A recently released study shows that there are more than 10 billion wirelessly connected devices in the market today, and over 30 billion such devices are expected by 2020. The report observes that the emergence of standardized ultra-low power wireless technologies will become one of the main enablers of the IoE (Internet of Everything). Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, ZigBee, cellular, RFID, and many other wireless technologies are all critical to the growth of IoE, and the long-term expansion of the market remains dependent on wireless technology becoming totally friction-free, so that the consumer is oblivious to how the technology is being used–just that it works.

For additional content, see http://www.abiresearch.com/press/more-than-30-billion-devices-will-wirelessly-conne

Smartphone shipments account for a larger percentage of mobile handset shipments than feature phones and low-cost handsets. Yet within the smartphone marketplace, segmentation is increasing. According to newly available research, shipments of sub-$250 smartphones will grow from 259 million in 2013 to 788 million in 2018. Mid- ($250-$400) and high- ($400+) cost smartphone shipments are expected to grow from 635 million to 925 million over the same period. As smartphone penetration moves from early adopters to the mass-market segment, the smartphone will be less dependent on technical superiority, and more dependent on reliability and value, the report concludes.

For more coverage, go to http://www.abiresearch.com/press/low-cost-smartphones-to-account-for-46-of-smartpho

Telcos are expected to play a more active role in the OTT space in 2013 as they seek to address the challenge posed by OTT applications, according to a recently-published report. RCS/Joyn, the industry’s initial response to OTT messaging services, has taken some steps forward, but may not be developing fast enough. As a result, more operators are launching their own proprietary OTT apps.

For more coverage, see http://www.pyramidresearch.com/pr_prlist/ott-market-in-2013.htm

Nearly all (88%) of U.S. households own at least one device that can be used as a second viewing screen, with 87% of U.S. entertainment consumers reported to be using at least one second-screen device while watching television, a new report reveals. These multitasking consumers are splitting their attention between their televisions and their laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other second-screen devices. While multitasking is common, viewers are less willing to use their second-screen devices to interact directly with applications designed specifically for the TV programs they are watching. The report states that play-along games, check-in rewards, live voting, and other interactive features are highly effective for the minority of second-screen viewers, but do not resound with most.

For additional information, go to https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/divided-viewing-second-screens-vying-for-tv-viewers-attention/

Smart glass products like Google Glass will account for almost 10 million units sold by 2016, predicts a newly published forecast study. The arrival of Google Glass and Google’s efforts to promote application development for the product may spur the market, the report goes on to note, as shipments of smart glasses could rise to as high 6.6 million units in 2016, up from just 50,000 in 2012. Growth this year will climb 150% to 124,000 shipments, mostly driven by sales to developers. Expansion may begin to accelerate in 2014 with the initial public availability of Google Glass, as shipment growth reaches 250% (based on the more optimistic forecasts).

For further content, go to http://www.isuppli.com/Home-and-Consumer-Electronics/News/Pages/Spurred-by-Google-Glass,-IHS-Forecasts-Nearly-10-Million-Smart-Glasses-to-Ship-from-2012-to-2016.aspx

China rose to the top of the PC market for the first time ever on an annual basis last year, outselling the United States by more than 3 million units, according to a recently unveiled study. PC shipments in 2012 to China amounted to 69 million units, exceeding the 66 million total reached by the U.S., the leader in 2011. Beyond its large size, China’s PC market exhibits distinct characteristics that set it apart from the computer trade elsewhere: it possesses a vast untapped rural market, along with unique consumer-purchasing patterns. While desktop PC shipments lagged behind notebook shipments around the world, the two PC segments in China ended in a 50-50 split.

For more coverage, see http://www.isuppli.com/Home-and-Consumer-Electronics/News/Pages/ChinaBecomesWorld’sLeadingPCMarketin2012.aspx

The global markets for digital power supplies and digital power integrated circuits (ICs) are projected to expand rapidly from 2013 to 2017, new research revealed recently. The report went on to note that the primary reasons for the surge are IT infrastructure increases and technology expansions into lighting and consumer-oriented applications including PCs, appliances and cellphones. Revenue this year will rise 37% from $2.7 billion in 2012, while growth in digital power ICs is also forecast with revenues increasing more than fivefold from 2013 to reach $2.6 billion in 2017.

For additional coverage, see http://www.imsresearch.com/press-release/digital_power_market_booms_as_technology_spreads_to_consumer_and_lighting_areas&from=all_pr

New forecasting research for in-building coverage solutions puts Latin America as the fastest growing market, with a CAGR of 33% between 2012-2018. The FIFA World Cup Brazil in 2014 and Rio Olympics in 2016 are the most conspicuous demand drivers for indoor wireless coverage solutions in this region. While Brazil will be the key beneficiary of this growth, the tiger economies of Peru, Chile, and Colombia are also expected to reap rewards. Contracts for covering stadiums and venues have already started to be given out, while transportation hubs like airports and train stations, hospitality venues like hotels, and large public venues like shopping malls will need improved coverage and capacity. With estimates of close to $120 billion in gross public and private investment going into supporting the sporting bonanzas, indoor coverage solutions will see some of that investment trickling in.

For more information, go to http://www.abiresearch.com/press/olympics-and-world-cup-soccer-driving-demand-for-i

U.S. television shipments are forecast to decline for a second year in a row in 2013, but growth will resume next year as the liquid crystal display television (LCD TV) segment regains some of the strength it had lost in the past year, reports a recently released study. Shipments in 2013 of televisions into the U.S. market will amount to a projected 36.6 million units, compared to 37.6 million last year. The anticipated nearly 3% contraction will be smaller than the 6% slide suffered by the industry in 2012, when domestic TV shipments retreated from 39.9 million units in 2011. Nevertheless, current trends indicate that shipments will decline for two straight years by the time 2013 is over.

For further coverage, see http://www.isuppli.com/Display-Materials-and-Systems/News/Pages/US-TV-Market-Set-for-Second-Consecutive-Year-of-Declinein-2013.aspx

The next generation Wi-Fi technology, 802.11ac, will take off quickly in the next five years, observes a newly available study. The consumer electronics industry is already preparing for the transition, as companies have plans in place to roll out new devices that support this latest protocol. The report went on to predict that by the end of 2015, sales of consumer devices with 802.11ac Wi-Fi, including routers and gateways, will exceed the 1-billion-unit mark, equivalent to over 40% of all Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The report concludes that, based on current trends, the global sales of Wi-Fi CE devices will reach 2.8 billion in 2017.

For further coverage, see http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5356

In the second half of 2012, existing smartphone owners were most likely to be interested in devices with a screen size between 4.2-inches and 4.7-inches, reports a recently released survey. It also found an increase in the most preferred smartphone screen size from the same period in 2011, when a 4.3-inch device was most preferred. Smartphone “intenders” (those who don’t currently have a smartphone, but intend to purchase one) show greater interest in slightly smaller devices than existing smartphone owners, while males preferred smartphones with larger screens than female. Overall, respondents showed a marked preference for their next phone to have a larger screen size than their existing handset.

For additional content, go to http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5357

According to a new report, 56% of all U.S. broadband households have at least one TV connected to the Internet, either directly via a smart TV or indirectly via an ancillary device like game consoles and/or Blu-ray players. Between delivering OTT services to the TV, or expanding the level of control for pay-TV subscribers, this level of Internet TV usage can be seen as fairly encouraging, the study noted. It also found that close to a fourth of these consumers now have two or more net-connected TVs in their home, suggesting that connected TVs are moving beyond the living room and into other areas of the home.

For more, see http://tdgresearch.com/connected-tvs-now-present-in-six-of-ten-us-broadband-households/

The Diffusion Group is proud to begin its tenth year of service to the consumer technology and digital media industries. In the spirit of this anniversary, TDG is offering a variety of 2012 reports for only $995, or more than $1,500 off the list price. The sale is for a limited time only. The company noted that small companies without dedicated research budgets have found it difficult to access high quality research, whether consumer studies or industry analysis. For these reasons, and to celebrate its ninth anniversary, TDG is making a number of titles available for only $995.

For additional information, go to http://tdgresearch.com/tdg-celebrates-its-9th-anniversary-all-2012-reports-just-995/

Home network diffusion among U.S. broadband households has reached 84%, up from 81% in 2011, according to a newly available report, which goes on to note that router placement and network-related behavior is increasingly defined by streaming media, as opposed to data-related activities. Over the years, predictions about the movement of home network routers toward primary living spaces being concurrent with the uptake of net-enabled video platforms and over-the-top video services have proved accurate. Just a few years ago, network use was dominated by data-centric activities (email, messaging, productivity applications, etc.), with few consumers actually using their home networks to access and share digital media. Today, however, 62% of networked households are using their network to stream digital media.

