to discover, learn about and consider new offerings. Mobile commerce is the use of mobile devices to shop for new products and services online. This trend is also growing rapidly, as more people are using their smartphones and tablets to shop for a variety of items and complete purchase transactions. Cross-border shop...

Many CEOs continue to invest in enterprise software to enable digital business transformation. The benefits include improving employee productivity and efficiency, gaining a competitive advantage, staying ahead of the competition, and improving customer service. According to the latest market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), the European enterprise software market grew by 13.1 percent year-on-year in 2022, despite economic turbulence and ongoing global instability. IDC claims that this is the highest growth rate in the prior 20 years, further demonstrating the resiliency of demand for digital business applications software in the face of macroeconomic volatility. Enterprise Software Market Development The growth was primarily driven by the increased price of software licenses, customers locked in with existing partners that were unable to cancel SaaS subscriptions, and contracts signed for longer time periods than was standard in previous years. According to IDC’s researc...

Battery power management is a critical technology for the evolution of Electric Vehicles (EVs). It's the process of optimizing the use of battery energy to maximize the range and performance of an EV.  A Battery Management System (BMS) can monitor the battery's state of health and use a variety of algorithms to control the charging and discharging of the battery. BMSs can also help to improve the efficiency of the EV by reducing energy loss. Advanced BMS software could save automakers $18 billion annually in 2030, equivalent to $76 billion cumulatively from 2024. ABI Research finds that intelligent BMS software can reduce the size of EV batteries without reducing their range. This performance efficiency helps to cut the cost of manufacturing EVs, enabling automakers to mitigate the effects of limited battery production and achieve greater profitability. Battery Management System Market Development "OEMs are struggling with two competing issues: the demand from customers fo...

As senior executives review the performance of their Digital Transformation goals and objectives for 2023,  they're revising their digital business model strategic plans. Business technology investments are being re-balanced in some cases, due to recent market developments. For example, 79 percent of corporate strategists said technologies such as data analytics, artificial intelligence (AI), and automation will now be critical to their success over the next two years, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Strategists said that, on average, 50 percent of strategic planning and execution activities could be partially or fully automated -- currently only 15 percent are. Strategy Automation Market Development The Gartner survey was conducted from October 2022 through April 2023 among 200 corporate strategy leaders in North America, Western Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Australia - New Zealand, across different industries, revenue and company sizes. "Leveraging an...

Digital wallets are a rapidly growing segment of the fintech market, which has accelerated since the global COVID-19 pandemic. They're important in the fields of financial inclusion, and movement towards a cashless Global Networked Economy. There are many types of digital wallets, fulfilling different use cases. Digital wallets enable users to pay for both online and offline transactions via either stored payment credentials -- such as debit cards, or currency stored in the wallet -- by utilizing apps on smartphones and mobile wearables. Digital Wallet Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the total value of digital wallets transactions will rise from $9 trillion in 2023 to surpass $16 trillion in 2028 -- that a CAGR of 77 percent. This trend is driven by growth across both developed and developing markets across the globe, as the increased adoption of advanced services such as Buy Now Pay Later (BNPL), micro-loans, and personal fina...

Global demand for public cloud computing services continue to grow. Worldwide revenue for the public cloud services market totaled $545.8 billion in 2022 -- that's an increase of 22.9 percent over 2021, according to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC). Software as a Service (SaaS) applications continued to be the largest source of public cloud services revenue by far, accounting for more than 45 percent of the total in 2022. Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) was the second largest revenue category with 21.2 percent of the total, while Platform as a Service (PaaS) and Software as a Service System Infrastructure Software (SaaS SIS) delivered 17 percent and 16.7 percent respectively. Public Cloud Services Market Development "Given the economic challenges of the past year, it's easy to conclude that we are in a period where a focus on constraining new expenditures and optimizing the use of existing cloud assets will dominate CIOs' pri...

Modern satellite communication continues to evolve as new service providers explore niche applications that give them an opportunity to compete with the incumbent global providers. This is a area of wireless telecom infrastructure that is noteworthy, as more unique uses cases are explored.   Decreasing costs of satellite launches and lower capital outlays have enabled several new Small Satellite (SmallSat) operators to enter the Internet-of-Things (IoT) market with low-cost and low-power satellite connectivity offerings. SmallSat IoT Market Development These new entities seek to challenge the traditional satellite IoT service provider incumbents -- including Inmarsat, Iridium, ORBCOMM, and Globalstar -- to provide a more cost-effective solution for end customers in a variety of industries. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, total satellite IoT connections will increase from 10.4 million in 2022 to reach 27 million in 2030 (a CAGR of 12.7 percent). ...

