Convergence Conversation

A couple of firsts in the smartphone market developed during the fourth quarter of 2011, now that most of the major handset manufacturers have reported their results. Apple iOS topped the smartphone market, and Google Android suffered its first decline in share. But for how long, who knows?

According the the latest market study by ABI Research, the 4th quarter totaled 150 million smartphones shipped, representing a record high penetration of 36 percent of the 409 million total handsets shipped worldwide.

Apple was the leader this quarter with 37 million iPhones shipped for a sequential growth rate of 117 percent (128% QoQ). More...

The developed Asian markets -- such as Japan and South Korea -- have always led the way forward in mobile network technology deployments and advanced applications. Now other markets in the region are actively investing in new infrastructure -- as the developing markets in the region catch up.

​"A number of Asian operators are bracing themselves for a quickening in 3G and 4G subscriber adoption in 2012," says Jake Saunders, vice president of forecasting at ABI Research.

According to the latest market study by ABI Research, Asian capital expenditure in 2012 is forecast to increase 5.7 percent year-on-year to $58.8 billion. More...

Search Engine Marketing (SEM) practices have evolved over the last few years, but the demand from small, medium and very large brand advertisers has been consistent. The upside market potential is impressive and one company stands to gain significantly from this phenomenon -- Google.

According to the latest market assessment by eMarketer, U.S. search engine advertiser spending will maintain strong growth this year -- in part, boosted by major national government elections and the London 2012 Olympic Games.

eMarketer estimates that U.S. search spending this year will rise 27 percent to $19.51 billion. More...

The role of a typical Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at a technology, media or telecommunications company is very challenging -- especially if they're skilled in the practices from the bygone era of legacy mass-media marketing. Many struggle to adapt to the needs of today's forward-thinking interactive online marketing environment.

According to the latest global CMO survey by Heidrick & Struggles and Forrester Research, CMOs need to contribute to substantive business strategy, but many need to raise their marketing technology IQ first -- so that they can become more credible as leaders in their organization, and clearly demonstrate that they're not obsolete. More...

In 2011, the global market for household consumer electronics (CE) continued its rapid shift toward connected devices. These are devices that are enabled with digital communications and have the ability to connect directly to the Internet -- or to a home network.

Some of these devices are optimized for the delivery of IP-based streaming video content.

This device category is being driven primarily by the success and adoption of low-cost streaming media players, digital TVs, satellite STBs, video game consoles, and Blu-ray disc players or recorders.

According to the latest market study by NPD In-Stat, they now forecast that the connected device installed base will grow from 256.8 million units in 2011 to 1.34 billion units in 2016. More...

comScore released a report highlighting the results from a recent market study that identifies the unique characteristics of the Millennial generation -- defined as persons born between 1981 and 2000.

The study examined the Millennial response to different types of advertising, including TV and digital -- compared to older generations -- and how marketers can most effectively target this large and important segment of the marketplace.

"The 79 million Millennials in the U.S. have an estimated purchasing power of $170 billion per year, making them a highly attractive segment for brands to target," said comScore vice president Bert Miklosi. More...

Here in the U.S. market, 2011 was a year that many in the traditional pay-TV service provider industry would rather forget. That being said, this year will include more of the same challenges, where the fundamental value proposition is being questioned by subscribers.

There are some bright spots, however, where pay-TV providers can use new technology and additional capabilities to add value to their legacy offerings. Some may also create new lower-cost offerings.

Hybrid set top boxes are a fast-growing segment of the worldwide set top box market. These boxes include a TV tuner and an Internet connection -- with the latter used to access a multitude of on-demand video content. More...

Soon, just about every type of video-capable consumer electronics device (CE) will have the option to connect to a large screen video monitor or HDTV display. This list of devices will include most portable PCs -- with media tablets being one of the commonly used streaming video players.

Digital visual interface (DVI) and high-definition multimedia interface (HDMI) are related high-bandwidth, unidirectional, uncompressed interface standards, while DisplayPort is a fully digital, packet-based technology.

HDMI and DisplayPort have recently gained in popularity within the computer industry. More...

According to the latest market assessment by eMarketer, growing online privacy concerns involve three primary stakeholder groups -- consumers, government and the collective advertising industry. Those concerns have been heightened by recent examples of disclosure failures and the apparent lack of consumer trust in many of the recognized industry players.

People are becoming increasingly concerned about their online privacy. Government entities in the U.S. market and elsewhere are looking to address that anxiety through laws, regulations and new policy pressure on the digital advertising ecosystem. More...

The adoption of over-the-top video services, such as Netflix and Hulu, has created a increasing demand for wireless connectivity that's built-in to the numerous related consumer electronics (CE) devices that are used within the home.

Increasingly, home video entertainment devices such as digital HDTVs, Blu-ray players, game consoles, and all versions of pay-TV set-top boxes (STBs) are coming to the market Wi-Fi-enabled -- so that devices can connect to the web and to each other.

According to the latest market study by NPD In-Stat, their research shows that the evolution of the home network will drive the number of in-home video WLAN-enabled video devices to approach 600 million in 2015. More...