For additional content, see http://tdgresearch.com/tdg-84-of-us-broadband-households-now-own-home-network-62-used-to-stream-media/

With dramatic progress being made in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Machine-to-Machine (M2M) technologies, the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA), the leading association representing the manufacturers and suppliers of high-tech communications networks, is launching several initiatives to enable these technologies to fulfill their enormous societal and economic potential. TIA recently divulged that it will lead an international conference to focus on IoT and M2M standards and protocols. The event took place on May 7 at the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) in Atlanta, GA. TIA also announced it will host an M2M/cybersecurity workshop, “Enabling Adoption for All,” on June 4 and 5 at TIA Headquarters in Arlington, VA, to explore the intersection of M2M and cybersecurity as a critical path toward accelerating adoption of IoT and M2M in the marketplace. Additionally, M2M will be a central focus of TIA’s annual conference in October.

For more information, go to http://www.tiaonline.org/news-media/press-releases/tia-announces-new-initiatives-advance-machine-machine-communications-and

Actiontec Electronics today announced that it is the lead OEM to design next generation receiver device for the upcoming version of Intel WiDi technology for 4th gen Intel Core processors launching at Computex 2013.

Actiontec and Intel have collaborated closely on the product design for the past year. The resulting next-generation receiver device will support Intel WiDi and Wi-Fi Certified Miracast wireless display capable-devices (PCs, smartphones, and tablets). Consequently, the receiver can stream content from the millions of Intel WiDi and Miracast devices expected to come into the market in the coming months.

For more information, go to http://www.actiontec.com/products/view_news.php?nid=294#.UZFEoytAQ1e

The universe of U.S. television homes is growing, and so is the TV audience. According to the results of a new survey, there are 115.6 million TV homes in the U.S., up 1.2% from the 2012-2013 estimate of 114.2 million. The survey estimates that 294 million persons age 2 and older live in these TV homes, an increase of 1.6% from last year. The survey goes on to report that despite slight shifts reflecting trends in population changes, the estimates remain largely stable and television viewing remains very strong.

For more, go to http://www.nielsen.com/us/en/newswire/2013/nielsen-estimates-115-6-million-tv-homes-in-the-u-s—up-1-2-.html

New consumer research finds that 27% of adults in the U.S. watch video on devices other than a TV set daily, with 53% doing so on a weekly basis. This represents an increase from 14% daily, and 37% weekly compared to two years ago. These non-TV devices include home computers, mobile phones, iPads, tablets, and e-readers. There is a significant difference in the use of these non-TV video options by age, the report noted, with 42% of all ages 18-44 watching any type of video daily, and 77% weekly–compared to 14% daily, and 33% weekly among those age 45 and over. Interestingly, while these non-TV devices provide the opportunity to watch video in other venues, much of the viewing is taking place in the home.

For further coverage, see http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/050213release.html

Server virtualization has been the focus of the data center industry for several years, and the largest data center owners and Internet content providers are exploiting virtual machines, notes a newly available industry study. However, the reality is that the bulk of data center owners are more pedestrian in their deployments, finding it operationally convenient to leave many areas of their data centers alone, while using server virtualization for only select applications. The study goes on to report that more operators than anticipated plan to continue investing in Fibre Channel for their data centers, even in the face of growing usage of the newer Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE).

For more coverage, go to http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2012/data-center-deployment-strategies-survey-highlights.asp

According to research published recently, Comcast’s nationwide push of its Business VoiceEdge service helped the company grow its installed base and maintain its leading position. Following right on the heels of Comcast was 8×8, making a big leap this year thanks to improved financial stability, continued growth of its installed base, and a focus on service enhancements. Other highlights:

• Comcast, 8×8, Verizon, and West continue as the top hosted VoIP providers in North America
• Verizon, XO, AT&T, and Windstream are the top IP connectivity providers in North America

For additional information, see http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2013/North-America-Business-VoIP-Scorecard.asp

An important event just occurred in the evolution of OTT. Last week, Netflix released its first quarter 2013 earnings and reported 29.2 million U.S. streaming subscribers, passing HBO. It’s a big moment for digital media, video entertainment, and OTT in particular.

For further content, see http://tdgresearch.com/netflixs-us-subscribers-passes-hbo-congrats-and-brickbats/

Four new studies were recently released, all of them critical to a more complete understanding of today’s telecom industry. The first concerns itself with trends in the residential gateway segment, the size of the market, and what’s in store for its future. The second study examines video viewing habits, the impact of pay-TV and OTT services, the role of apps and mobile devices, and consumer preferences (especially as they change as consumers age). The third report, “Expanding to the Home Network: The Evolution of Premium Support,” takes a look at new support opportunities for service providers, retailers, CE manufacturers and ISVs (independent software vendors). The final whitepaper is an overview of home energy management solutions and gauges the consumer demand for automated energy-related devices, market trends and business opportunities, and strategies to turn consumer interest in energy solution into adoption.

For more, see the following:

1. http://www.parksassociates.com/whitepapers/rgtrends

2. http://www.parksassociates.com/whitepapers/moving-from-second-screen-to-first-screen

3. http://www.parksassociates.com/support-whitepaper-2013

4. http://www.parksassociates.com/whitepapers/hem-wp2013

Multiscreen video isn’t just for all of those tech-savvy, tablet-toting wunderkinds. Adults are getting their video fix from sources other than the TV set at an increasing rate, according to a new study. About 27% of U.S. adults watch video on devices other than a TV, and more than half of that group (53%) does it on a weekly basis. That’s up from 14% daily and 37% weekly just two years ago. Granted, most of the video viewing is on these devices involves the younger set, with 42% of all ages between 18 and 42 watching daily, and 77% weekly, versus just 14% daily and 33% weekly among those who are 45 and over, the study notes. Also, most non-TV video viewing is taking place in the home: that’s the case 63% of the time among those who watch video on smartphones, and 89% when viewed on tablets and e-readers.

For more content, go to http://www.multichannel.com/technology/multiscreen-video-not-just-kiddies/143079

Makers of Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, smart TVs, and streaming media devices are banking on users to connect to revenue-generating services over broadband. However, less than half of those devices already in the home actually tap into the Internet, a newly available report notes. Just 47% of devices are taking advantage of their online capabilities, though some devices are more often connected to broadband than others. According to the survey that anchors the study, streaming media players are connected at the highest rate, followed by game consoles, Blu-ray players, and IP-capable TVs. While there are more Blu-ray disc players installed and connected to the Internet than streaming media players such as Apple TV and Roku, the study expects that to change in the next year, predicting that streaming media players will exceed the number of installed and Internet connected Blu-ray players in 2014.

For additional coverage, see http://www.multichannel.com/technology/ce-disconnect-47-ip-capable-home-devices-are-connected-broadband/143057

Could this ineffable and unwieldy force called the Internet be leading to more marriages? Actually, that’s precisely the conclusion a new paper, titled “The Impact of Internet Diffusion on Marriage Rates: Evidence from the Broadband Market,” arrives at. The paper doesn’t just find a correlation between broadband adoption and rising marriage rates, it also finds that marriage rates among twenty-somethings rose significantly in areas after broadband became available, suggesting a causal link. Broadband access has been growing across the country for the last 20 years, and even though there are fewer marriages per thousand and more broadband than ever, it is still somehow possible that expanded broadband could lead to more marriages, presumably by making it easier to find suitable singles on the Internet. Which begs the question: Does the Internet make the marriage market better, or just more efficient?

For additional content, see http://www.theatlantic.com/business/print/2013/05/did-the-internet-save-marriage/275526/

A new study examining the Internet proclaims that the average (not median) U.S. downstream connection speed  is 7.4 Mbps. The study’s results were culled from over 700 million IP addresses across 240 countries. While the U.S. average downstream speed is still significantly less than Asian countries, it does rank a marginally respectable 8th place for average connection speed, and has seen speed increases of 28% year-over-year. Roughly 19% of the U.S.’s Internet connections are now capable of speeds above 10 Mbps, a bump of 90% since last year, but only a 5.5% jump since last quarter. Regionally, the study found that Vermont is the fastest state in the country, with an average downstream speed of 10.8 Mbps, followed by Delaware at 10.6 Mbps.