Forward-thinking CEOs create a digital business transformation agenda. They're eager to develop and deploy new digital business models. However, their IT team often lacks the skills and experience to reach key business outcome objectives. There's growing demand for skilled digital talent in 2023, and beyond. As a result, 81 percent of large enterprise (LE) CIOs plan to increase their IT headcount in 2023, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. Meanwhile, only 14 percent expect their IT staff to decrease and 5 percent expect their headcount to remain the same. Enterprise IT Talent Market Development "Attracting and retaining technology talent remain critical areas of concern for CIOs," said Jose Ramirez, senior principal analyst at  Gartner . Even with advances in artificial intelligence (AI), Gartner predicts that the global job impact will be neutral in the next several years due to enterprise adoption lags, implementation times and learning curve...

Chatbots are now integrated within messaging software, mobile apps, websites and online services that use Digital Assistants as a form of communication. Chatbots can also be hosted on APIs in a variety of digital channels such as Over-the-Top messaging apps and telecom provider Rich Communications Services platforms. According to the latest worldwide market report by Juniper Research, global retail spend over chatbots is forecast to reach $12 billion in 2023 -- that's growing to $72 billion by 2028. AI Chatbot Market Development Increasing by 470 percent over 5 years, much of this growth will be driven by the emergence of cost-effective open language models, most notably ChatGPT, in regions such as North America and Europe. Open language models consist of large neural networks that are trained on substantial quantities of online information and learn through low levels of human supervision. According to the Juniper assessment, they are implemented into chatbots to automate function...

Savvy CEOs have high expectations that their Information Technology (IT) organization will be a strategic enabler of Digital Transformation. However, there is often a mismatch with the IT talent demand, and their internal IT team's digital business skills. The roles and activities performed by IT professionals must evolve dramatically due to the demand for convergence of modern software development technologies, cloud computing platforms, and the creation of Everything-as-a-Service offerings. Many IT professionals will find themselves in hybrid roles that combine traditional development activities with activities that formerly were associated with operations professionals who historically had few or no development-oriented responsibilities. Enterprise IT Role Market Development A new International Data Corporation (IDC) market study provides an extended census and forecast with detail for both traditional IT operations roles, and these new hybrid roles. The data shows that a dramat...

The impact of technology is seen in nearly every industry, and every region of the world. The Global Networked Economy is in a perpetual state of evolution. This creates both challenges and opportunities. Following the COVID-19 global pandemic, the market saw some recovery due to rising demand from remote working and the need for a connected ecosystem. Now there are new overarching issues affecting the global supply chains for many consumer electronics sectors. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, these conditions have led to weaker demand, but with technical advancements in Artificial Intelligence (AI), Fifth Generation (5G) mobile connectivity, and new form factors, 2023 will be a recovery year for the consumer technology market. Consumer Technology Market Development "In smartphones, the replacement cycle followed by the migration to 5G smartphones and eagerness to embrace new form factors like foldable devices will be the main growth drivers for acce...

Savvy leaders in the C-suite continue to invest in digital transformation that fuels net-new growth, regardless of global economic volatility concerns. Other leaders, consumed by fear, are undecided or already retreating.  Rising prices and interest rates along with other economic factors beyond a company’s control are leading CFOs to show the most concern about profitable growth, inflation, and balance sheet health in 2023, according to the latest market study by Gartner. Yet nine out of 10 CFOs plan to fund organic growth in 2023 at the same level or greater levels than their investment in 2022. Digital Growth Market Development "Macroeconomic factors that companies can do little to nothing about have created an uncertain setting in 2023, and have also led to many sleepless nights among CFOs," said Shannon Cole, senior director at Gartner . Borrowing has become more expensive, and inventory and fixed-asset values remain volatile, which inevitably leads to downstream income ...

Wireless communication networking continues to evolve. More enterprise IT organizations are envisioning new applications that empower frontline and corporate employees to streamline mobile workflow. A public cellular network relies on shared infrastructure and resources which are utilized by numerous other subscribers. In contrast, private cellular networks are prevalent among businesses aiming to increase privacy, safety and control over a network used exclusively by their employees and guests. Private Wireless Network Market Development   According to the latest market study by Juniper Research , enterprise spend on private networks will near $10 billion globally by 2028 -- that's rising from $1 billion in 2023. Growing by 722 percent, the three vertical industries driving the market were identified as: Manufacturing (35 percent), Energy (20 percent), and Public Services (16 percent). The need for private networks that can support high device densities and operate over large geo...

