Mobile Operators Go after the Connected Car Opportunity

It was only last month that Apple announced it was launching its in-car, iPhone user interface – CarPlay, but it seems the competition is about to heat up with Microsoft’s unveiling of Windows in the car.

The software giant revealed its new platform for automotive last week at the annual Build conference in San Francisco.

Microsoft has been powering a variety of car entertainment systems over the years. The likes of Ford, BMW and Fiat have each made use of specialised versions of Windows to create their own interfaces and systems, but with Ford calling off its car connectivity relationship with Microsoft earlier this year; it appears the company’s focus has shifted toward a user interface of its own.

The platform, which in its current incarnation requires a windows phone device, seemingly bares much resemblance to that of Apple’s. As with CarPlay, the concept is to mirror what’s shown on your devices screen into a touch- and car-friendly interface.

Microsoft’s Windows in the car is still in its’ early days, with no firm release date being mentioned yet. Apple’s CarPlay on the other hand, is alleged to be rolled out into 215,000 cars this year!

CarPlay, which can only be used with the iPhone 5 and iPhone models thereafter, allows a Siri-voice activated interface to telephone contacts, make or return missed phone calls, play voicemails and text messages and, deliver text responses. “Apple Maps” will also be available within CarPlay’s interface, providing drivers with voice activiated navigation.

The first set of cars to boast Apple’s new interface are Ferrari, Volvo and Mercedes-Benz, who will be followed by Honda, Hyundai and Jaguar later this year.

More than 50% of North Americans purchasing automobiles in the next 12 months say that onboard technology options will play an important role in their buying decision. It’s no surprise then that Telematics is one of the fastest growing segments of the cellular machine-to-machine market, which itself will take a growing portion of all cellular subscriptions, increasing from  2.3% in 2012 to 6.8% in 2018.



The Industry Report Store has a brand new report which comprehensively covers this growing market, providing your business with all the tools necessary to thrive within it. Mobile Operators Go after the Connected Car Opportunity examines the cellular telematics value chain, analyzes the different business models and provides market forecast for the telematics industry globally. The report looks at the various market drivers and how they differ between regions and especially between emerging and developed markets; it also examines the main types of telematics applications, such as navigation, emergency services, diagnostics PAYD and PHY insurance, and stolen vehicle recovery.

Contact us if you would like any sample pages or if you want to enquire about any reports that we might have.

Sources: computerworld, theverge

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Is it time to abandon Cable?

Cable and satellite television were never going to last forever, but is it time to change how you watch TV just yet?

Perhaps so, there was an estimated 97m IPTV subscriptions globally at the end of Q3 2013, and the 100-millionth IPTV customer came online in November. This means the adoption of IPTV is now outpacing cable and satellite!

The market is growing fast, with analysts forecasting global IPTV revenue to increase at a CAGR of 11.8% by 2018, with the market reaching a staggering $42.9bn!

Though not everyone is following suit just yet, IPTV household penetration levels vary greatly across regions. At present, the three largest IPTV markets are China, France and the US, which combined, account for over half of the world’s subscriber base. China recently surpassed France as the market with the most IPTV subscribers, leaving the U.S. in third place. Still, IPTV operators in France and the U.S. are continuing to see a rise in subscribers, while cable remains to flounder.

A considerable factor to this excessive growth has been increasing broadband demand all around the world. The Broadband Forum reports that global broadband subscriptions will reach some 925 million by the end of 2018, up from about 650 million at the start of 2013, leaving huge potential for the IPTV market.

It’s no surprise that companies are already looking to take advantage of this growing market. YouTube is currently piloting making its channels available via IPTV operator EPGs - as part of partner-led initiatives to extend its’ channels reach.

“On IPTV we started some initiatives where YouTube is part of the EPG guide. If you’re a subscriber to a channel on YouTube, why shouldn't it just show up as channel 206 on your TV guide? We’re seeing some very exciting initiatives being partner-led, and that’s where I think we’re going to continue to thrive as a platform.”

Apple are also reportedly eyeing up the market, with rumours of talks with Comcast to bring Internet-delivered TV to subscribers via an Apple set-top box. If the rumours are true, this collaboration certainly has the potential to progress the transition to IPTV even further.

The market looks like it's set for certain growth at a rapid speed, but market intelligence is key to success. The Industry Report Store has a brand new report which comprehensively covers this emerging market, providing your business with all the tools necessary to succeed within it. Our IPTV Research in Focus helps leaders in the communications industry identify emerging opportunities in IPTV markets around the world. With market sizing and forecasts of IPTV subscriptions, ARPS and revenue provided on more than 50 countries for 2009-2018, with an analysis of trends. 

Why not read the report preview:

Emerging Markets Lead IPTV Subscription Growth Through 2018. Research in Focus: IPTV

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Contact us if you would like any sample pages or if you want to enquire about any reports that we might have.

Sources: Advanced-Television

About Industry Report Store:

Industry Report Store is one of the world’s most comprehensive libraries of market intelligence, with the perfect report for every business need at every budget. Business information is paramount for companies seeking to stay ahead amid challenging economic conditions and intense competition. Contact us today to take advantage of our premium intelligence insights and keep up with your industry competitors.

Follow us:

Robyn Jones

Marketing

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E:  robyn.jones@industryreportstore.com

W: www.industryreportstore.com. 

Apple is using location data in a whole new way, and it’s about to transform your life

Apple changed the way we live with the iPod. Then it did it again with the iPhone.

Steve Jobs repeated the feat once again with the iPad, and just as we get used to that, his company's about to transform our lives for the fourth time.

Apple announced its iBeacon technology with iOS7 and it's been built into all the firm's operating systems and devices since 2013. If businesses simply set up some transmitters, they can send messages to nearby smartphones advertising their presence and doing everything from sending special offers to recognising a customer.

Here are outlines two things you need to know about iBeacon:

1. It's based on Bluetooth Low Energy

Bluetooth LE is fuelling the Internet of Things, and the latest version of the 10-year-old innovation was designed specifically so it's not as energy sapping as its predecessors. This is the backbone of iBeacon - despite Bluetooth's location-based technology, it wouldn't work if everyone disabled the feature to conserve battery life.

It also means it's open standard. While Apple's trademarked iBeacon, Android and other operating systems can utilise Bluetooth to do the same thing too. The only thing they'd need to do is develop a similar app - Apple decided to build it into iOS7, meaning each smartphone automatically locates itself by using its own triangulating software.

2. Bluetooth and NFC will go head to head

Near Field Communication (NFC) has co-existed fairly peacefully with Bluetooth since 2004, but many predict that relations will grow hostile as the IoT takes hold. Nine years ago, NFC was very different to Bluetooth, but while the two are based on very distinct technologies, they are growing increasingly similar.

NFC is limited to distances of just a few centimetres, while Bluetooth extends to more than 30ft. But as Bluetooth's location accuracy improves with every update, and as the IoT means close-field communication becomes more important, the question arises: don't we just need one?