For more information, go to http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Average-US-Connection-Speed-Now-74-Mbps-123988

Mobile shopping, particularly on tablet devices, is having an outsize impact on the e-commerce world, contributing to an increasing share of U.S. retail ecommerce sales and exerting more influence on overall retail sales, according to new research recently made available. This year, 15% of online retail sales will take place via mobile devices, the report notes, up from 11% in 2012. By 2017, the percentage will rise to 25%. Overall, U.S. retail mcommerce sales will reach nearly $39 billion in 2013, up 56.5% over 2012 and almost triple the amount spent in 2011. This figure includes products and services ordered online via any mobile device, whether payment or fulfillment happened on mobile itself or in person, excluding sales of travel services or event tickets.

For more, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Smartphones-Tablets-Drive-Faster-Growth-Ecommerce-Sales/1009835

Actiontec Electronics announced that its ScreenBeam Wireless Display Kit took home Gold honors at the Edison Awards (Media: Connectivity category). The Gold award, the highest available, was bestowed to Actiontec at a special gala event held on April 25 at the Navy Pier in Chicago. Receiving an Edison Award has become one of the highest accolades a company can receive in the name of innovation and business. The awards are named after Thomas Alva Edison (1847-1931), whose inventions, new product development methods, and innovative achievements changed the world and made him a household name around the world. “Our judges recognized Actiontec as a true innovator out of the many products in its category,” said Frank Bonafilia, executive director of the Edison Awards.

For additional coverage, see http://www.actiontec.com/products/view_news.php?nid=293#.UYBN7nA0qgE

Only 6% of smartphone owners used their devices to make point-of-sale purchases, reports a recently released survey. Consumers are skeptical of the benefits and security of mobile payments, or believe it is simply easier to use another method of payment, according to the survey’s results, although 22% of respondents said they would like to use their mobile phone to make point-of-sale purchases if such services were made available to them. At the same time, consumers expressed concern about sharing their location information to receive discount offers; 68% of respondents said that they would be reluctant to share their location information with companies. Meanwhile, 42% of smartphone owners said that they have used their mobile phone to compare prices online while at a retail store, and 32% have used a barcode scanning application for price comparisons.

For further coverage, go to http://www.fiercemobileit.com/story/smartphone-owners-remain-reluctant-use-devices-pos-purchases-survey-finds/2013-04-06?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

Global IPTV revenue is expected to increase at a CAGR of 16% over the next five years to reach $43.8 billion in 2017, with North America accounting for nearly half of total revenue, according to a newly available study. North American revenue from IPTV subscriptions totaled $10.2 billion in 2012, a number that is anticipated to reach $21.4 billion in 2017, propelled primarily by both subscription and ARPS growth, the study reports. North American ARPS stood at $76.53 in 2012, the world’s highest, at more than three times the global average. In addition, IPTV penetration levels in North America will reach 20.3% of households by year-end 2017, more than twice the global average.

For more, go to http://www.pyramidresearch.com/pr_prlist/North-America-IPTV-revenue.htm

About five years ago, the online video service market emerged. At that time, the over-the-top (OTT) market was considered a competitive threat to the entire entertainment industry. Since then, however, not only has the threat of OTT not materialized, but the way online video services are viewed has changed dramatically. Connected CE devices of all kinds have emerged, as have the technologies, business models, and security required to achieve the “TV Everywhere” that many consumers demand. A new research report reviews the myths about the OTT video market that originally sent shivers down the spine of the entire entertainment industry, and examines the consumer profile of online video subscribers, assessing competitive strategies and forecasting market growth over the next five years.

For additional content, see http://www.mrgco.com/reports/the-us-online-video-subscription-services-market-myths-and-realities/?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Market%20Alert%20-%20US%20Multiscreen%20Entertainment&utm_content=Market%20Alert%20-%20US%20Multiscreen%20Entertainment+CID_0c1a3504a53c5d1a431d98a7808a5c25&utm_source=Email%20marketing%20software&utm_term=The%20US%20Online%20Video%20Subscription%20Services%20Market%20Myths%20and%20Realities

Global shipments of multimedia home gateways (MHGs) are expected to grow by a factor of more than 100 from 2011 to 2015, according to a new study, as pay-TV operators seek to unify the delivery of different forms of video content to all types of devices in homes, including media tablets and smartphones. The study also reported that global MHG shipments are set to climb to 9.6 million units in 2015 and 2016, up from just 90,000 in 2011. A decade ago, set-top boxes (STBs) served as the bridge from analog to digital broadcasting, but today, MHGs play that role, acting as the bridge between broadcast and Internet Protocol (IP) video distribution. With MHGs, cable and satellite operators can utilize the efficiency of broadcast television to provide advanced services and content to all kinds of IP-connectable devices, including today’s increasingly popular mobile devices.

For more information, see http://www.isuppli.com/Media-Research/News/Pages/Multimedia-Home-Gateway-Shipments-Set-to-Surge-a-Hundred-fold-by-2015.aspx

Marketers regard the 65-and-older population as a sleeping giant when it comes to digital usage. And for now, at least, the giant still mostly dozes. Just about half of U.S. seniors use the Internet, and those who do spend less time at it than younger adults, according to newly released research. Although a majority of seniors have mobile phones, comparatively few have smartphones. And while there may be talk of old folks interacting with grandchildren on Facebook, social networking penetration among seniors remains low. For media usage, television is still the medium that matters most for seniors, far more so than for younger generations. In Q4 2012, seniors averaged 220 hours and 55 minutes per month watching traditional TV, according to Nielsen. That was nearly twice as high as the figure for 18- to 24-year-olds and well above the 156 hours and 24 minutes average for the total population ages 2 and older.

For further content, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Seniors-Still-Lukewarm-on-Web-Activity/1009757

Smart TVs, DVRs, smart thermostats, and other new connected devices are an emerging market for tech support services, according to recently published research, which also claimed that over 25% of U.S. broadband households value support service for at least one of these emerging devices, with 17% interested in support for multiple devices. Emerging devices in this study are specifically defined as smart TVs, connected Blu-ray players and DVRs, game consoles, streaming media players, smart thermostats, electronic door locks, IP security cameras, automatic lighting controls, networked audio systems, and wireless speakers. The report goes on to note that the adoption of connected CE devices is growing across three fronts – home video equipment, home audio equipment, and home management equipment – with over 75% of U.S. broadband households owning at least one of these emerging devices.

For additional coverage, go to http://www.parksassociates.com/blog/article/dhss-apr2013-emergingce

Companies like Netflix, Hulu, Apple, and Amazon helped drive the over-the-top (OTT) video market past $8 billion in 2012, according to a recently published article. The three largest markets (North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific) experienced year-over-year growth in excess of 50% in 2012. The continued spread of connected CE and increasingly mobile devices, like tablets, are expected to push the market past $20 billion by 2015. The article also contends that the shift to digital and OTT distribution is accelerating, particularly as content providers increasingly warm up to these channels. While pay-TV services still offer many advantages, the time is approaching when content owners will decide if they continue down the same path or forge ahead, shaking up the primary means of media distribution.

For additional information, see http://www.abiresearch.com/press/over-60-growth-in-worldwide-over-the-top-video-rev

After shipping over 3 million Wii U units during the holiday season, Nintendo’s next generation console is now facing a challenging market. 2012 saw just under 30 million game consoles shipped from Microsoft, Nintendo, and Sony (excluding PS2) – roughly 10 million fewer than the previous year. Despite these results, a new study expects Microsoft and Sony to determine future prospects for the game console, not Nintendo. The study goes on to assert that the Wii U’s troubles are not indicative of the expected market reception for the remaining 8th generation of consoles. In fact, the Wii U will likely prove a closer fit with the current generation than the next, and while the Wii U Gamepad offers some novel gaming elements, it has not yet resonated with core gamers.

For more coverage, go to http://www.abiresearch.com/press/despite-25-annual-decline-in-2012-game-console-shi

Previews from an upcoming webcast showed traditional promotions, such as offering free or discounted premium channels, are the most-effective tool for pay-TV providers in luring back lost subscribers. During the webcast, research and analysis of consumers who recently re-subscribed to pay-TV service after cutting the cord and those who have canceled their subscription to Netflix Watch Instantly will be presented. New findings suggest that 44% of customers who re-subscribed to pay-TV services in the past 18 months said a promotion was a significant reason for their return, with promotions and/or discounts the leading factors for re-subscribers with Comcast, Time Warner, DirecTV, and Dish Network. For AT&T and Verizon, re-subscribers cited content-related reasons at a higher rate, slightly ahead of promotions.

