World Tech Update – 5/16/13
IDG News Service
Coming up on WTU this week sending cash via Gmail and more at Google IO, BBM coming to iOS and Android and Windows Blue to restore some missed features.
Upcoming Events
| Event | Date | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 05/20/2013 | New York NY | |
| 05/27/2013 - 05/28/2013 | New York NY | |
| 06/02/2013 - 06/04/2013 | San Francisco CA |
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Smartphones and Tablets, Though Mobile, Require Separate Ad Approach
MediaPost
According to an industry analysis by Adobe Digital Index, mobile devices have changed the way consumers interact with businesses, making an understanding of the trends, strengths, and weaknesses of both tablets and smartphones important in serving mobile customers. Another perspective in the ongoing and growing interest in mobile marketing and advertising. In just three years, says the report, tablets have overtaken smartphones in the amount of traffic they drive.
Tablet versus smartphone growth
• Globally, websites are getting more traffic from tablets than smartphones
• Internet users view 70% more pages per visit when browsing on a tablet vs. a smartphone
• While tablet and smartphone consumers are both mobile users tablet users actually behave more like PC users in the way they browse and engage
PC Shipments Post the Steepest Decline Ever in a Single Quarter, According to IDC
IDC Press Release
4/10/13
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Worldwide PC shipments totaled 76.3 million units in the first quarter of 2013 (1Q13), down -13.9% compared to the same quarter in 2012 and worse than the forecast decline of -7.7%, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker. The extent of the year-on-year contraction marked the worst quarter since IDC began tracking the PC market quarterly in 1994. The results also marked the fourth consecutive quarter of year-on-year shipment declines.
World Tech Update – 4/11/13
IDG News Service
On WTU this week we’re at the NAB Show in Las Vegas where “affordable” 4K pricing is announced, a second screen experience hopes to boost couch commerce and a flying drone captures stunning, stable video.
15 Stats Brands Should Know About Mobile
Digiday
Mobile’s not a nice-to-have anymore. The year of mobile might be hard to pinpoint, but there’s little doubt we’re entering a post-desktop era of ubiquitous computing and media consumption.
Here are 15 stats that all brands should know about mobile.
The U.S. is at 101 percent wireless penetration. (CTIA)
1 billion smartphones will be shipped globally this year. (Gartner)
Apple beats all other phone manufacturers in customer satisfaction for smartphones. (J.D. Power and Associates)
59 percent of mobile users are as comfortable with mobile advertising as they are with TV and online ads. (InMobi)
85 percent of mobile users prefer mobile apps over the mobile Web. (Compuware)
Many Marketers Lacking Mobile Strategy
MediaPost
Despite words to the contrary, many brands are jumping into the mobile world without any real strategy behind what they’re doing and why.
According to new research from mobile consumer research company Kontagent and Econsultancy, more than two-thirds of companies do not have a defined way of determining whether the mobile experiences they’re creating for consumers are effective, and only a third are tracking the performance of their apps.
“Mobile is a different animal than the traditional, PC-based Web,” Dan Kimball, chief marketing officer for Kontagent, tells Marketing Daily. “It’s a whole new ball game. What [brands] are having trouble understanding is mobile is not just sitting at a PC. It’s on the go. It’s always on.” The result, Kimball says, is that many companies have developed mobile marketing programs because they know they need to have one, rather than having stopped and thought about what they want to achieve with those programs.
PC Market Forecast to Decline for a Second Consecutive Year in 2013, According to IDC
IDC Press Release
FRAMINGHAM, Mass. – Despite intense industry efforts to overcome market inertia, 2012 nonetheless ended on a sour note with global PC shipment volume shrinking 3.7% on the year. With limited initial traction from Windows 8 in the holiday season, and continued pressure from tablets, IDC now expects 2013 PC shipments to decline by 1.3% in 2013, according to the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly PC Tracker.
Disappointing holiday sales, an underwhelming reception to Windows 8, and continuing economic malaise that further crimped IT budgets marked the face of the market during the second half of 2012, leading to a year-on-year decline of 8.3% in fourth quarter shipments, the most substantial decline recorded for a holiday quarter.
Furthermore, emerging market growth potential is declining and coming closer to that of mature regions. 2012 marked the first year that emerging markets have seen a volume decline, and while 2013 will return to growth, it is projected at less than 1% and with modest, single-digit growth through 2017. For mature regions, 2013 will mark the third consecutive year of volume declines. IDC continues to expect limited growth in 2014 and 2015 with contracting volume in later years.
World Tech Update – Week 2/7/13
IDG News Service
Coming up on World Tech Update this week Dell goes private, the EU considers new cyber security rules and BlackBerry’s Q10 potential delay.
With buyout set, Dell needs to lay out PC strategy – Rivals HP and Lenovo could use market uncertainty to their advantage
Computerworld
Computerworld - Dell’s buyout deal should give the company renewed business flexibility and stealth, but its customers need to know if Dell will be in the PC market for the long haul.
“Now, Dell will be able to better compete with HP, Lenovo, IBM and Cisco,” said Patrick Moorhead, an analyst with Moor Insights & Strategy. “They can do what they want without the scrutiny of Wall Street and the SEC, and do it under the radar, making it harder for competitors to guess at Dell’s next moves and then making defensive moves to thwart them.”
However, whether Dell, the third-largest PC maker in the world, plans to continue to be a major player in the PC business is an open question. That question has customers – both enterprises and consumers – concerned.
“It’s too early to tell how much Dell wants to remain in PCs,” said Moorhead. “They could more easily reduce or exit the business as a private company… Dell customers, specifically business PC customers and channels, could be a little edgy until Dell announces it’s in the PC business for the long haul.”
Hewlett-Packard, which has been barely hanging on to its number one position in the PC market, used the news of Dell’s buyout announcement to take a jab at its competitor.
“Dell has a very tough road ahead,” HP said in a released statement. “The company faces an extended period of uncertainty and transition that will not be good for its customers. And with a significant debt load, Dell’s ability to invest in new products and services will be extremely limited. Leveraged buyouts tend to leave existing customers and innovation at the curb.”
HP says it may sell assets that underperform – The disclosure comes in the wake of a controversial $8.9 billion writedown of the company’s Autonomy division
IDG News Service (Boston Bureau)
BOSTON- Hewlett-Packard will continue to evaluate potential divestitures of underperforming parts of its business, and the process could get messy, the company warned its investors in its annual 10-K document, which was filed in late December.
“When we decide to sell assets or a business, we may encounter difficulty in finding buyers or alternative exit strategies on acceptable terms in a timely manner, which could delay the achievement of our strategic objectives,” HP added. “We may also dispose of a business at a price or on terms that are less desirable than we had anticipated.”
Bloomberg first reported HP’s statement on Tuesday. In 2011, HP said it was considering a spin-off of its PC division but ultimately decided against such a move.
No specific business units were named in HP’s 10-K filing as potentially coming up for sale, but speculation on HP’s intentions may center on its Autonomy software business unit, which has been wracked in recent months by alleged accounting improprieties and a US$8.8 billion writedown in value. HP attributed some $5 billion of the writedown to the alleged accounting fraud.