Last week Apple announced a new iPad, whose name is simply “the new iPad,” not the iPad 3 or iPad HD. The third-generation iPad launches on March 16 and has the same pricing as previous versions: $499 for a 16 GB model, $599 for 32 GB and $699 for 64 GB, plus an extra $130 for 4G.
here is a list of the new features of the new iPad by PCWorld:
http://www.itbusiness.ca/it/client/en/slideshow/apples-new-ipad/
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @infocomAnalysis
A blog on the convergence of info-communications industries: communications, computing, electronics, entertainment, publications and education. Strategic, technological and financial analysis. English and French blog. Cette chronique traite de l’évolution des industries de l’information et des communications et couvre des aspects stratégiques, technologiques et financiers, comme l’économie du savoir et de l’innovation. L’auteur est Associé principal de Infocom Intelligence.
Showing posts with label tablet. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tablet. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Monday, March 05, 2012
Infographic on iPad 3
Here is an infographic on the iPad 3, about the motivations of Americans for buying the tablet. Study done by AYTM Research.
Source: http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/ipad-3-infographic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ipad-3-infographic
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @Infocomanalysis
Source: AYTM Research
Source: http://aytm.com/blog/research-junction/ipad-3-infographic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ipad-3-infographic
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @Infocomanalysis
Friday, March 02, 2012
The 8 industries and professions where tablets are very popular
TabTimes is a new magazine covering tablets. It is available at www.tabtimes.com. They just made an analysis of the 8 industries and professions where tablets are very popular.
Retail and sales
This much is obvious; sales members, those in the store or out in the field, benefit from having a mobile device they can use to complete transactions or check inventory. The tablet fits that bill perfectly, with the extra screen estate (compared to an iPhone, say) allowing retailers to promote their products in the best possible way. With firms such as Square and point-of-sale provider VeriFone backing T-commerce, and with the ever increasingheavyweights possibility of near-field-communication (NFC) chips coming to tablets for device-to-device payments, it's clear the newly-coined term of 'T-commerce' is here to stay.
Education
As a sector, education is widely believed to be slow on adopting new technologies, but in truth this is more often down to restricted budgets. With that in mind, it is worth noting just how many schools and universities have already taken to tablets, with most of these either funded directly by the school or in-part by parents.
Healthcare
When you consider that touch screens and first-generation Windows tablets have been in hospitals for decades, it's not surprising that healthcare is another very prominent area when it comes to large-scale tablet deployments. TabTimes has even heard of one pharmaceutical company deploying as many as 500,000 iPads in one shot.
Legal and political
Tablets are slowly seeping into the professional lives of both lawyers and politicians. TabTimes is seeing an increasing number of deployments (or rather, often through BYOD schemes) for lawyers to use tablets in the courtroom, while politicians are also feverishly getting in on the act.
Real estate
As an industry, its linked to retail and sales, but there's no doubting that tablets can help estate agents from everything from arranging and keeping track of house visits to liaising with home owners and tempting interested buyers with interactive floor plans.
Professional sports
Calling the NFL, NBA, and pro soccer "industries" feels like a bit of an overstatement, but professional sports teams around the world have discovered that iPads and other tablets are ideal devices for containing playbooks, reviewing game footage, and more.
Aviation: Pilots, cabin crew and passengers
From the cockpit, to cabin crew and even for in-flight entertainment, tablets can now be found thousands of feet up in the air, aboard both commercial and even military aircraft. Deployments have been split between big brands like American Airlines and British Airways, to invariably smaller crews. The number of units seems to be ranging from the very small to thousands at a time.
Media and marketing
Tablets are already having a massive impact on the world of publishers. That includes both publishing for content and on-screen advertisements. For content, publishers have found a new revenue stream in the form of an iPad or Android app, which also represent another way in which to expand their coverage to the masses. What makes the news even better is that the editorial process for journalists hasn't changed much. Tablets are not just a great way for journalists to keep on top of stories using productivity-enhancing apps like Evernote or Dropbox. They are also a great way to expand coverage and reputation worldwide. Beyond the written word, tablets are also giving digital agencies the opportunity to create rich, multimedia HTML5 advertisements. While tablet-specific standards have been slow to emerge, the good news is that tablet owners appear to be more willing to interact with these ads.
