Over 30 Billion Wireless-connected Devices to Be Part of the IoE in 2020 via Market Insight  Published 02 May 2013 by Peter Cooney

ABI Research Releases Latest Data on the IoE

NEWS

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The Internet of Everything (IOE), also described as the Internet of Things or M2M, has been a concept for many years; the linking of billions of devices from smartphones to heart-rate monitors in a simple and effective way will drive many improvements for mankind.

It is emerging as the key topic for many electronics companies, whether they are IC vendors, module suppliers, device OEMs, software vendors, service providers, or many others.

Ultra-low Power Is a Key Ingredient

IMPACT

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The emergence of standardized ultra-low power wireless technologies is one of the main enablers of the IOE, with technologies like Bluetooth and ZigBee driving node/sensor-enablement implementations, and Wi-Fi providing the backbone for data transfer to the cloud.

Although wired solutions play a part in the IOE market, it is the wireless solutions that will be the major enablers. ABI Research's coverage of the IOE is focused on wirelessly connected devices, and the forecasts in this database, therefore, include devices that are connected via cellular (2G/3G/4G), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, 802.14.4 (e.g., ZigBee), NFC, RFID, GPS/GNSS, and proprietary wireless technologies.

With More IoE-connected Devices, More Verticals Will Grow

COMMENTARY

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The year 2013 is seen by many as the year of the IoE, but it will still be many years until it reaches its full potential. The next five years will be pivotal in its growth and establishment as a tangible concept to the consumer.

More than 10 billion wirelessly connected devices are in the market today; by 2020, this is expected to be over 30 billion. This will be made up of many devices using various wireless technologies, some utilizing one technology and some multiple technologies. ABI Research’s latest Internet of Everything Market Tracker Market Data breaks up the market in numerous ways. Also, while looking at eight vertical markets (displayed below), it is shown that mobile devices are by far the largest vertical today, but the strongest growth will occur in emerging verticals such as connected home and PCs; automotive, transportation, and logistics; and retail and advertising. More details can be found in the recently published Internet of Everything Market Tracker Market Data (MD-IOE-101).

The Intersection: Buckley on Technology: Social media done right: @aliciakeys and the art ...

The Intersection: Buckley on Technology: Social media done right: @aliciakeys and the art ...: One of the powerful results that I have experienced in engaging in social media is having the opportunity to directly engage with folks (bot...

Buckley on Technology: Search goes social at Bing: 4 "must see" links fr...

Buckley on Technology: Search goes social at Bing: 4 "must see" links fr...: I've spent a great deal of time over the course of the past several months talking about the search industry’s ongoing efforts to stay c...

Digital Wallet Use in the US Exceeds 35%

More than a third of mobile users in the US using some form of digital wallet in this piece by MediaPost.

JiWire: 37% Of Cell Owners Using 'Mobile Wallet' Services (by Mark Walsh)

More than a third (37%) of mobile consumers have used some type of “mobile wallet” service in the last three months, according to new findings from location-based mobile ad company JiWire. The report appeared to define the term loosely as any type of mobile payment made at the point of sale.

Of those who have not used mobile wallet services, 8% said they would like to, and 14% didn’t know what a mobile wallet is. The JiWire data roughly corresponds to a December 2011 report from comScore showing that 38% of smartphone owners had used their phones to make some kind of purchase.

A recent poll of mobile experts by the Pew Internet & American Life Project found that 65% expect most people to have fully adopted use of smart-device swiping as their everyday means of paying by 2020. Previous Pew research showed that more than one-third of smartphone owners have used their phones to do online banking services like paying bills or checking a balance, and that 46% of apps users have purchased an app through a mobile device.

Still, there is debate surrounding how quickly mobile wallets will catch on widely. Google, for instance, was said to be considering a revamp of its approach that would include revenue sharing with partners Verizon and AT&T to help spur adoption of its Google Wallet app.

Separately, the JiWire report indicated that half (49%) of mobile users comparison shopped via mobile while in retail stores during the first quarter. Furthermore, 15% compared prices to the store’s own Web site, and 13% searched for mobile coupons. People between the ages of 25 and 44, and men (53%) are most likely to check prices via mobile while shopping.

Tablet owners were twice as likely as non-owners to comparison shop in-store and purchase on a mobile device instead, at 10% versus 5%. Nearly half (47%) of smartphone users have a tablet, up from 32% in the fourth quarter of 2011.

