Business News Holding

Tag: market-data

  • Teens Muscling In On Smartphone Market


    It wasn’t so long ago that smartphones such as RIM’s Blackberry were only toted by nomadic executives on the road.

    Now it would seem that even teens have their eyes on the high-end handsets that are as prized for their multimedia functionality as for their business tools.

    A Sprint Nextel survey into US consumers’ intended purchase plans showed that 35 per cent would consider buying a smartphone for someone between the ages of 13 and 17.

    Just how much credit Apple’s iPhone can take for this shift remains to be seen – but it has undoubtedly played a big part.

    There is also the question of how well parents understand the cost implications of buying junior the latest smartphone – not least the usual two-year contracts over and above the handset cost.

    It’s also worth noting that after last Christmas a survey conducted by Opinion Research Corporation, showed that Smartphones (excluding the iPhone and Blackberry) were the most returned electronic technology products of the holiday season.

    Just over one-fifth (21%) of smartphone buyers returned their purchase to the retailer.

    Let’s hope that lessons have been learnt for this year.

  • HDTV Owners Prefer Blu-ray….They're Just Not Buying Them


    The latest survey from SmithGeiger shows that HDTV owners would rather watch movies on Blu-ray Disc than stream content directly to their TV.

    Well, hardly any surprise there. There’s never been any doubt about the phenomenal quality of Blu-ray images – but that still doesn’t seem to be translating into sales.

    Even with price drops in the US of between USD $200 and $300, the HD players aren’t rushing off the shelves.

    Texas superstore Bjorn’s and Pennsylvania-based Gerhard Appliances reported no sales change after Sony and Samsung cut USD $100 off their respective BDP-S350 and BD-P1500 models to USD $299 at the end of September.

    US consumer electronics retailers are hoping the fast approaching Black Friday – the day after Thanksgiving Day and traditionally one of the busiest shopping days of the year – will prove to be a sales bonanza even with the current economic troubles.

    Yet, while SmithGeiger’s survey of 1,600 HDTV owners revealed a 10-to-1 preference for Blu-ray over streaming content it underlines Blu-ray’s problem.

    Too many consumers seem happy with their DVD players and appear unwilling to fork out for another machine – even if Blu-ray prices are now dropping rapidly.

    This reluctance is a barrier that the consortium of companies behind the HD technology have so far been unable to overcome.

    So perhaps the news that the movie studios and consumer electronic makers are going to begin a USD $25 million advertising promotion for Blu-ray is a step towards addressing what could be a fatal flaw.

    Especially since more set-top boxes are focussing on offering streaming digital content, with the cost of the services decreasing.

    A monthly subscription fee to Netflix is seen by many as a cheaper alternative to purchasing a Blu-ray player and discs, not least if you already own the movie on DVD.

    Streaming content is going to continue to expand and will become more lucrative, especially as a wider library of TV episodes and movies becomes available.

    Blu-ray beware – time is running out.

  • Data Loss Stats Testament To Poor Security


    Less than a fifth of consumers regularly back up data on PCs, according to security solutions firm Webroot.

    Its latest research report, “State of Internet Security: Protecting Your Digital Life”, also shows that nearly one in five users had never backed up their personal files.

    The primary reasons cited for not backing up were forgetting that it doesn’t happen automatically and that it takes too long.

    Webroot’s report says that PC users are storing vast amounts of personal, professional and financial data on their home computers – and 46 million users lost some, if not all, of their valuable data last year because it was left vulnerable to hardware failure, software corruption and human error.

    It concludes that while 98 per cent of PC users surveyed have antivirus protection on their computers and 95 per cent use firewall protection, few have safeguards in place for their data.

    Paul Lipman, Webroot’s senior vice president and general manager of the Desktop Business Unit, said the focus of PC security had traditionally been on protecting the computer, and not the data stored on it.

    "But it’s the precious personal files – digital photos, music and financial records – that cannot be replaced if they are lost,” he said.