Source: http://tabtimes.com/feature/deployment-strategy/2012/02/24/8-industries-and-professions-most-rapidly-impacted-tablets
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Retail and sales
This much is obvious; sales members, those in the store or out in the field, benefit from having a mobile device they can use to complete transactions or check inventory. The tablet fits that bill perfectly, with the extra screen estate (compared to an iPhone, say) allowing retailers to promote their products in the best possible way. With firms such as Square and point-of-sale provider VeriFone backing T-commerce, and with the ever increasingheavyweights possibility of near-field-communication (NFC) chips coming to tablets for device-to-device payments, it's clear the newly-coined term of 'T-commerce' is here to stay.
Education
As a sector, education is widely believed to be slow on adopting new technologies, but in truth this is more often down to restricted budgets. With that in mind, it is worth noting just how many schools and universities have already taken to tablets, with most of these either funded directly by the school or in-part by parents.
Healthcare
When you consider that touch screens and first-generation Windows tablets have been in hospitals for decades, it's not surprising that healthcare is another very prominent area when it comes to large-scale tablet deployments. TabTimes has even heard of one pharmaceutical company deploying as many as 500,000 iPads in one shot.
Legal and political
Tablets are slowly seeping into the professional lives of both lawyers and politicians. TabTimes is seeing an increasing number of deployments (or rather, often through BYOD schemes) for lawyers to use tablets in the courtroom, while politicians are also feverishly getting in on the act.
Real estate
As an industry, its linked to retail and sales, but there's no doubting that tablets can help estate agents from everything from arranging and keeping track of house visits to liaising with home owners and tempting interested buyers with interactive floor plans.
Professional sports
Calling the NFL, NBA, and pro soccer "industries" feels like a bit of an overstatement, but professional sports teams around the world have discovered that iPads and other tablets are ideal devices for containing playbooks, reviewing game footage, and more.
Aviation: Pilots, cabin crew and passengers
From the cockpit, to cabin crew and even for in-flight entertainment, tablets can now be found thousands of feet up in the air, aboard both commercial and even military aircraft. Deployments have been split between big brands like American Airlines and British Airways, to invariably smaller crews. The number of units seems to be ranging from the very small to thousands at a time.
Media and marketing
Tablets are already having a massive impact on the world of publishers. That includes both publishing for content and on-screen advertisements. For content, publishers have found a new revenue stream in the form of an iPad or Android app, which also represent another way in which to expand their coverage to the masses. What makes the news even better is that the editorial process for journalists hasn't changed much. Tablets are not just a great way for journalists to keep on top of stories using productivity-enhancing apps like Evernote or Dropbox. They are also a great way to expand coverage and reputation worldwide. Beyond the written word, tablets are also giving digital agencies the opportunity to create rich, multimedia HTML5 advertisements. While tablet-specific standards have been slow to emerge, the good news is that tablet owners appear to be more willing to interact with these ads.
Source: http://tabtimes.com/feature/deployment-strategy/2012/02/24/8-industries-and-professions-most-rapidly-impacted-tablets
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Monday, February 27, 2012
Tablets offer a similar opportunity as consoles in video games
According to the creator of the blockbuster video game Final Fantasy, Hironobu Sakaguchi, tablets offer a similar opportunity as consoles for developers in video games. Final Fantasy had 80 million users and was among the most popular game in the 1990's. Sakaguchi bets on mobile and tablets as the formats of the future. He gave an interview to El Pais.
Question: How do you envision the future role of video games?
Answer: The graphics and sound will continue to evolve. Not only in this format. We will see more and more advanced phones.
