VisionMobile’s latest Mobile Megatrends report identifies the major trends in smartphone end of the mobile market where the profits are moving away from hardware suppliers towards the app stores. It contrasts the world of 2005, where success was measured by number of devices sold, with 2010 where it is measured by the number of apps available, and where time to market is measured in weeks rather than years. A thought provoking report.
VisionMobile – Mobile Megatrends 2011
February 28th, 2011National Academies Press – Wireless Technology Prospects and Policy Options
February 28th, 2011A free e-book from the National Academies Press. The book is the result of a “comprehensive assessment of wireless technology, service, and application trends and their implications for wireless spectrum management and policy” by the Committee on Wireless Technology Prospects and Policy Options of the US National Research Council. The book “seeks to shine a spotlight on 21st-century technology trends and to outline the implications of emerging technologies for spectrum management in ways that the committee hopes will be useful to those setting future spectrum policy.”
Fibre to the Home Council Europe’s market forecast
February 28th, 2011The FTTH Council’s latest market forecast for Europe, by Graham Finnie of Heavy Reading, notes slower progress within the EU contrasted with faster progress outside. It forecasts that Russia will have the highest number of connected households in 2015, more than 9 million, with a household penetration of almost 18%. The highest household penetration is expected to be in Slovenia, at almost 36%, followed by Sweden, Norway and Denmark.
Delta Partners on reverse innovation
February 28th, 2011Delta Partners’ latest white paper focuses on reverse innovations: service innovations from developing countries being adopted in developed countries. The report highlights some examples: mobile remittances (SMART, Philippines), Dynamic discounts (MTN, South Africa), freelance sales force (Tigo, Tanzania), One network roaming (Zain, Africa).
Deloitte proposes collaboration on mobile payments
February 28th, 2011Deloitte’s new study, “Cell me the money: Unlocking the value in the mobile payment ecosystem”, examines the prospects for mobile commerce in the USA. Deloitte surveyed senior executives from the mobile payment value chain who identified key barriers that have previously stalled the mobile payment market i.e. the lack of revenue-sharing agreements, consumer apathy, poor demand and market fragmentation. Deloitte proposes an “open federation model” to bring players together for mutual benefit.
Cell me the Money : Unlocking the value in the mobile payment ecosystem
Accenture survey of the role of retail channels
February 28th, 2011Accenture’s study, based on surveys of consumers and industry executives, examines the value of physical retail stores now that online shopping is mainstream. Accenture found that both consumers and service providers agree on the importance of the physical retail channel. The study notes that service providers plan more physical retail stores over the next two years, with a greater emphasis on company-owned stores. Accenture also identifies six areas where leading service providers distinguish themselves from laggards.
Accenture – The Value and the Role of the Retail Channel for Communications Service Providers
PRTM’s views on the future of telecommunications
February 15th, 2011PRTM’s new report looks at developing markets, where a number of entrepreneurial operators have become global leaders, and developed markets, where operators with both fixed and mobile networks are focusing on regional rather than global growth. It foresees further consolidation amongst equipment suppliers and further cost cutting by operators. The report includes global company rankings by revenues and customers, which compare 2010 data with earlier years.
The Future of Telecommunications: New Strategies for a New World by PRTM and The Mobile World
comScore’s review of mobile developments in 2010
February 15th, 2011comScore’s inaugural report “The 2010 Mobile Year in Review” reveals that there are still at least three distinct mobile markets: USA, Europe and Japan. Thus while almost a third of US mobile users have unlimited data plans, with consequent high usage of mobile media, fewer than 10% of Europeans enjoy such plans. Nokia dominates European markets with 30-50% market share in many countries yet languishes at 7% in the USA, behind Samsung, LG, Motorola and RIM. The Japanese market is dominated by local firms: Sharp, Panasonic and Fujitsu. Symbian is being slowly squeezed by Android and Apple in Europe but still has just under 50% share while in the USA it has less than 10%. Finally almost 10 million Japanese mobile users made purchases using mobile wallets, an application which has yet to appear in the USA and Europe.