For further content, see http://www.parksassociates.com/blog/article/pr-apr2013-webcast

Small and medium-sized telephone companies that have upgraded their networks to all-fiber are reporting operational cost savings averaging 20% annually, according to a newly available survey. The survey also pointed to a steady drumbeat of FTTH deployment activity, with the number of homes that can access FTTH networks increasing by 17.6% over a year ago to 22.7 million. The number of households connected with FTTH now stands at 9.7 million, an increase of more than 20% over April 2012. The survey shines a spotlight on not only the continued build-out of high-bandwidth fiber to the home networks in North America, but also provides one reason why hundreds of small and medium sized telcos have been upgrading to fiber – it saves them real money in the long run.

For additional coverage, see http://www.ftthcouncil.org/p/bl/et/blogid=3&blogaid=182

Revenue of the global Consumer Electronics (CE) device industry fell by 2% in 2012 to $729 billion, as the strength in smartphones and tablets were not able to offset broad-based softness in consumer demand for other device segments, according to a recently released report. The report discovered that among all regions, the Western European CE market witnessed the worst plunge in 2012, experiencing an 8% decline in revenue. The dive in PC sales and lackluster demand for flat panel TVs were the main causes of the slip, while revenue growth in smartphones, tablets and digital media adaptors was not able to bring the market back above the watermark. Revenue in the Asia Pacific CE market also fell in 2012, particularly as the Japanese TV market suffered from a frightening 68% plummet in unit sales in the face of a struggling economic recovery.

For additional content, see http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5345

With carriers offering introductory discounts as much as half off, it’s little wonder why three quarters of those who bought a triple or quad-play telecom package (cable, internet, home phone, cell phone) admit that they would definitely or probably purchase that same bundle of services again, according to a recent subscriber survey. The report also revealed that although rates for telecom services have been trending upward, there are proven ways to save for consumers who act boldly and tackle these costs head-on. Among the major carriers, the highest proportion of subscribers who said they’d “triple play” again had bundles with Fios, Verizon’s fiber-optic-based TV, digital-landline phone, and high-speed Internet service. Fios received standout scores for its broadband speed and reliability, TV picture and reliability, and even phone call quality and reliability.

For more information, go to http://pressroom.consumerreports.org/pressroom/2013/03/my-entry.html

A new market share and forecast report that tracks IP, cable, satellite, and hybrid set-top boxes (STBs) and over-the-top (OTT) media servers found that, contrary to popular opinion, the set-top box market is alive and well. STB revenue grew almost 10% in 2012, a considerable rebound from a year ago, and will remain healthy in the near term as operators in China, India, and Latin America add digital services. The study went on to report that video gateways and media players will be the real standouts moving forward, as North American and European cable and satellite providers transition away from digital STBs. Additionally, video gateways are set to grow from just 1% of total cable and satellite STB shipments in 2012 to 16% by 2017, experiencing strong double- and triple-digit annual growth in media player shipments every year.

For more content, go to http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2013/4Q12-STB-Set-Top-Box-Market-Highlights.asp

According to Verizon Communications CEO Lowell McAdam, 50% of the data running over their wireless network is now video, a total the company predicts will reach two-thirds of overall traffic by 2017. “With 3G you have video clips but there is buffering. With 4G you can stream video,” proudly and astutely observed the CEO. McAdam was speaking at the NAB trade show this week in Las Vegas, trying to sooth broadcaster concerns about Verizon’s plan to use LTE broadcast technology to stream live events like the Super Bowl next year. “We don’t want to get in the way of broadcasters,” McAdam promised, adding that Verizon could simply “add a dimension” to make existing programming better.

For more, see http://www.broadbandreports.com/shownews/Verizon-50-of-Wireless-Traffic-is-Now-Video-123818

New research predicts that almost unfathomable amounts of mobile data traffic will be generated by mobile handsets and tablets by 2017, but only a mere 40% of the data will go over cellular networks. The study also notes that data traffic generated by the aforementioned devices will reach 90,000 petabytes by 2017, equivalent to almost 42 quadrillion tweets or approximately 7 billion Blu-ray movies. Wi-Fi networks are expected to handle the majority of that traffic. Operators will make use of more integrated units of Wi-Fi and small cells. In the case of indoor cells, where most usage happens, Wi-Fi will act as the pioneer. Specifications such as Next-Generation Hotspot (NGH) and Hotspot 2.0 along with 5 GHz enabled devices will help accelerate carrier-Wi-Fi adoption.

For more coverage, see http://www.fiercebroadbandwireless.com/story/thanks-wi-fi-only-40-mobile-data-will-go-over-cellular-

The last quarter of 2012 saw the global manifestation of a series of local effects as net additions for DSL were negative for the first time. The total number of DSL (including ADSL and SDSL) subscribers worldwide fell from 366.95 million in September 2012 to 366.66 million by the end of the year. However DSL is still by far the most common delivery technology for broadband. Over 57% of the world’s fixed broadband subscribers had a DSL connection at the end of 2012. DSL subscriptions are still growing in many countries and regions, although more slowly every quarter.  Overall, however, the data shows that once added together growth in DSL is now flat at best and likely to be in gentle decline from now on.

For more information, go tohttp://point-topic.com/press-and-events/2013/the-dsl-king-is-dead-long-live-the-vdsl-king/

Most pay TV subscribers in North America have no concrete cord-cutting plans, at least for now, according to a newly released study. In fact, just 4% planned to cut cable or satellite service in 2013, and a relatively minor 1.3% planned to abandon pay TV altogether for an online app or rental service. That being said, a sizeable 28.1% said their plans were still up in the air, although customers reported being more satisfied than not with their TV packages, with over half saying they were “satisfied” and about one-quarter being “very satisfied.” Still, a solid one out of five respondents reported that they were “unsatisfied.” The biggest cause of dissatisfaction: rising fees. The study also called attention to the extent that TV providers are contending more and more with the additional screens that are popping up in households. In Q1 2013, 33.4% of respondents said their household owned a tablet, up from 28.6% in the previous quarter.

For further coverage, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Tablet-Ownership-Increases-Will-Pay-TV-Audiences-Follow/1009752

A new report analyzing the market for cloud- and CPE- (customer premises equipment) based services delivered to small, medium, and large businesses published recently. Among its highlights:

For additional coverage, see http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2013/2H12-Cloud-and-CPE-Managed-Security-Services-Market-Highlights.asp

While Internet usage is nearly ubiquitous in the U.S., mobile phone and mobile Internet usage are taking a far greater role in digital activity among consumers of all ages–and uptake is poised for further growth, according to new research.

Estimates reveal that overall, 75.7% of the population goes online at least once a month, and penetration is even higher among younger demographic groups. Among Gen Xers (defined as people born between 1965 and 1980), nearly 90% were monthly Internet users as of December 2012. Gen Xers are also highly connected on the go, with nearly 95% using mobile phones, and more than 60% of that group employing smartphones. In 2012, 38.4 million Gen Xers, or 62.2% of Gen X mobile users, used the mobile Internet at least monthly, accounting for nearly a third of mobile Internet users in the U.S.

For additional information, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/How-Digital-Behavior-Differs-Among-Millennials-Gen-Xers-Boomers/1009748

Online Hispanics are digital mavens and leaders on a variety of social networks, revealed the results of a newly available survey. The Hispanic demographic itself, though, has many distinctive characteristics, including preferred language and country of origin, and these differences create varied digital participation levels. The survey also found that between 2009 and 2012, the percentage of foreign-born and native-born Hispanics who used the web rose by 18% and 27%, respectively. This helped drive up overall Hispanic Internet use to 78%, from 64% three years ago. Despite a lower than average overall Internet penetration rate, Hispanics who are online are notably active.

For further coverage, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Among-Hispanics-Whos-Leading-Digital-Adoption-Trends/1009755

The California Street Cable Car line celebrates its 135th anniversary today. Founded in 1878 by Leland Stanford as the California Street Cable Railroad, it is the oldest cable car line still in operation. While the two more well-known lines that originate on Powell St. (Powell-Mason and Powell-Hyde) are favored by tourists due to their proximity to Fisherman’s Wharf and Union Square, as well as views of Alcatraz, the Golden Gate Bridge, and San Francisco Bay, the California line is still used by daily commuters because of its eastern terminus in the city’s Financial District. The entire system is the last manually-operated cable car network in the world, and is the only mobile National Monument.

Congratulations!