P. Do you think the tablets and phones can compete with the consoles?
R. The hardware offers similar architecture. For example, PlayStation Vita, coming out next week on sale in Europe, has some very similar to the iPhone. The tablets will have a similar power to home consoles. I think as a developer, it proposes an interesting scenario.
P. Do you think Sony and Nintendo will succumb to this phenomenon and stop making consoles?
R. That's a business decision. The fact is that the devices increasingly look more technically. In the future there will be much difference between supports. Soon we will see games made for television. The important thing is what the content send on the support.
P. How has meaning to re-direct 'The Last Story' after 20 years?
R. The role of producer and director is more diffuse than before. In Final Fantasy VI said goodbye to the address, but I stayed close to each creation. After, the Last Story, I took a year to think about new ideas. I realized I had to be getting involved and above all the process.
P. The critical stress games how to leverage the Wii graphics, do you think has peaked?
R. The graphics are complex.I always try to look after the maximum artistic aspect, but I think the limit is imagination.
P. One of its hallmarks is the characters, how is the process of creation?
R. Tactfully and making clear to the player who is who. Sometimes you come up with details, other times with conversations between them or commenting on aspects of the scenario to create some mystery and awaken interest.
P. In all his titles the characters have suffered some trauma vital, why?
R. All human beings have some kind of trauma. The important thing is to make it a motivation to do something, change things, brand personality.
P. Despite this depressing and very personal air has allowed users to customize to your liking, is to be projected on them?
R. The designer did not agree with me in doing something so open. It seemed to me very important that users feel closer and identified with a character with which they will live a long adventure.
P. The Last Story was released in Japan last year and has now reached Europe. Why is America? Is there much difference between these three regions?
R. The decision to take him to the U.S. is Nintendo of America. I hope so. I have great confidence in its success in Europe. I do not think that is both a cultural issue as to find the right niche audience. Depends on gender, age, interests ... When I create a new title I don't put the focus on a particular market.
P. The latter title is a renewal of the genre of role-playing games on consoles. What is the perfect combination of strategy and action to be successful?
R. I wish I had the recipe. I try always, with varying success.
P. Do you plan to create a game of this style to 3DS?
R. I have no plans for this platform. Instead I am making three games for IOS for both iPhone and iPad.
P. For five years is almost impossible to find a great production to dispense with an online version and a cooperative mode, how do you prepare for this format?
R. It is one of the most difficult aspects of the creative process. The whole team together, we discussed and we took it as an adventure completely different from zero. We have differentiated in the way of communicating because many games have the voice chat feature and I hate to use foul language. We decided that they would be used in the game dialogues themselves, which are written to communicate between players. In Japan it worked great. I hope that in Europe also like this integration.
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Question: How do you envision the future role of video games?
Answer: The graphics and sound will continue to evolve. Not only in this format. We will see more and more advanced phones.
P. Do you think the tablets and phones can compete with the consoles?
R. The hardware offers similar architecture. For example, PlayStation Vita, coming out next week on sale in Europe, has some very similar to the iPhone. The tablets will have a similar power to home consoles. I think as a developer, it proposes an interesting scenario.
P. Do you think Sony and Nintendo will succumb to this phenomenon and stop making consoles?
R. That's a business decision. The fact is that the devices increasingly look more technically. In the future there will be much difference between supports. Soon we will see games made for television. The important thing is what the content send on the support.
P. How has meaning to re-direct 'The Last Story' after 20 years?
R. The role of producer and director is more diffuse than before. In Final Fantasy VI said goodbye to the address, but I stayed close to each creation. After, the Last Story, I took a year to think about new ideas. I realized I had to be getting involved and above all the process.
P. The critical stress games how to leverage the Wii graphics, do you think has peaked?
R. The graphics are complex.I always try to look after the maximum artistic aspect, but I think the limit is imagination.
P. One of its hallmarks is the characters, how is the process of creation?
R. Tactfully and making clear to the player who is who. Sometimes you come up with details, other times with conversations between them or commenting on aspects of the scenario to create some mystery and awaken interest.
