Although Internet sales are continuing to outpace traditional retail
sales, online retailers are realistic about the current economic
challenges, and many of them are focusing on email to retain customers
and drive sales. A survey of 117 online retailers by analyst Forrester
found that one half of them expected overall retail growth to slow over
the next year, and 57% say that the economic slowdown is hurting their
bottom line.
Real Issues - Real Solutions - Real Business
August 4, 2009
Business - Analyst Insight
New research from analyst Gartner predicts that spending on software-as-a service (SaaS) in
enterprise applications will grow to $9.6 billion in 2009, a 21.9% increase over 2008. It says that this strong growth will continue through to 2013, by which time annual SaaS spending will total $16 billion. "The adoption of SaaS continues to grow and evolve within the enterprise application markets as tighter capital budgets in the current economic environment demand leaner alternatives, popularity increases and interest for platform-as-a-service and cloud computing grows," said Sharon Mertz, Research Director at Gartner.
enterprise applications will grow to $9.6 billion in 2009, a 21.9% increase over 2008. It says that this strong growth will continue through to 2013, by which time annual SaaS spending will total $16 billion. "The adoption of SaaS continues to grow and evolve within the enterprise application markets as tighter capital budgets in the current economic environment demand leaner alternatives, popularity increases and interest for platform-as-a-service and cloud computing grows," said Sharon Mertz, Research Director at Gartner.
Business - Analyst Insight
According to a new study from analyst ABI Research, the radio frequency identification
(RFID) market will grow by 11% between 2009 and 2010. If the automotive immobilizer market is removed from this analysis, then the growth rate jumps to 16%. "Transponders, readers, software and services are all showing healthy growth," says ABI Research Practice Director Michael Liard. "The most robust applications include contactless ticketing, contactless payments (particularly in North America and Europe), item-level tracking in fashion apparel and footwear, asset management (not only corporate assets, but also returnable transport items, tools/parts, and work-in-process), baggage handling, real-time location systems (RTLS) and electronic identification documents."
(RFID) market will grow by 11% between 2009 and 2010. If the automotive immobilizer market is removed from this analysis, then the growth rate jumps to 16%. "Transponders, readers, software and services are all showing healthy growth," says ABI Research Practice Director Michael Liard. "The most robust applications include contactless ticketing, contactless payments (particularly in North America and Europe), item-level tracking in fashion apparel and footwear, asset management (not only corporate assets, but also returnable transport items, tools/parts, and work-in-process), baggage handling, real-time location systems (RTLS) and electronic identification documents."
Business - Analyst Insight
A new report from Pyramid Research claims that mobile broadband usage will continue to grow rapidly across Europe boosted by the introduction of 3G (such as HSPA) and 4G services, dramatically improved devices and better affordability of services. It predicts that European mobile broadband users will number 116.6 million in 2014, up from 24.3 million in 2008. "It has been a while since we saw an opportunity this big in European mobile communications," says Bakhyt Weeks, Analyst at Pyramid Research and author of the report. She adds that as mass-market mobile broadband drives down prices, it is becoming competitive against basic fixed broadband across Europe.
Business - Analyst Insight
"In such a challenging market, where spending is plummeting, there is a strong opportunity for
solutions that can reduce expenses such as travel, in the short term. This means that UC, which includes video and audio conferencing and collaboration solutions, is one of the few technology areas well placed to grow during the recession," says Chris Barnard, Research Director, European Telecoms and Networking at IDC.
solutions that can reduce expenses such as travel, in the short term. This means that UC, which includes video and audio conferencing and collaboration solutions, is one of the few technology areas well placed to grow during the recession," says Chris Barnard, Research Director, European Telecoms and Networking at IDC.
Business - Analyst Insight
Two reports from the Yankee Group in February claim that "Anywhere IT" is bringing information communications technology (ICT) toward its most significant transformation to date and predict that the ICT market will be worth $4 trillion by 2016.
Business - Analyst Insight
Companies flocked to IP contact centers (IPCC) in ever greater numbers last year, according to a report from market researchers Infonetics. It found that the IPCC market grew 37% in 2008, with strong sales by all vendors, particularly in Asia Pacific. In the first half of 2008, over a million IPCC seats were sold worldwide. Business - Analyst Insight
Despite the credit crisis, analyst ABI Research sees a massive market
opportunity for netbooks, which are the smaller, cheaper, more energy
efficient and connected alternative to traditional laptops. It says
that a "confluence of social and technological factors has created a
kind of "perfect storm" that will lead to a market explosion for
netbooks through 2013. It predicts that 35 million will ship this year,
rising to a substantial 139 million in 2013.
Business - Analyst Insight
Market analyst IDC has outlined ten predictions for China's IT market this year in light of the continuing economic turmoil. It has also revised its market forecast downwards from $74.63 billion to $71.16 billion. Despite the downturn, IT growth rates in China will continue to outperform the rest of the world because of the large domestic market and lack of exposure of its financial industry to the credit crunch. IDC's predictions include: the increasing popularity of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS), which will grow at 30% annually; a transformation of IT channels and manufacturing toward solution sales; growth in telecom equipment sales to support the roll-out of 3G networks; a push toward more efficient data centers; use of Web 2.0 communication to support customer communications; rapid growth in mobile Internet services; and the development of iTrust China to assure the quality and safety of China-made products.
Business - Analyst Insight
The development of cloud computing and the service-enabled application
platforms (SEAP) that underpin it, will take seven years to reach
maturity, says analyst Gartner. By 2015, cloud computing and SEAPs will
have been commoditized and become the preferred solution for
application development projects. Gartner has segmented the next seven
years of cloud computing into three overlapping phases.
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