A recently released report examined the future of mobile commerce and highlighted mobile connectivity as both a key challenge and opportunity for under pressure brick-and-mortar retailers. The mobile industry has focused on technologies such as NFC for payments, rather than creating value for consumers and retailers. Meanwhile, consumers are already using mobile technology in stores to find better deals elsewhere, locating competing retailers and comparing prices with online stores. The research goes on to note that smartphone owners were much more likely than feature phone owners to use their devices either while shopping or for shopping, while usage patterns at home demonstrate that smartphones are frequently used for research on products.

For additional content, go to http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5344

New analysis based on the attitudes and behaviors of 2,285 consumers in the U.S. identified those most interested in and willing to pay for smart-home services and capabilities. The best prospects within the top segments account for 30% of U.S. broadband households, with the most interest coming in the interactive security and remote monitoring and control capability categories. “Impressers” (those whose lifestyle impresses others) and “Affluent Nesters” (higher income households that invest in improving their homes) are the largest groups of early adopters. “Practical Greens” (environmentally conscious, middle-income households) and “Convenience Seekers” (young males willing to pay for convenience) show high interest and willingness to pay, but account for smaller percentages of households.

For more, see http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5338

As the number of mobile video viewers continues to grow, it’s clear that not all users behave in the same way. One example of this can be found in a newly released survey of mobile viewing behaviors. When asked what content they watched on mobile devices, phone and tablet viewers agreed: The top three kinds of content for both types of users were movies, user-generated content (such as YouTube videos), and TV shows. But the difference lies in emphasis: Tablet viewers were much more likely to prefer feature-length movies and TV shows. Mobile phone viewers, however, leaned toward user-generated content. In addition, mobile phone viewers were twice as likely to say they watched music videos on their devices, when compared to tablet viewers. Mobile phones were also the device of choice for news programming.

For more coverage, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Do-People-Watch-Video-Differently-on-Mobile-Phones-vs-Tablets/1009733

Seeking health information online has reached saturation among Internet users. According to a January 2013 study, 87% of U.S. Internet users looked online for health and wellness research in 2012. An aging population and shifting demographics are playing a major role in the uptake of online health seeking. Boomers are turning 65 at a rate of about 8,000 a day, according to AARP. Unlike the previous generation, who used the old patient model, boomers are familiar with technology and inclined to research their health options online. Another factor driving people to the Web to research health is the increased cost of healthcare. Health insurance plans with high deductibles have led to a decline in patients visiting their physicians, and an increase in patients putting off medical treatments.

For further information, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Why-People-Seeking-Health-Info-Online/1009735

Mobile operators are in a unique position to take advantage of the upcoming M2M (machine-to-machine) revolution, with operators such as Vodafone, o2, and KPN already putting significant resources into developing M2M business units, according to a recently published whitepaper. Device manufacturers, the paper subsequently reports, have been focusing on the area for some time, and though M2M is hardly a mature market, the pricing of M2M components has been coming down, particularly over the past two years. However, there are challenges involved in addressing the M2M market, not the least of which is the fact that there is no one M2M market, but several, all of which are at different stages of development.

For further coverage, go to http://www.avrenevents.com/whitepaper_jp/s2615/

Broadband CPE enjoyed its strongest year yet in 2012, benefiting from a combination of ongoing technology shifts and the need to support legacy broadband services and subscribers, a recently published report revealed. Cable operators are gaining significant traction with DOCSIS 3.0 in North America, Europe, Korea, and Japan, and in the early stages of rolling out video gateways that combine DOCSIS CPE with video transcoding capabilities. These gateways allow cable companies to deliver a whole-home, multi-screen service to customers. Other highlights:

• Despite global broadband CPE revenue declining 3% sequentially in 4Q12, 2012 was a standout year for broadband CPE devices, with revenue increasing 13%, to $7.7 billion
• The strongest growth came from the cable CPE segment, where revenue grew 26% year-over-year
• DSL CPE shipments were down 4% in 2012, though on the bright side, VDSL CPE shipments jumped 39%, reaching 29 million units

For additional content, go to http://www.infonetics.com/pr/2013/4Q12-Broadband-CPE-Market-Highlights.asp

New research reveals consumers want to be able to access online video as part of their pay-TV service, and that more than one-half of U.S. broadband households would like to have a YouTube on-demand feature with their pay-TV services. U.S. pay-TV operators enjoy higher ARPU than their counterparts in other countries, allowing them to test and deploy a variety of new services, although many international providers are making similar moves, the study notes. For example, Virgin Media has added a YouTube app to its EPG for its TiVo customers, answering their demand for access to online video. Another interesting statistic is that 28% of U.S. broadband households watched a full-length movie on a computer in the last two weeks.

For more, see http://www.parksassociates.com/blog/article/pr-mar2013-tvconnect

New research regarding the mobile and online habits of American teens has found that smartphone adoption has increased substantially in this segment. One in four teens are “cell-mostly” Internet users who say they go online using their phone and not some other device such as a desktop or laptop computer. Other findings reveal that 78% of teens now have a cell phone, and almost half (47%) of them own smartphones. That translates into 37% of all teens, up from just 23% in 2011. Meanwhile, nearly a quarter of teens have a tablet computer, a level comparable to the general adult population, and 93% have a computer or have access to one at home.

For more, see http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Teens-and-Tech.aspx

Pay TV subscriber growth at cable operators, telcos, and satellite TV providers is lagging behind a rebounding housing market, a recently released study reports. While occupied housing grew by about 500,000 new units in the fourth quarter of 2012, multichannel providers added just 51,000 new customers during the same period. The report also reveals that cable operators lost 1.66 million video subscribers last year, an improvement compared to the 1.8 million that MSOs dropped in 2011. AT&T, Verizon, and other telcos saw the most video subscriber growth, gaining 1.4 million pay TV subscribers last year. DirecTV and Dish Network had net subscriber additions of 288,000 in 2012, which was a weaker performance compared to the roughly 500,000 customers that the satellite TV providers picked up in 2011.

For additional coverage, see http://www.fiercecable.com/story/kagan-pay-tv-subscriber-growth-lags-behind-housing-market-rebound/2013-03-20?utm_medium=nl&utm_source=internal

More than 80% of adult broadband users now watch online video of some sort. This is good news for both OTT providers as well for integrated MVPDs who are moving into the online space, according to a newly published study. However, incumbents in this market have responded by introducing their own IP-based video services in the form of “TV Everywhere” (TVE), with which residential subscribers can access many of their favorite TV programs and movies on their net-connected devices. Unfortunately, today’s TVE services are primarily limited to video-on-demand, with little live or linear content offered. Nonetheless, offering IP-based on-demand access is the first step in future-proofing the MVPD service set. The next step is to add live/live linear TVE access, raising the bar for all competitors.

For further content, go to http://tdgresearch.com/bringing-multiscreen-livelive-linear-programming-to-operator-tv-everywhere/

A new survey whose results were recently unveiled shows that the typical technology user carries an average of 2.9 devices. These results were tabulated after surveying more than 2,200 users worldwide and asking respondents how many devices they carry, and which operating system they use. The smartphone was found to be the most popular device, with Android narrowly beating out Apple’s iOS as the most popular mobile OS. Residents of Germany carried the most devices (an average of 3.1), followed by the U.S., Canada, and the U.K., although the Germans were the only nationality to prefer laptops to smartphones.

For additional information, go to http://www.pcadvisor.co.uk/news/digital-home/3435700/average-user-carries-29-devices—-sophos/

Global shipments of multimedia home gateways (MHGs) will surge dramatically in the 2011-2015 timeframe, driven by demand from pay-TV service operators looking to unify the delivery of different forms of video content to all types of devices in homes, including media tablets and smartphones, according to new research. The study forecasts that total shipments of MHGs will rise to 9.6 million units globally in 2015/2016, from a base of 90,000 units in 2011. MHGs serve as a bridge between broadcast and Internet Protocol (IP) video distribution, offering content distributors and providers a more efficient means of delivering content across all types of home entertainment and digital media devices.

For more information, see http://www.telecompetitor.com/report-multimedia-home-gateway-sales-to-jump100-fold-in-four-years/

The seventeen largest cable and telephone providers in the U.S., representing about 93% of the market, acquired over 2.7 million net additional high-speed Internet subscribers in 2012. This according to a new report, which also noted that annual net broadband additions in 2012 were 90% of the total in 2011. These top broadband providers now account for over 81.4 million subscribers, with cable companies boasting nearly 46.8 million broadband subscribers, and telephone companies having 34.6 million subscribers. The top cable companies netted 88% of the broadband additions in 2012 and have added 2.4 million broadband subscribers in 2012–105% of the total net additions for the top cable companies in 2011.