P. In all his titles the characters have suffered some trauma vital, why?
R. All human beings have some kind of trauma. The important thing is to make it a motivation to do something, change things, brand personality.
P. Despite this depressing and very personal air has allowed users to customize to your liking, is to be projected on them?
R. The designer did not agree with me in doing something so open. It seemed to me very important that users feel closer and identified with a character with which they will live a long adventure.
P. The Last Story was released in Japan last year and has now reached Europe. Why is America? Is there much difference between these three regions?
R. The decision to take him to the U.S. is Nintendo of America. I hope so. I have great confidence in its success in Europe. I do not think that is both a cultural issue as to find the right niche audience. Depends on gender, age, interests ... When I create a new title I don't put the focus on a particular market.
P. The latter title is a renewal of the genre of role-playing games on consoles. What is the perfect combination of strategy and action to be successful?
R. I wish I had the recipe. I try always, with varying success.
P. Do you plan to create a game of this style to 3DS?
R. I have no plans for this platform. Instead I am making three games for IOS for both iPhone and iPad.
P. For five years is almost impossible to find a great production to dispense with an online version and a cooperative mode, how do you prepare for this format?
R. It is one of the most difficult aspects of the creative process. The whole team together, we discussed and we took it as an adventure completely different from zero. We have differentiated in the way of communicating because many games have the voice chat feature and I hate to use foul language. We decided that they would be used in the game dialogues themselves, which are written to communicate between players. In Japan it worked great. I hope that in Europe also like this integration.
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Saturday, February 25, 2012
The vast majority of smartphones and tablets at work are owned by employees
According to new data from Forrester Research, 73% of smartphones and 66% of tablets being used at work are bought and owned by employees. Surveying almost 10,000 workers across 17 countries, the findings revealed that half of laptops are also employee-owned.
But with this Bring Your Own Device trend seems to come perhaps too many net devices. Forrester says that three-quarters of workers wield two or more devices and over half wield three or more.
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
But with this Bring Your Own Device trend seems to come perhaps too many net devices. Forrester says that three-quarters of workers wield two or more devices and over half wield three or more.
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Monday, February 20, 2012
Forrester Research forecasts 1 billion smartphones and tablets by 2016
According to Forrester Research, smartphones and tablets consumers will reach a billion global consumers by 2016.
"Mobile is not simply another device for IT to support with a shrunken website or a screen-scraped SAP application. Rather, mobile is the manifestation of a much broader shift to new systems of engagement. These systems of engagement help firms empower their customers, partners, and employees with context-aware apps and smart products. To remain vital in this business technology reformation, CIOs must step up and work with other executives to establish an "office of the chief mobility officer" to implement an enterprisewide mobile strategy. This team will coordinate the business and technology investments under a "design for mobile first" mantra that delivers four immediate benefits:
1) fuel profitable growth with stickier offerings and mobile self-service;
2) move faster along the mobile learning curve;
3) aggregate mobile project budgets to fund needed engagement technology; and
4) grow from an IT group focused on systems of record to a business technology group focused on systems of engagement".
Infocom Intelligence covered the Canadian wireless market in a 2007 report, analyzing technologies and strategies. The report is available online for US$85 (with taxes). For more information see http://www.infocomintelligence.com/newreports.htm
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
"Mobile is not simply another device for IT to support with a shrunken website or a screen-scraped SAP application. Rather, mobile is the manifestation of a much broader shift to new systems of engagement. These systems of engagement help firms empower their customers, partners, and employees with context-aware apps and smart products. To remain vital in this business technology reformation, CIOs must step up and work with other executives to establish an "office of the chief mobility officer" to implement an enterprisewide mobile strategy. This team will coordinate the business and technology investments under a "design for mobile first" mantra that delivers four immediate benefits:
1) fuel profitable growth with stickier offerings and mobile self-service;
2) move faster along the mobile learning curve;
3) aggregate mobile project budgets to fund needed engagement technology; and
4) grow from an IT group focused on systems of record to a business technology group focused on systems of engagement".