    “Based on our research, nearly 90 people per minute experienced some loss of personal data last year.”

    According to the Webroot report, the average home PC user has nearly 2,000 digital photos and nearly 2,500 digital music files on their computer.

    Loss of family photos was the number one concern reported, followed by loss of financial information, text documents and work projects.

    Webroot has published suggestions for protecting valuable files, including usinge automatic online backup, not relying on free sites to archive digital photos and backing up laptops and mobile devices.

  • Storage To Buck General Drop in IT Hardware Spending


    Spending on storage is the only area of IT hardware that will avoid a drop-off in 2009 as a result of the global financial crisis.

    A newly revised forecast from IDC suggests worldwide investment in information technology will slow significantly next year.

    It will grow 2.6 per cent year over year in 2009, down from IDC’s pre-crisis forecast of 5.9 per cent growth.

    In the United States, IT spending growth is expected to be 0.9 per cent in 2009, much lower than the 4.2 per cent growth forecast in August.

    On a sector basis, software and services will enjoy solid growth while hardware spending, with the exception of storage, is expected to decline in 2009.

    On a regional basis, spending growth in Japan, Western Europe, and the United States will hover around 1 per cent in 2009.

    In contrast, the emerging economies of Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America will continue to experience healthy growth, but at levels notably lower than the double-digit gains previously forecast.

    John Gantz, chief research officer at IDC, said although all the economic forecasts went from up slightly to down drastically in a matter of days, the good news was that IT was in a better position to resist the downward pull of a slowing economy.

    "Technology is already deeply embedded in many mission-critical operations and remains critical to achieving further efficiency and productivity gains," he said. "As a result, IDC expects worldwide IT spending will continue to grow in 2009, albeit at a slower pace."

    Looking beyond 2009, IDC expects IT spending to make a full recovery by the end of the forecast period with growth rates approaching 6.0 per cent in 2012.

    Despite these gains, IDC estimates that more than USD $300 billion in industry revenues will have been lost due to slower spending over the next four years.

  • USB Virus Infections Spreading


    The number of computers infected with viruses from USB flash memory drives is spreading in Japan, according to a survey from Trend Micro.

    Results from the company’s monthly surveys show USB-mediated infections with Autorun, a typical computer virus, totaled 143 in August.

    The number rose to 347 in September and 471 in October.

    Based on the finding, the Tokyo-based virus-scanning software company has called on PC users to take precautions when sharing data with others via USB memory sticks.

    Conventional viruses are programmed to attack a computer when a file attached to an e-mail message opens or on-line software is downloaded.

    But the September survey found that 53.7 per cent of newly detected computer viruses are programmed to spread via USB devices.

    "It is recommended that users refrain from recklessly sharing USB devices. They should frequently run a virus scan," a Trend Micro official said.

    USB devices are a "blind spot" for computer users as many of them are only cautious against virus infections via e-mail messages and the Internet.

  • Storage-as-a-service Market Rife With Opportunity


    Storage-as-a-service is more than just a viable alternative, according to two new IDC multi-client studies.

    An IDC survey of 812 firms reveals that demand for online storage services is very strong in small, mid-size, and large firms that are facing budgetary and IT staffing pressures.

    These companies are evaluating online services for backup/disaster recovery, long-term record retention, business continuity, and availability.

    On the consumer front, the storage-as-a-service opportunity is exploding as individuals need to store fast growing volumes of digital data.

    They are increasingly considering online services, as an alternative to a product purchase, for backing up, sharing, and preserving data long term.

    In both the commercial and consumer segments, the availability of storage-as-a-service is disrupting traditional storage software markets as it changes how individuals and firms access storage capacity and procure software functions.

    But, more importantly, storage-as-a-service is a precursor to the longer term cloud storage and cloud computing opportunity, IDC reveals.