JiWire, which serves ads to more than 30,000 Wi-Fi locations in North America, also looked at usage by C-level officers. It found that 70% use location-based apps on a weekly or daily basis, and more than half of business executives use apps on a daily basis regardless of position or company size.

Travel, weather and social networking apps are the most commonly used types for business travelers. For the same group, booking reservations is the most important service while on the go, followed by finding nearby business services.

Almost half of JiWire’s audience is now connecting to the network via smartphones (31%) or tablets (14%). The iPhone, iPad and iPod touch remain the top three device, although the iPhone was the only one of Apple devices to gain ground in the first quarter, up 2.3%. Android was the only smartphone platform to see an increase in users, growing 3.2%.

The JiWire findings are based on data from 315,000 public Wi-Fi hotspots, as well as surveying more than 5,000 randomly-selected customers across its Wi-Fi media network between January and March.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/174101/jiwire-37-of-cell-owners-using-mobile-wallet-s.html?edition=46583#ixzz1uIlp0o7B

Augmented Reality Dynamic Modeling

Great use of Augmented Reality - example of dynamic modeling in 3D (via Mashable) 

Augmented Reality Sandbox Simulates Water in Real Time [VIDEO] 

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In one of the coolest examples of augmented reality use we’ve seen, researchers at UC Davis have created an AR sandbox which overlays a real-time, virtual, colored topographic map on sand surface.

As you change the actual topography of the sandbox, creating mountains, basins and riverbeds, a Kinect 3D camera combined with a projector overlay it with a virtual layer of visual information, including flowing water which adheres to the terrain configuration you’ve created.

It works in real time, meaning you can — for example — connect a body of water and a dry basin with a channel and see it fill with water.

The project is powered by a PC with an Intel Core i7 CPU and a Geforce 580 graphics processing unit, with the GPU doing most of the heavy work.

The final goal for the project is to create a self-contained AR system which could be used for educational purposes, for example as an exhibit in science museums.

#ar #augmentedreality #innovation #3D 

Research: Control & Empowerment Driving Mobilized Era of 'Extreme Shopping'

Mobile devices facilitating consumer knowledge and driving shopping behavior via MediaPost.  

Study: Control And Empowerment Driving Mobilized Era of 'Extreme Shopping' by Steve Smith

According to a new research report from GfK, half of smartphone and tablet owners use their devices for price comparisons while shopping. The mobilized consumer has become a new, highly informed and empowered shopping force in the retail arena, and people are using their mobile tools to achieve a sense of control over the purchase process. The most mobilized of shoppers are leveraging their device at every key stage of the purchase process, from research to peer recommendations, value-seeking to the purchase itself.

Not only are half of advanced device owners using them for shopping now, but 44% are looking for coupon opportunities on the devices and 17% have already purchased a product via mobile platforms. Clearly, this m-shopper class is also fully engaged in social networks as part of the process, since a third of smartphone or tablet owners have “liked” a retail brand on Facebook.

According to GfK, this new process of “extreme shopping” is being driven by a greater sense of control. Owners of smartphones and tablets say they feel “more in control than ever before” of the shopping experience, because these devices help them choose the best products, shop more efficiently and find a broader range of information sources.

The often-discussed but rarely quantified phenomenon of mobile “showrooming” is quite real, the GfK research shows. About a quarter of respondents said they have scoped out products in physical retail venues only to make their purchase of them online and via their smartphone.

GfK says the mobilized “extreme shopper” is not only affecting the bigger-ticket items that seem to require deeper research. “Our research shows that the mobile trend is substantially impacing food and beverage, health and beauty, and even lawn and garden,” says Rob Barrish, SVP Digital Technology, GfK, who presented the research this week at The Market Research Technology Event in Las Vegas.
Younger mobile users are the driving force toward Extreme Shopping. GfK finds that among 18- to-34-year-olds, 34% report using a smartphone or tablet to engage shopping, compared to only 10% of the 50-to-65 segment.

GfK analysts argue that the challenge to retailers can be embraced as an opportunity to deepen relationships. Brands need to facilitate the learning process and help consumers achieve greater efficiencies and sense of new empowerment in the marketplace that “extreme shoppers” appear to enjoy. GfK argues that the segment of people who are “extreme shoppers” today will be the typical consumer in coming years.