Infocom Intelligence covered the Canadian wireless market in a 2007 report, analyzing technologies and strategies. The report is available online for US$85 (with taxes). For more information see http://www.infocomintelligence.com/newreports.htm
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Tablets and e-readers will surpass PC by 2015 according to BI Intelligence
Tablet sales will reach around 500 million units a year by 2015, according to a new report by BI Intelligence. It appears, that global tablet sales in 2015 could exceed the number of PCs currently sold per year (~360 million) and make tablets a $100+ billion market. The forecast includes e-readers, and it predicts that tablet sales will grow at better than a 50% compound annual growth rate over the next few years. The growth will be driven mainly by falling prices combined with tablet penetration in the enterprise and education markets, as well as emerging markets.
Some highligths of the report:
-We really are in a post-PC era. Smartphone unit sales passed PC sales last year. Tablet sales will follow in a few years. As Steve Jobs said, PCs will become like "trucks" and tablets like "cars": PCs will still be around, and they'll still be a big market, but they won't become the most common way people do their computing anymore.
-Tablets are a disruptive technology relative to PCs: Not as good at some things (spreadsheets and the like), but much better at other things (browsing the web, apps), cheaper, and improving all of the time.
Here's what will be the biggest drivers of the growth in tablets:
-Lower prices. The Kindle Fire has been a smashing success, showing the pent-up demand for a good, sub-$500 tablet. We think Google will use its Motorola acquisition to come out with a cheap, subsidized tablet a la Amazon. And we think Apple will lower prices, most likely by selling older models at a lower price point like it did with the iPhone. And we think e-readers (in light blue in the chart below) will remain a big market as their price drops near to zero and they work as loss-leaders for digital publishing.
-The enterprise. Though tablets won't work for a lot of business applications, it's undeniable that they're making headway in the enterprise. We see this accelerating.
-Education. iBooks was just the start. This is a sector that is crying out for disruption and for a useful, lightweight computing device.
-Emerging markets. A billion more people are coming online, and most of them are going to do it through mobile. A lot of them will also do it through tablets, which are cheaper and more convenient.
Furthermore in a recent survey, 80% of the tablet users said that the device help them for the balance between work and private life.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/tablet-sales-2012-2?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=SAI%20Select&utm_campaign=SAI%20Select%202012-02-15#ixzz1mU6dZgxU
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligemce.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Some highligths of the report:
-We really are in a post-PC era. Smartphone unit sales passed PC sales last year. Tablet sales will follow in a few years. As Steve Jobs said, PCs will become like "trucks" and tablets like "cars": PCs will still be around, and they'll still be a big market, but they won't become the most common way people do their computing anymore.
-Tablets are a disruptive technology relative to PCs: Not as good at some things (spreadsheets and the like), but much better at other things (browsing the web, apps), cheaper, and improving all of the time.
Here's what will be the biggest drivers of the growth in tablets:
-Lower prices. The Kindle Fire has been a smashing success, showing the pent-up demand for a good, sub-$500 tablet. We think Google will use its Motorola acquisition to come out with a cheap, subsidized tablet a la Amazon. And we think Apple will lower prices, most likely by selling older models at a lower price point like it did with the iPhone. And we think e-readers (in light blue in the chart below) will remain a big market as their price drops near to zero and they work as loss-leaders for digital publishing.
-The enterprise. Though tablets won't work for a lot of business applications, it's undeniable that they're making headway in the enterprise. We see this accelerating.
-Education. iBooks was just the start. This is a sector that is crying out for disruption and for a useful, lightweight computing device.
-Emerging markets. A billion more people are coming online, and most of them are going to do it through mobile. A lot of them will also do it through tablets, which are cheaper and more convenient.
