Deloitte Canada today released a string of high tech predictions for 2013 largely go against the grain of widely held assumptions.
For instance, contrary to popular opinion, consumers are not dumping the personal computers for smart phones and tablet devices, according to Duncan Stewart, director of research for the professional services firm.
1. “The PC is not dead,” Stewart said today as he presented Deloitte’s TMT (technology, media and telecommunication) Prediction 2013 in Toronto. It’s all about usage and projections indicate that more than 80 per cent of Internet traffic in 2013 will continue to come from laptops and desktops.”
Simply put, he said, people still do the bulk of their work on laptops and desktops because of their larger screens and keyboards.
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Other predictions were:
2. The end of passwords – More than 90 per cent of user-generated passwords (even strong ones) will be vulnerable to hacking in seconds. In 2013, look to the proliferation of multiple authentication tools such as token devices, tap-an-go cards, fingerprints and other biometrics and passwords sent via SMS on mobile phones.
3. The reality of TV ”cord cutting” – More than 90 per cent of North Americans will continue to pay for TV subscriptions. Cord cutters, people who switched from TV viewing to Internet viewing are not the danger. The industry should be watching instead the so-called “cord nevers” –younger viewers raised on the Internet who will likely not even subscribe when they move out of their parents’ homes.
4. Over-the-top TV – OTT TV and movie services will be providing traditional broadcasters and distributors a lift in revenues over their pure play counterparts. This is because the legacy broadcasters largely own rights to more current content while smaller pure play firms generally obtain rights for older material.
5. 4K Ultra HD Displays – The next generation of high definition displays will feature 4K technology which boasts of four times higher resolution than current standard HD units. The main hurdles to adoption though are price (up to $15,000 to $25,000 per unit) and the lack of 4K configured content.
6. Crowdfunding grows bigger – Deloitte predicts the alternative venture capital strategy will grow into a $3 billion industry globally in 2013. That’s a 100 per cent increase over 2011. The main challenges will be how to build policies and legislation that will protect investors.
7. Tablets will drive mobile advertising – Mobile advertising will grow by 50 per cent to reach $ 9 billion globally in 2013. The growth though will be largely driven by tablet devices. Mobile ads on smart phones will lag because smaller screens don’t make much of a splash.
8. Enterprise Social Networks – More than 90 per cent of Fortune 500 companies will have selective or fully implemented ESN strategies by the end of 2013. That’s a 70 per cent jump over 2011 figure, even as surveys indicate that only a third of those who register on such networks ever read its contents and that just 40 per cent of users post to their ESN. The big push is that for the cost (about $1 per user), companies get pretty good bang for their buck.
9. BYOD news shape – More enterprise companies will begin implementing bring-your-own-device policies. However, businesses will not be paying for the PCs. Instead, employee will buy and own the devices. The employer will only provide users with access to the company network.
10. Looming spectrum shortage – Ever growing demand for wireless bandwidth will eventually cause spectrum exhaustion among service providers, especially in Canada. These will lead to slower Internet speeds, inability to access networks and more dropped calls and lost data sessions.