    Brad Nisbet, program manager for Storage and Data Management Services at IDC, said that as consumers and business organizations continue to generate vast amounts of data and seek optimum methods to store and protect them, the growth of storage capacities delivered through storage-as-a-service offerings will outpace traditional storage architectures.

    "With storage-as-a-service capacity growing over 65 per cent from 174 petabytes in 2007 to over 2.1 exabytes in 2012, the market is rife with opportunity," he said.

    Laura DuBois, program director for Storage Software at IDC, said that today, in the commercial context, online backup and archiving services are the immediate manifestation of the longer term opportunity for a series of cloud-based services which will impact the storage industry.

    "Storage-as-a-service will take place in two phases: first as a way to enable protection, recovery, long-term retention, and business continuity, and second as a by-product of larger cloud computing initiatives," she said.

    Among the key survey results on the commercial side are:

    • Suppliers that offer a breadth of services to satisfy a range of use cases for storage-as-a-service will be a step ahead.
    • Storage-as-a-service is of interest as a lower cost alternative to on-premise solutions and secondarily in support of limited IT staff.
    • Firms show a preference for suppliers whose focus is on online services and for those that have a strong technical background.

    Among the key survey findings on the consumer side are:

    • Suppliers that understand the differences between the large population of consumers merely aware of online backup and those considering it will be at an advantage.
    • Motivators for early adoption of online backup have been for recovery, but individuals currently evaluating are motivated by anywhere files accessibility.
    • Consumers indicated a clear preference to get an online backup service from a dedicated online backup company, rather than from an IT supplier, phone company, or the like.

  • EU Investigating Mobile Operators Blocking VoIP


    An inquiry has been launched by the European Union into whether blocks on VoIP service by Europe’s mobile phone operators are in breach of competition laws.

    The EU’s antitrust authority has written to every mobile phone operators how they deal with internet based voice calls.

    The deadline for responding to the letter was Wednesday.

    Several phone operators have clauses in their contracts which either block VoIP services over their 3G networks, or exclude VoIP traffic from monthly data bundles included with the tariffs.

    Some operators have also tried to block the VoIP over Wi-Fi capabilities in some handsets.

    Last year, VoIP provider, TruePhone threatened to sue Vodafone after the operator was alleged to be blocking calls over its VoIP network.

  • HDTV Now In Over A Third Of US Households


    HDTV penetration has doubled in the past two years with 34 per cent of US households having at least one high definition television (HDTV) set.

    Representing about 40 million households, this figure is set to double again over the next two years, according to consumer research from the Leichtman Research Group.

    The findings also showed that 22 per cent of all households purchased a new TV set in the past 12 months.

    Of these, 43 per cent of this group spent over USD $1,000 on a new TV.

    The results are based on a survey of 1,302 households throughout the US, and are part of a new LRG study, HDTV 2008: Consumer Awareness, Interest and Ownership.

    Bruce Leichtman, president and principal analyst for Leichtman Research Group, said while more people than ever before have HDTV sets, educating consumers on HD programming remains an issue.

    The survey found that about 18 per cent of individuals with an HDTV continue think that they are watching HD programming, but are not.

    “About 40 million US households now have at least one HDTV set, and LRG forecasts that this number will double over the next four years,” he said.

    Other findings include:

    • Combined, 38% of HD owners say that replacing an old/broken set or wanting to buy a new TV set was the most important reason for getting their HDTV – compared to 22% citing picture quality, and 7% the quality of HD programming or the number of HD channels
    • 44% with annual household incomes over $50,000 have an HDTV compared to 20% with annual household incomes under $50,000
    • 33% of HDTV owners have more than one HDTV set, and 25% are likely to get another HDTV set in the next year
    • 9% of HD owners say that they switched multi-channel video providers when they purchased their HDTV
    • 42% of HDTV owners say that they were told how to receive HD programming when they purchased their set
    • LRG estimates that about 58% of all HD households are now watching HD programming from a multi-channel video provider – up from 53% last year. 