Furthermore in a recent survey, 80% of the tablet users said that the device help them for the balance between work and private life.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/tablet-sales-2012-2?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=SAI%20Select&utm_campaign=SAI%20Select%202012-02-15#ixzz1mU6dZgxU
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligemce.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Friday, November 18, 2011
Apple's iPad has 88% of global tablet web traffic
There should be no doubt in anyone’s mind that Apple’s iPad is the biggest seller in the tablet space, but we have seen many iPad competitors come out over recent months, including Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1, Blackberry PlayBook, Amazon Kindle Fire, and many more.
However, despite all these Android tablets, according to comScore in October 2011, 95.5% of all tablet web traffic in the U.S. comes from iPad. That is a stunning number. So, is anyone really buying all these shipping Android tablets, and what do people do with them after they buy them? Because they don’t seem to be surfing the Web.
Some of the market share numbers for iPad we could find include:
-83% of U.S. tablet sales.
-68.3% of worldwide media tablet shipments.
-73% of worldwide sales of media tablets to end users.
-61% of global tablet shipments.
-80% of tablet shipments in North America.
In October Google mobile chief Andy Rubin said that there are “a little more than six million Android tablets out there running Google’s services,” meaning they run Google’s apps and the Android Market. Compare that with the total number of iPads sold, as reported by Apple, close to 40 million, and iPad has a market share of 85%.
While the iPad dominates the tablet market, its total impact on online web traffic is still small so far with 1.2% of total web OS traffic (desktop+tablets).
Source:http://royal.pingdom.com/2011/11/17/apples-ipad-owns-88-of-global-tablet-web-traffic/
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
However, despite all these Android tablets, according to comScore in October 2011, 95.5% of all tablet web traffic in the U.S. comes from iPad. That is a stunning number. So, is anyone really buying all these shipping Android tablets, and what do people do with them after they buy them? Because they don’t seem to be surfing the Web.
Some of the market share numbers for iPad we could find include:
-83% of U.S. tablet sales.
-68.3% of worldwide media tablet shipments.
-73% of worldwide sales of media tablets to end users.
-61% of global tablet shipments.
-80% of tablet shipments in North America.
In October Google mobile chief Andy Rubin said that there are “a little more than six million Android tablets out there running Google’s services,” meaning they run Google’s apps and the Android Market. Compare that with the total number of iPads sold, as reported by Apple, close to 40 million, and iPad has a market share of 85%.
While the iPad dominates the tablet market, its total impact on online web traffic is still small so far with 1.2% of total web OS traffic (desktop+tablets).
Source:http://royal.pingdom.com/2011/11/17/apples-ipad-owns-88-of-global-tablet-web-traffic/
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Tuesday, October 25, 2011
HOW PEOPLE USE TABLETS AND WHAT IT MEANS FOR THE FUTURE OF NEWS
An interesting summary of the recent Pew Research Center study on tablets consumption.
http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/tablet
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
http://www.journalism.org/analysis_report/tablet
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Saturday, October 22, 2011
The state of tablet adoption at work
This is the state of tablet adoption at work, a summary graph found at VentureBeat.
http://venturebeat.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/tablet_adoption_infographic.png
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
http://venturebeat.files.wordpress.com/2011/10/tablet_adoption_infographic.png
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Twitter: @InfocomAnalysis
Monday, October 17, 2011
Amazon competing with publishers, not just bookstores
There was an interesting article in the NY Times about the new strategy of Amazon concerning publishing. They are more and more competing, not only with bookstores, but also with publishers. They are cutting the middleman by signing publishing contracts directly with authors. With the proliferation of tablets, ebooks are more popular than ever. Amazon can control most of the value chain: the reading device the Kindle Fire and the distribution online channel.