The GfK research was based on 1,088 interviews in mid-March of this year.

Read more: http://www.mediapost.com/publications/article/173929/study-control-and-empowerment-driving-mobilized-e.html?edition=46464#ixzz1tvEj8IB2

Great piece on smartphone penetration and content consumeption via eMarketer

The ‘Smartphone Class’: Always On, Always Consuming Content

MAY 2, 2012 

Consuming content in frequent, small portions means more touchpoints for marketers

Armed with fast, high-powered smartphones, a new class of consumers, 100 million strong and growing, is rerouting the path to purchase and redefining cultural norms in the US.

Members of the “smartphone class” stand apart from other Americans in the way they shop, communicate, consume media—even how they use their spare time. Its members define themselves by their connectedness and their sense of empowerment through unfettered access to real-time information.

“What others do with a PC, they do with their smartphones,” said Catherine Boyle, eMarketer senior analyst and author of the new report, “The Smartphone Class: Connected Consumers Transform US Commerce and Culture.” “Their phone is their workplace, entertainment center and their marketplace. They watch videos in coffee shops, social network at concerts, play games in waiting rooms, scan barcodes in stores and shop with their smartphone from anywhere at any time. Their behaviors are rerouting the traditional path to purchase and they are proving to the rest of America that spare moments can be productive ones, too.”

eMarketer estimates nearly 116 million Americans will use a smartphone at least monthly by the end of this year, up from 93.1 million in 2011. By 2013, they will represent over half of all mobile phone users, and by 2016, nearly three in five consumers will have a smartphone.

The smartphone class is not defined by age, gender, income or race. Instead it is defined by its members’ shared behaviors. Understanding the common behavioral traits that unite the class makes members easy to recognize and underscores the influence this class of consumers is having on how Americans communicate, consume media and shop.

One of those behaviors is to always be “snacking.” The smartphone class doesn’t tolerate dull moments; members turn to their phones for instant gratification. Depending on their mood in the moment, gratification might mean completing a quick task or finding a fun distraction. For marketers, this rising content consumption means an increasing number of touchpoints where they can reach consumers. eMarketer forecasts double-digit growth in mobile gaming as well as music and video consumption among the smartphone class through 2015.

“Snacking on mobile in small amounts throughout the day can be as lucrative to brands as it is gratifying to members of the smartphone class,” said Boyle. “The five minutes grazing on news in the morning, the 15 minutes playing a game at lunch and the two minutes watching a video at the grocery store are all opportunities for marketers to get a message across or close a sale.
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Facebook Slowing Growth, Twitter Higher Growth Rate

Story from eMarketer showing the still strong growth in Twitter and Facebook hitting saturation point in 2013.  

Facebook's US User Growth Slows but Twitter Sees Double-Digit Gains

The social networking giant’s US user base dwarfs that of Twitter, but Twitter maintains more rapid growth

As recently as 2010, growth in US Facebook usage was well into the double digits, at 38.6%, eMarketer estimates. But with 116.8 million US internet users already logging on to the site at least once monthly that year, growth rates were bound to plateau.

By 2011 Facebook user growth rose a comparatively small 13.4%, and this year will be the first when growth rates drop to the single digits. Rates of change in the US will continue to decline throughout eMarketer’s forecast period.

On Twitter, by contrast, growth is stronger. Last year’s 31.9% increase in users outpaced that of 2010, when growth was at 23.5%. Similar to Facebook’s trajectory, Twitter’s growth rate will also fall in the coming years, but still remain nearly four times higher than Facebook’s growth rate in 2014.

Twitter’s size, which is fairly small, is one factor that makes such growth rates possible. Facebook already reached an enormous audience of nearly 133 million US internet users at the end of 2011, a figure that will surpass 150 million by 2014. Twitter, in comparison, had a US user base of less than 24 million at the end of last year. Still, between 2010 and 2014, eMarketer predicts, Twitter will about double its US user base, reaching 37.6 million microbloggers by the period's end.

eMarketer bases its estimates of Facebook and Twitter usage on an analysis of survey and traffic data from research firms and regulatory agencies; company releases; historical trends; internet and mobile adoption trends; and demographic and socio-economic factors.