For more content, see http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/031913release.html

A newly available study found that the thirteen largest multi-channel video providers in the U.S.–representing about 94% of the market–acquired over 170,000 net additional video subscribers in 2012, while annual net multi-channel video additions in 2012 were about 230,000 fewer than in 2011. The top multi-channel video providers account for over 94.7 million subscribers, with the top nine cable companies having 51.3 million video subscribers, satellite TV companies corralling more than 34.1 million subscribers, and top telephone companies managing 9.3 million subscribers. Other key findings in the report include:

• The top nine cable companies lost about 1,415,000 video subscribers in 2012, compared to a loss of about 1,600,000 subscribers in 2011.
• The top telephone providers added 1,300,000 video subscribers in 2012; they acquired 1,505,000 additions in 2011.
• Satellite TV providers added 288,000 video subscribers in 2012, less than half the number they added in 2011.

For further coverage, see http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/031813release.html

The March 2013 edition of CrossTalk has been released. Get the latest information and forecasting data, analysis of ongoing trends, and a handy calendar of upcoming industry events in one convenient package. Download or subscribe to CrossTalk today.

For more, go to http://www.actiontec.com/newsletter/march13/

A recently released study of loyalty among mobile phone users in the U.S. has worrying implications for wireless carriers, as 36% of U.S. customers are considering leaving their mobile carrier in the next 12 months. The study also finds that only 13% of customers show the level of loyalty required to protect them from competitive offers and service disruptions. For example, when asked what they would do “if…your current wireless carrier increased prices by 10%,” 69% of customers who were previously unlikely to switch would consider leaving, 15% would switch immediately without further consideration, 70% of highly satisfied customers would consider switching, and 17% would leave without further consideration.

For more, go to http://news.xerox.com/news/WDS-A-Xerox-Company-US-Wireless-Customer-Loyalty-Survey

A new survey finds that there are now more than 500 million devices in U.S. homes connected to the Internet. The average number of devices per Internet household has grown from 5.3 devices just three months ago to 5.7 today. The survey, which contacted more than 4,000 U.S. consumers ages 18 and older, also noted that penetration among these households this quarter reached 93%, holding steady since the previous quarter. An increase in mobile devices helped the U.S. market to hit a new milestone: smartphone penetration rose from 52% to 57% of cell phone users, while tablet penetration increased significantly from 35% to 53% of Internet households. Converting those percentages into raw numbers, the install base of smartphones increased by 9 million, while tablets gained nearly 18 million in the last three months. Unsurprisingly, Apple and Samsung remained the most prevalent smartphone brands owned by U.S. consumers, while Apple continued to dominate the tablet market.

For more, see http://thenextweb.com/insider/2013/03/18/npd-us-homes-now-hold-over-500m-internet-connected-devices-with-apps-at-an-average-of-5-7-per-household/

Consumers value connectivity in appliances as a means to protect their investments, a new study reveals, with 44% of U.S. broadband households highly interested in smart troubleshooting features. The report goes on to note that Internet-enabled devices are becoming more common in the home, and, as a result, companies are developing connected-home strategies and creating scalable platforms that ultimately will enable the “Internet of Things,” where objects in the real world have an accompanying virtual object in the cloud. Understanding what offerings consumers want and will pay for is a fundamental issue to help grow this market.

For additional information, see http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/44-us-broadband-households-highly-interested-smart-troubleshooting-features-connected-1770768.htm

For the second year in a row, the U.S. consumer technology industry saw a slight decline in overall sales, down 2% to nearly $143 billion, according to newly available research. Since 2010, consumer technology sales have declined by $4 billion. The study goes on to note that while sales fell for the second consecutive year, there was an uptick in Q4 2012, which may be a cause for optimism. After struggles with declining categories and increasingly saturated markets over the last few years, the results from Q4 2012 might be the first sign that consumer technology can continue its growth, albeit with a very different dynamic than in previous growth spurts.

For more coverage, see https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/us-consumer-technology-retail-sales-decline-2-percent-in-2012-according-to-the-npd-group/

Netflix’s subscription video-on-demand service in the fourth quarter was a popular attraction among households with televisions connected to the Internet. About 40% of households with a connected TV streamed Netflix content during the period — a share that topped 50% among consumers between the ages of 18 to 24, according to new data. The younger demographic continues to drive adoption of new technology and consumer behavior. Twenty-one percent of connected-TV owners said they migrated from using over-the-top (OTT) video services on the computer and now watch on the TV instead. Now, nearly 25% of 18- to 24-year-olds stream Netflix on a laptop or PC, while 16% stream on a tablet and 13% on a smartphone.

For further coverage, see http://www.homemediamagazine.com/digital-evolution/npd-40-connected-tv-owners-stream-netflix-29418

Cable news shows may be seeing a dip in viewership among digital-savvy US consumers. According to a January survey, 37% of Internet users surveyed said they watched less cable TV news than they did five years earlier. The survey points to both online news sites and online video clips as drawing more attention from news seekers. Meanwhile, online news reading has become a commonplace activity among US consumers, with the frequency of online news reading having passed that of cable TV news watching. While 39% of respondents said they read online news every day, only 25% said they watched cable TV news every day. Moreover, a mere 4% said they never read news online, compared with nearly 20% who said they never watched cable TV news.

For further content, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Online-News-Viewing-Cuts-Cable-Viewership/1009606

New research reveals that content once primarily accessed by consumers on their PCs is shifting to mobile devices. The study found that 37% of consumers who once accessed content on their PCs switching to their tablets and smartphones. The top two activities that consumers are shifting from their PCs to their tablets and smartphones are web browsing and Facebook use.  Among tablet owners, 27% say they are using their PC less frequently for accessing the Internet and 20% say they are using their PC less frequently for accessing Facebook. Twenty-seven percent of smartphone owners have decreased both their Internet and Facebook usage on their PCs because they now use their smartphone for these activities.

For more, see https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/37-percent-of-pc-users-migrate-activities-to-mobile-devices-according-to-the-npd-group/

As a source for news and entertainment, television currently reigns supreme, but for how much longer? An online survey of over 2,000 U.S. adults found that men and women of every age group expected TV to be their primary source for both news and entertainment in 2013. This was more true of women than men, and of older people more than younger people. In the 18- to 34-year-old demographic in particular, TV’s edge is slipping. Just 30% of that group said they expected TV to be their primary source of news and entertainment this year, with 28% saying it will instead be their laptop computer, and another 17% choosing their smartphone.

Computers were already cited by the greatest percentage of Internet users as the technology that would see the most use in 2013.

For more, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Age-Gender-Determine-Go-To-Devices/1009646

The tablet has become a leading device among users for many digital activities, but now it is even replacing the traditional computer for more keyboard-intensive tasks like emailing. A recently released survey asked 4,400 U.S. iPad users about their emailing habits during the last six months of 2012 and found that the devices are becoming the preferred place to read and send emails. More than half of respondents chose the tablet as their preferred device for reading emails, beating out traditional computers by over 20%. The difference was understandably narrower for sending emails, given that the keyboard is essential to writing emails: just under half of respondents said they preferred the tablet vs. 41% who preferred a desktop or laptop computer.

For more coverage, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Email-Users-Reach-iPad/1009667

The Internet is an important source of information for people researching health and healthcare. Women, seniors, and caregivers are some of the most well-represented groups among online health seekers, but, according to a new report, each segment has very different needs when searching for medical information. Women play an outsized role in the world of online health. In a 2011 survey, 86% of women said they made the decisions about the healthcare treatments their entire families used. For seniors, the health information they seek is more specialized. A survey conducted in March 2012 found that half of the U.S. seniors felt there wasn’t a single online resource where they could find highly credible health information. Caregivers, who often look for health information for others, search for information about health insurance and advice on living with a chronic condition or managing chronic pain.

For more content, go to http://www.emarketer.com/Article/What-Health-Info-Do-Consumers-Seek-Online/1009698

Mobile devices such as tablets and smartphones are increasingly being used as portable music players, according to a new study. Forty percent of tablet owners report that they use their device to listen to music, while 56% of smartphone owners do the same with their device. Among those using their smartphone for music, 39% said they listen to music daily, while more than half report they are using their device more for music compared with a year ago. In the case of smartphone users, 65% of those who listen to music reported using Internet radio, such as Pandora, while 30% are using on-demand services, such as Spotify or Rhapsody. However, 60% load their own music on their device. Tablet owners have a similar passion for using Internet radio, and nearly 50% port their own music files to their device.