Amazon just started giving all authors, whether it publishes them or not, direct access to the Nielsen BookScan sales data, which records how many physical books they are selling in individual markets (cities). It represents a one-on-one communication between authors and their fans that used to happen only on book tours. Recently, Amazon made an obscure German historical novel a best seller without a single professional review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/amazon-rewrites-the-rules-of-book-publishing.html?pagewanted=all
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Amazon just started giving all authors, whether it publishes them or not, direct access to the Nielsen BookScan sales data, which records how many physical books they are selling in individual markets (cities). It represents a one-on-one communication between authors and their fans that used to happen only on book tours. Recently, Amazon made an obscure German historical novel a best seller without a single professional review.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/17/technology/amazon-rewrites-the-rules-of-book-publishing.html?pagewanted=all
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Monday, January 31, 2011
The fastest growing communications innovations: What is next?
The technology adoption of some new communications innovations have increased exponentially in recent years. The following graph shows that while it took around 75 years to the fixed line to reach 50 million customers, it took only 12 years to the mobile phone, 5 years to the iPod, 4 years to the e-mail and only 3 years to the Skype’s VoIP software. It can be explained by the fact that several communications networks are already in place and new innovations can leverage existing infrastructure. Another reason is the fact that communications consumers are more “technology educated” than before. The fastest growing tech firm at the convergence of social networks, and mobile commerce is Groupon, which has reached 2 billion in revenue in two years of existence and the key mark of 50 million subscribers.
Source: debitel
A recent report by In-Stat indicates that smartphones are becoming the "standard" in mobile devices. Particularly the demand for advanced mobile handsets that contain significant processing power, robust memory, large screens and open operating systems will drive the sales of mobile manufacturers.
Their forecast is that unit shipments of smartphones will be nearly 850 million by 2015. Among the critical factors for the smartphone success, there are powerful browsers, a wide variety of apps, easy to navigate user interface, and a good keyboard or touchscreen. Furthermore, other intangible attributes, such as being "fashion object" and that "your friends or relatives have one" are also important.
In-Stat also predicts that the majority of U.S. handset shipments will be smartphones by 2012 while Android would maintain its momentum and will continue to be the leading OS. In-Stat suggests that by 2015, over two-thirds of smartphones will still be WCDMA-based, with LTE smartphones representing only a small minority of annual handset shipments, even in four years.
What other communications devices will reach the fastest 50 million users?
Tablets represent a challenger with the penetration in the business sector. According to Gartner, nearly 20 million tablets have been sold in 2010, and around 54.8 million will be in 2011 and it should reach 208 million in 2014. In addition to Apple iPads, tablets include those based on Android, RIM, WebOS and other such operating systems. It appears that Apple iPads and other tablets are cannibalizing e-readers, gaming devices, and mini-notebooks.
“Mini notebooks will suffer from the strongest cannibalization threat as media tablet average selling prices drop below $300 over the next 2 years,” says Carolina Milanesi, research vice president at Gartner. Gartner suggests that the North American market will account for 61% of the total market this year but that the percentage will fall to 43% in 2014 as tablets become more widely available across the world. More than half of tablets sold in 2010 supported WiFi.
It appears that Android tablets are gaining interesting market shares over iPad in the last quarter. They gained 22% of the Q4-2010 market. The iPad had 95% and decreased to 75%. Galaxy, Samsung’s tablet with Android is the main contender for the iPad. Strategy Analytics forecast that Apple’s iPad will decrease below 50% market share in the next 2 years.
Growth opportunities
· Firms which should heavily benefits from the growth of tablets are:
o online publishers (the ones who will bet on e-Books growth and sell directly to the public: i.e. Amazon)
o devices manufacturers (Apple, Samsung, RIM)
o technology suppliers (Tech SMEs, Publishing Technology plc [PTO.L])
Google just bought eBook Technologies 3 weeks ago. It provides an end-to-end electronic book platform offering a full range of eBook products and services. It includes electronic reading devices, an online bookstore where readers can buy eBooks, an online "bookshelf" that lets users store their purchased content, and software that converts content to the company's eBook format.
· Some experts suggest that new entrants in the tablet market should appear such as Amazon. If it is the case, Amazon would enjoy growth again as an online publisher and manufacturer, which it is already doing with the Kindle.
Louis Rhéaume
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
Infocom Intelligence
louis@infocomintelligence.com
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