Within the C-suite of forward-thinking organizations, something remarkable is happening. More executive leaders are now focused on an inspirational alternative to the legacy status quo "Return to Normal" mindset. According to the latest market study by IDC, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APeJ) "Future of Work" spending is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 18.4 percent and reach $196.2 billion by 2026. IDC expects APeJ FoW spending to grow at a year-over-year rate of 19.9 percent in 2023 compared to 21.5 percent in 2022. Despite the slowdown of the growth rate, the total spending of the market continues to increase over the forecast period. Future of Work Market Development IDC defines the Future of Work (FoW) as a fundamental change to the work model to one that fosters human-machine collaboration, enables new skills and worker experiences, and supports a re-imagined physical workplace and border-less digital workspace. This IDC market forecast presents spending forecast...

Climate change has already driven many CFOs and other senior executives to explore the most effective ways to ensure access to electricity that meets demand in the Global Networked Economy. Escalating energy prices pose a formidable obstacle to business leaders worldwide. During 2023, those prices will surge to a global $1.73 trillion enterprise spend on electricity consumption -- which considers the electrification acceleration of vehicle fleets and robots. As a result, the C-suite is now compelled to reassess their energy purchase agreements with utilities, contemplate installing renewable micro-grid systems, and prioritize energy efficiency. To do so, enterprises will invest $70 billion on smart energy solutions by 2030. Smart Energy Market Development In response, ABI Research has launched its Smart Energy for Enterprises and Industries research service to guide leaders on navigating the globally disrupted energy markets, achieving energy independence, and transitioning to renewabl...

Across the globe, the future for leaders of government agencies who crave digital business transformation progress is looking good. Artificial intelligence (AI) and no-code or low-code solutions will enable them to overcome software development challenges. Worldwide government IT spending is forecast to total $589.8 billion in 2023 -- that's an increase of 7.6 percent from 2022, according to the latest worldwide market study by Gartner. "Global challenges like inflation and workforce scarcity and their local repercussions are testing the abilities of government CIOs to respond with appropriate service delivery mechanisms and organizational accountability," said Apeksha Kaushik, principal analyst at Gartner . Government IT Solutions Market Development In addition, the ongoing IT Great Resignation and the competing demand from the commercial sector have forced governments to re-examine their approaches to counterbalance internal talent scarcity. In 2023, government IT organ...

The financial payments sector has experienced rapid growth. New payment methods have been adopted and enhanced by financial service providers, as we increasingly move towards a global cashless society. Traditional financial IT vendors and payment solution providers are learning to adapt. This will include companies who operate in the prepaid cards marketplace. Prepaid cards are a well-established technology, and part of the evolving payments market. Even so, there have been many new developments and transitions that create opportunities for growth. Digital Prepaid Card Market Development According to the latest worldwide market study by Juniper Research, the value of digital prepaid card transactions will exceed $3.98 trillion globally by 2028 -- that's up from $528.7 billion in 2023.  By 2028, the value of digital prepaid card transactions will represent just under 60 percent of total prepaid cards spend, up from 15 percent in 2023, demonstrating the rapid growth of Fintech soluti...

Recent news headlines may not instill confidence in the overall Global Networked Economy, but that doesn't discourage spending on Digital Transformation initiatives that are focused on creating new  business models. IT market performance remained patchy in April, with some vendors experiencing a sharp decline in growth while others continued to benefit from long-term enterprise commitment to digital business. According to the latest worldwide market study by International Data Corporation (IDC), overall growth this year in constant currency will reach 4.8 percent to $3.27 trillion -- that's a slight improvement, which reflects the continued IT services market performance. IT Services Market Development IT services growth this year will be almost 6 percent, as large enterprises remain committed to long-term digital transformation investments despite the recent short-term economic turbulence. Overall software spending growth will be almost 11 percent, driven mostly by cloud soft...

Healthcare sector innovation tends to progress at a slow pace, due to a number of historical factors that inhibit agility. For example, the Smart Home healthcare market continues to grow and evolve, but the scale of the opportunity remains under-penetrated. Last year, new smart home healthcare shipment and service revenues grew 25 percent to reach $22.9 billion worldwide, but that growth rate may be hard to sustain, despite the potential for further growth. According to the latest worldwide market study by ABI Research, new smart home healthcare shipment and service revenues will reach $26.5 billion in 2023 -- that's up by 15 percent from 2022. Smart Home Healthcare Market Development Smart home healthcare, encompassing connected home care, remote patient monitoring, and social robotics, can improve the health and care of the most vulnerable while reducing staffing and other costs. It also represents an opportunity for a host of players from smart home vendors and beyond to extend ...