For additional information, go to https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/half-of-tablet-and-smartphone-users-are-using-these-devices-to-listen-to-music-according-to-the-npd-group/

Overall wireless LAN market revenues are forecast to exceed $11 billion in 2017, a nearly 50% jump over 2012 revenues, claims newly available research. The report also notes that emerging trends expected to drive this growth include deployment of service provider WiFi (SP WiFi), the 802.11ac upgrade cycle, cloud-managed WLAN, consumer video over WiFi, and the “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) trend. In addition, a shift has occurred in enterprise application development towards mobile devices. The emphasis on mobile devices places new demands on the corporate wireless infrastructure, and forces companies to maintain connections to employees while they traverse to cellular networks, while driving the need to apply consistent access rules for both Ethernet and wireless access systems.

For more coverage, see http://www.delloro.com/news/wireless-lan-market-expand-49-percent-in-five-years

According to a newly published forecast report, public access small cell equipment (comprising service provider WiFi [SP WiFi] and evolved WCDMA/LTE and multi-mode WCDMA/LTE/WiFi small cell radios) will drive future growth in the market. The various small cell segments (residential, enterprise, and public access small cells) are expected to generate the most rapid growth over the next five years. The study goes on report that even though significant challenges remain for operators to move to large scale small cell deployments in the licensed spectrum, there are now clear indicators that a number of early adopters are looking to shift some CAPEX from outdoor population coverage to indoor coverage and cell edge performance.

For additional information, go to http://www.delloro.com/news/service-provider-wifi-evolved-small-cells-seven-fold-through-2017

As cellular M2M (machine-to-machine) subscriptions climb to over 478 million in 2017, operators will adopt one of several key strategies to improve their position in the market, a new report recently opined. The report examines the developments in the cellular M2M market, providing in-depth country, regional, and application-level forecasts. Among the strategies operators may adopt:

• Mobile operators will simply sell airtime wholesale to MVNOs and resellers and have little or no additional involvement.
• Operators will create their own M2M platform, providing not only the network access, but also important connectivity capabilities.
• MNOs become the central point of contact. In this case, the MNO can take different steps to enhance its position in the value chain, while still depending heavily on partnerships.
• A complete end-to-end solution, requiring  strong vertical industry expertise to manage complete projects from sale, consulting, device design and manufacture, application development, integration, and service management.

For more content, see http://www.pyramidresearch.com/pr_prlist/operator-strategies-for-the-cellular-m2m-market.htm

Will Google Glass kill the smartphone? Reinvent gaming? Steal the second screen from tablets?  Probably not completely, and not all at once (since the device won’t be available to general public until 2014). But experts predict that the new product could be a game-changer similar to the iPhone: one that could send shockwaves across the entertainment, advertising, commerce, media, and gaming worlds. Take smartphones, for example. After observing a Google-released clip which showcases the digitally-enhanced headwear’s technological advancements, some industry players contend that if consumers take a shine to Glass the device would seriously challenge the smartphone for market dominance.

For further coverage, see http://www.adweek.com/news/technology/why-brands-are-already-looking-google-glass-and-why-apple-should-be-worried-147435

Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT) are hot topics for 2013 and key areas of investment in the wireless ecosystem. One of the key reasons for this is that connecting machines, objects, or “things” represents a growing market opportunity for new devices, solutions, and services beyond traditional voice and data. A recently available study reports that the market outlook for M2M in 2013 appears positive, but there are also a number of challenges that must be overcome, including:

• How to cost-effectively manage and process big data from M2M communications and use that information to achieve business transformation.
• How will security of M2M be managed going forward? Are current safeguards sufficient?
• What should the industry do about the 2G GSM switch-off? Is an alternative bearer the answer?
• Will anyone wait for M2M standards, or will vendors go it alone?

For more information, go to http://www.strategyanalytics.com/default.aspx?mod=pressreleaseviewer&a0=5327

New consumer research has found that 75% of households in the U.S. have at least one high definition television (HDTV), an increase of 23% in the past five years. Over that timespan, 52% of U.S. households have adopted HDTV, while 51% of these HDTV households have more than one HDTV. Overall, about 38% of domestic households now have multiple HDTV sets, a 12% jump from two years ago, and about 59% of televisions in HD households are HDTVs. Other related findings from this research include:

• Among households with annual incomes over $50,000, 84% have an HDTV, compared to 73% with household incomes of $30,000-$50,000, and 56% with household incomes under $30,000.
• Among those receiving HD programming from a cable, satellite, or Telco TV provider, the perceived mean number of channels of HD programming is 77, up from 63 two years ago, and 29 five years ago.
• About 6% of all US households currently have an HDTV set that is 3D-capable, although 41% of this group do not watch any content in 3D.
• Overall, 47% have seen a 3D TV, or have a 3D-capable TV, compared to 24% two years ago.
• 22% of all households purchased a new TV set in the past 12 months. The mean reported purchase price was $680 (about 30% less than five years ago).
• Among all households, 14% plan to purchase a new TV set in the next 12 months, compared to 19% last year, and 17% five years ago.

For additional coverage, see http://www.leichtmanresearch.com/press/020813release.html

Although both paid TV subscribers and cord-cutters are streaming online video content on a regular basis, TV Everywhere (services that enable cable and network customers to watch TV content on any Internet-connected device by authenticating their subscriptions) continues to lag in traction and consumer awareness. According to a new survey, pay-TV customers are more aware of the TV Everywhere services from networks like HBO than they are of the same services offered by pay TV companies. Only 37% of customers used TVE services from TV networks, and only 30% used them from pay TV companies. On mobile, usage of TVE is slightly more common through mobile apps vs. mobile websites. In addition, more survey respondents said they used TVE apps and mobile sites from pay TV companies than they did from TV networks.

For more content, see http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Will-TV-Everywhere-Satisfy-Streaming-Savvy-Consumers/1009633

A new FCC study measuring broadband speeds showed that Verizon’s FiOS and FTTH-based (fiber-to-the-home) broadband services delivered the most consistent speeds to its subscribers. The study was based on data collected last September, and examines the performance of various broadband mechanisms, including cable, DSL, fiber, and satellite. While previous FCC broadband reports measured Verizon’s FiOS FTTH, this is the first time the regulator included the telco’s “Quantum” tiers (50/25 Mbps and 75/35 Mbps) introduced last summer. Cablevision, which, like Verizon, uses cable and fiber separately to deliver services to consumers, also provided consistent speeds during download peak periods (Cablevision also leverages fiber-to-the-node [FTTN] architecture with their service). Verizon brings fiber directly into each home, leveraging the living unit’s existing coax cable to distribute services inside either an apartment or single family home.

For more details, see http://www.fiercetelecom.com/story/quantum-tiers-keep-verizon-atop-fccs-broadband-speed-ratings/2013-02-15

The Internet of Everything (IoE) will one day be valued at $14.4 trillion, claims a recently released study. This figure is the result of increased revenues and lower costs created among companies and industries from 2013 to 2022. The five main factors that fuel IoE value are asset utilization (which accounts for $2.5 trillion), employee productivity ($2.5 trillion), supply chain and logistics ($2.7 trillion), customer experience ($3.7 trillion), and innovation ($3.0 trillion). Technology trends (including cloud and mobile computing, Big Data, increased processing power, and many others) and business economics are the main drivers of the IoE economy. These technology and business trends are ushering in the age of IoE, creating an unprecedented opportunity to connect the unconnected: people, process, data, and things. For example, 99.4% of physical objects that may one day be part of the Internet of Everything remain unconnected.

For additional coverage, go to http://www.cisco.com/web/about/ac79/docs/innov/IoE_Economy.pdf

The February 2013 edition of CrossTalk is now available. Painstakingly curated from hundreds, if not thousands, of weekly news and research articles, CrossTalk is your go-to compendium for all current Telicommunications market intelligence. If it happened in the past month, CrossTalk has you covered. Get the latest information and forecasting data, analysis of ongoing trends, and a handy calendar of upcoming industry events in one convenient package. Download or subscribe to CrossTalk today.

For more, go to http://www.actiontec.com/newsletter/february13/

According to a newly released report, iPad and other tablet video use by American consumers will rise dramatically over the next five years, driving significant changes in the business landscape for television and online/Over-the-Top (OTT) video. The study proceeds to examine the breakout sales success of iPads and other tablets and, combined with the incredible popularity of watching video on those devices, contends that a significant shift in American media consumption is underway. The report also forecasts that trends in tablet sales will result in 58 billion hours of TV and video being viewed on tablets in 2017, equal to 10% of all current TV, video, and OTT consumption. Meanwhile, 65% of U.S. households will own tablets at the end of 2017, creating new opportunities and challenges for content providers, TV networks, multichannel operators, and advertisers.