  • iPhone Ousts Razr As Smartphones Dominate US


    Apple’s iPhone has overtaken Motorola’s Razr to become the best-selling consumer cellphone in the US in the third quarter of 2008.

    Results from research firm NPD show the Razr, which has been the top-selling phone for the last 3 years, now sits second, with RIM’s BlackBerry Curve in third place, followed by two LG phones, which rounded out the top five.

    NPD’s report doesn’t include sales figures, but Apple’s exclusive US carrier partner AT&T said it activated 2.4 million iPhones in Q3. Motorola said it shipped more than 3 million Razrs worldwide in Q3, but didn’t specify its US sales.

    The iPhone’s success is all the more impressive considering it costs upwards of USD $199, while the RAZR has been virtually free with a signed contract for the past few years.

    It’s US achievements follow recent reports that Apple has overtaken RIM as the number two smartphone vendor globally.

    The success of smartphones – four of the top five are high-end handsets – also underlines the trend in the US market towards more powerful, full-featured devices.

    Ross Rubin, director of industry analysis for NPD, said: "The displacement of the RAZR by the iPhone 3G represents a watershed shift in handset design from fashion to fashionable functionality."

    Overall domestic handset purchases by adult consumers declined 15 per cent year-over-year in Q3 to 32 million units.

    Consumer handset sales revenue fell 10 per cent to USD $2.9 billion, even as the average selling price rose 6 per cent to USD $88.

    NPD consumer cellphone ranking for 3rd Quarter 2008:

    1. Apple iPhone 3G
    2. Motorola RAZR V3 (all models)
    3. RIM Blackberry Curve (all models)
    4. LG Rumor
    5. LG enV2

  • iPhone Beats Blackberry In Business Smartphone Survey


    It may lack some vital business tools – no cut-and-paste, for starters – but it seems that Apple’s 3G handset is gaining followers who see it as more than just a fun device.

    The iPhone has received the highest customer satisfaction marks in the most recent JD Power & Associates customer satisfaction survey of business smartphone users.

    Out of 1,000 possible points, Apple’s smartphone received the high score of 778, with Blackberry-maker Research in Motion and Samsung coming in second and third with scores of 703 and 701.

    The iPhone scores high marks for its design, features, and ease of use, but owners of Apple devices also paid the highest average price for their smartphones, at USD $337.

    While the survey success doesn’t mean the iPhone is suddenly going to be enterprise phone of choice, it is yet another feather in the Apple camp’s cap following a couple of other positive news items over the past few days.

    At the weekend, independent warranty provider SquareTrade released a report showing that iPhones are more reliable than either BlackBerry or Palm Treo devices.

    The report, titled "iPhone More Reliable than BlackBerry, One Year In", analyzes failure rates for more than 15,000 new cell phones covered by SquareTrade warranties.

    SquareTrade found that after one year of ownership, iPhone owners were half as likely as BlackBerry owners to have a phone failure, and one-third as likely as Treo owners.

    After 12 months, slightly over 16% of Treo owners had experienced a failure, while just less than 12% of BlackBerry owners had their smartphone die on them.

    Only 5.6% of iPhone owners had a critical failure.

    Then at the end of last week, Canalys reported that Nokia’s market share dropped down to 38.9 per cent in the third quarter; which is down from 51.4 just a year earlier.

    On the other hand, Apple jumped to 17.3 per cent, and RIM increased to 15.2 the same quarter.

    Canalys credits some of the Apple and RIM increases to new phones and new marketing strategies.

    In a statement, the firm said: "The introduction of the iPhone 3G in July and Apple’s expansion into many more countries helped propel the vendor to second place globally.”

    The researchers went on to say that “it was ‘quite feasible’ to expect RIM to take the second place from Apple in the holiday sales fuelled fourth quarter, helped by new products—Bold, Storm and clamshell Pearl 8220.”