Global Advertising Spend to Increase by 4.9% in 2012 to Over $465 Billion

Strong global growth in ad spend in this mention by Strategy Analytics.



Global Advertising Spend to Increase by 4.9% in 2012 to Over $465 Billion


Online advertising to increase by 12.8%; TV by 5.0%; print by 0.5%


BOSTON, MA - February 27, 2012 - Following 3.8 percent growth in 2011, global advertising spending is expected to grow by 4.9 percent in 2012 to $465.5 billion, according to the latest Global Advertising Forecast from Strategy Analytics.


Although total US advertising spending is expected to increase by less than the global rate, at 2.7 percent this year - to $152.1bn – it is a significant improvement on the 0.6 percent growth in 2011. The US also underperforms Europe as a whole, which is expected to grow by 3.7 percent to $136.3bn in 2012. (See Chart 1)


Ed Barton, Strategy Analytics’ Director of Digital Media Strategies, explains, “Major global-impact events led by the Olympics, the US Presidential Elections and the European Football Championships, as well as Japan’s continuing recovery from the earthquake, combine to paint a brighter picture globally in 2012 for advertising spending overall. Furthermore, we expect that total ad spend will surpass half a trillion ($500bn) dollars in 2014.”


Global advertising by media type
Looking at spend by media type reveals that global TV advertising is expected to grow by five percent in 2012 to $188.5bn, equivalent to 40 percent of all global spending. Global print advertising is expected to grow by half a percent, accounting for a 26.4 percent share. Other traditional formats including cinema and radio will grow by approximately four percent.


In contrast, global online advertising is expected to grow 12.8 percent to $83.2bn in 2012, accounting for 18 percent of global ad spending (See Chart 2).


Barton says, “Online advertising will continue along its growth trajectory fuelled by strong growth in emerging markets and increased spending volumes on social networking and online video advertising.”


US/Europe advertising by media type
It is a similar picture in the US with online advertising leading the way. Online is expected to grow by 6.7 percent this year to $27.4bn compared to 3.7 percent for TV and 2.9 percent for other traditional formats. Print is expected to decline by 1.5 percent.


In comparison, online advertising across Europe is expected to grow by 11.7 percent this year compared to 3.4 percent for TV and 2.4 percent for ‘other traditional’ advertising. Print is expected to decline by 0.1 percent.


Chart 1

Barton notes, “The US continues to be a leader in terms of the share of revenue generated by TV advertising - its share in the US this year will be approximately 41 percent compared to 35 percent in Europe and 24 percent in the UK. In contrast, Internet advertising tends to have a smaller share of spending than in other markets. However, the share of advertising dollars allocated to the Internet continues to grow and is projected to overtake print advertising in the US in 2016 – a year ahead of when this is expected to happen for the total global market.” 


Chart 2

Barton concludes, “Europe presents the sternest challenges to forecasting: structural macroeconomic issues based on unsustainable national and household fiscal deficits and the ever-present threat of a major shock in the form of a Eurozone default mean that the region is one defining incident away from all forecasting outlooks effectively being rendered irrelevant in a single stroke.


However, assuming that the Eurozone can build its way out of the current uncertainty, we are likely to see a situation characterized by some territories suffering a long term zero-to-negative growth environment where spending will remain very low (Spain, Greece, Italy, Portugal). Stronger Western European economies (UK, Germany, France) will grow slowly with the occasional boost from one off drivers such as major sporting events. Growth, albeit from lower spending volumes, is likely to come from Eastern and Central Europe (Turkey, Russia) and the ongoing growth trajectory of online formats, in particular online video and social networking.”

Valpak Local Coupons and Deals "All About Coupons Infographic"

Great infographic on the coupon space and usage.

Valpak Local Coupons and Deals "All About Coupons Infographic"

Will a woman consider a man to be cheap if he uses printable coupons? Not really. In fact, some 90% of surveyed women said they'd go on a second date with a thrifty Timothy who pulled out a coupon to pay for dinner on the first date.

Coupons have had a profound impact on the lives of generations of Americans - ever since 1887, when an Atlanta businessman printed the first-ever coupon to get people to try his new product, Coca-Cola.

If you doubt the value of coupons today, consider that coupon use was set to climb 150% from 2009 to 2014, while the redemption value of coupons will jump an ever higher percentage.

Read more about the fascinating world of coupons in our coupon infographic below.