For more information, see http://tdgresearch.com/tablet-tv-and-video-viewing-estimated-rise-to-58-billion-hours-per-year/

The United States is evolving to the point where fixed telephones will function only as buzzers for apartments and homes. New research has found that wireless subscriptions have grown 165% from 2000 to 2011, totaling 290 million subscribers. This change will have serious revenue ramifications for telecom carriers, as few of them have significant exposure to the wireline segment and a further decline in this segment would create more pressure on the wireless segment. From 1990 to 2000, wireless penetration in America experienced rapid growth while wireline subscriptions grew steadily. However, from 2000 on, quickly developing cellular technology contributed to significantly lower cellphone ownership costs, resulting in a rise in wireless subscriptions at the expense of wireline subscriptions. However, the growth rate for wireless is slowing, and saturation may be reached in the next few years.

For further coverage, see http://seekingalpha.com/article/1217441-what-s-the-future-of-wireline-for-the-major-telecoms

The worldwide pay-TV market grew at a steady pace in 2012, generating $238 billion by end-of-year, up from $223 billion in 2011, and it is expected to generate $304 billion in 2018 with a CAGR of 4%. So notes newly available research, which also indicates that  IPTV is gaining market share year-over-year, while the rest of the pay-TV platforms are slowly contracting. IPTV service revenue market share increased from 10% in 2011 to 11.5% in 2012. Cable TV market share dropped to 47% in 2012 from 48.5% in 2011 while satellite TV market share dropped around 1%.

For more coverage, see http://www.abiresearch.com/press/iptv-providers-are-projected-to-take-an-18-share-o

A recently published study found that the global fixed broadband market (including DSL, cable, and fiber-optic services) generated $188 billion service revenue in 2012, a 7% increase from 2011. In 2012, fiber-optic broadband service revenue had its strongest year-over-year growth of 24%, while DSL and cable broadband grew 2% and 6% respectively. Fiber-optic broadband is expected to grow stronger than other platforms throughout the forecast period. In 2018, FTTH revenue should reach $81.6 billion, almost one-third of global broadband service revenue.

For additional information, go to http://www.abiresearch.com/press/global-broadband-service-revenue-to-reach-251-bill

A new whitepaper was recently published, covering how data analytics and thermodynamic modeling in the residential energy sector can combine to deliver continuous energy savings. The paper goes on to note that data analytics presents a new approach to address usage and savings problems in residential HVAC and energy, while connected devices and smart meters can validate actual savings from these smart systems.

For further information, go to http://www.parksassociates.com/whitepapers/data-analytics-wp2013

Young adults are more likely than others to use major social media, while, at the same time, other groups are interested in different sites and services. These results come from a national survey conducted between November 14 and December 9, 2012 on landline and cell phones and in English and in Spanish. The survey also found that Internet users under 50 are particularly likely to use a social networking site, and those 18-29 are the most likely to do so (83%). Women are more likely than men to be on these sites. Those living in urban settings are also significantly more likely than rural internet users to use social networking.

For additional content, go to http://www.pewinternet.org/Reports/2013/Social-media-users.aspx

Consumers are interested in digital lifestyle offerings that combine a wide selection of services (telecommunications, cable, Internet, home security system and home energy management, etc.), and they are comfortable purchasing these services from one company, according to a recently published study. The report goes on to examine customer brand loyalty, and their propensity to subscribe to and preferences for combining their telecommunications, entertainment, and home energy management services from one provider. This kind of package is typically referred to as a digital lifestyle service package, and allows customers to digitally monitor and control aspects of their lives from their computer, smartphone, game console, or tablet.

For additional coverage, see http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/LPWIRhH/2012-digital-lifestyle-study.htm

New research finds that satisfaction with a carrier’s customer care service is higher among wireless customers subscribing to data-sharing service plans than it is among those subscribing to more traditional service and data plans. The study notes that overall satisfaction among full-service customers who currently subscribe to a mobile share data plan is 778 (on a 1,000-point scale), compared with 750 among those who subscribe to a more traditional service and data plan. While satisfaction levels among mobile share plan customers are higher across most of the customer service contact channels, the largest gap in satisfaction between shared data customers and non-share plan customers is in the customer service representative-only channel.

For more information, go to http://www.jdpower.com/content/press-release/lyD2xnz/2013-u-s-wireless-customer-care-full-service-performance-study-volume-1-and-the-2013-u-s-wireless-customer-care-non-contract-performance-study-volume-1.htm

All of us here at Actiontec hope you are enjoying the day off on Presidents’ Day like we are.

A new whitepaper was made available recently, seeking to provide insight into key trends and opportunities in the intelligent buildings industry. The paper states that 2012 turned out to be an interesting year for intelligent building systems. Despite the stagnating new construction market, increasing numbers of existing buildings upgraded their systems to reduce energy consumption. Meanwhile, many existing buildings also gained energy certifications such as Energy Star or LEED. The market for building analytics is still in the very early stages of development. Historically, larger buildings have been the cornerstone of the intelligent building market; however, 2013 could mark the turning point for intelligent solutions in smaller buildings.

For more content, see http://www.imsresearch.com/press-release/Trends_in_Intelligent_Buildings_2013&from=all_pr

With U.S. broadband customers set to equal the number of pay-TV subscriptions by 2016, American cable and satellite businesses have reached a critical point: their continued growth may well hinge on the success of their new TV Everywhere services. According to a newly available study, the challenge for traditional cable and satellite operators is the mounting penetration of broadband among U.S. consumers. U.S. broadband connections will expand to 99.9 million in 2016. This compares to 100.4 million for all cable, satellite and telco pay-TV subscribers during the same year. The report goes on to note that the growing ubiquity of broadband connections has leveled the playing field between OTT Internet-based video services and pay-TV operators, resulting in an evenly contested battle to provide consumers with the most attractive package of content, applications, and devices for their in-home and on-the-go enjoyment.

For more content, go to http://www.isuppli.com/Media-Research/News/Pages/Can-US-Pay-Television-Operators-Use-TV-Every-where-to-Stave-Off-the-OTT-Onslaught.aspx

In lieu of candies, cards, chocolates, and flowers, Actiontec instead would like to simply wish you and yours a Happy Valentine’s Day! Enjoy!

The skyrocketing demand for wireless data is a key driver in the growth of the information and communications industry, and a newly released report seeks to make sense of the near future of this vital segment. The report states that spending in the U.S. wireless market rose 10%, the largest increase since 2007. In 2012, the market benefited from double-digit growth in transport services and wireless handsets, as well as faster growth in wireless equipment and services in support of wireless equipment. Except for wireless handsets, each major category grew faster in 2012 than in 2011. The study expects that the dominant growth driver going forward will be the transformation of the market from primarily a voice service to primarily a data service, since voice and text messaging are declining while spending on wireless data is surging.

For more coverage, see http://www.tiaonline.org/resources/market-forecast

The healthcare industry should be of interest to European telecom providers due to the size of the market and the prospective migration of the industry’s IT infrastructure toward cloud-based solutions, proclaims recently released research. Telcos are well-positioned to capitalize on the growing demand for healthcare cloud services because they can offer the most comprehensive solutions, complementing cloud services with medical monitoring and mobile health applications. In addition, telcos can leverage their experience working with healthcare organizations and dealing with regulations and multiple compliance requirements. However, in developed markets, healthcare organizations will expect service providers to deploy comprehensive and integrated systems that combine communication services for medical and administrative staff.

For more information, go to http://www.pyramidresearch.com/pr_prlist/Europe-cloud-ehealth-strategies-press-release.htm

A new report maintains that emerging markets will continue to drive growth in the converged global communications, media, and technology industries. Total worldwide mobile subscriptions are expected to reach the 7 billion mark by December 2013, while growth in emerging market service revenue may well outpace growth in developed markets by a ratio of 5:1. Reaching the 7 billion mobile subscription mark by year’s end is particularly significant, the study indicated, because it translates to 100% penetration. Furthermore, mobile subscribers in the Africa and Middle East regions will surpass the 1 billion mark in the first quarter, making it the second region to reach this milestone (after Asia-Pacific).

For added coverage, see http://www.pyramidresearch.com/pr_prlist/2013-top-trends-press-release.htm