DUBLIN – Research and Markets has announced the addition of the “Digital Communications Market Report 2009” report to their offering.
In the early years of the 21st century, technology has provided consumers with an almost bewildering range of options for communicating with each other. Research conducted specifically for this Market Report in December 2008 found that, although nine out of ten adults still use traditional telephones for calling each other, a considerable majority now use mobile phones (79.3% for voice calls and 67.4% for texting), and domestic e-mail has become established as a communications channel, being used by 64.6% of adults.
The latest devices for communicating ‘on the move’ have achieved iconic status: Apple’s iPhone, the BlackBerry and a vast range of ‘third-generation’ (3G) mobile handsets offer a combination of music library, video camera and wire-free Internet connection (in addition, of course, to voice calls and texting). However, technology has not shaped the market on its own. Also important is regulation of the telecommunications industry — carried out by Ofcom in the UK and by governments in other countries — which ensures that each national market retains a distinctive structure. The most heavily regulated company is BT Group, which, although it still maintains the basic ‘land line’ network, has been prohibited from competing in the mobile markets and forced to open up its land lines to other companies.
The advancement of the Internet is another factor shaping the digital communications market. The latest ‘Web 2.0’ technologies for websites have transformed the Web into a meeting place for communicating and exchanging ideas, with a profound influence on the traditional idea of communicating. Why spend money composing an awkward text when a message can be easily posted — free — on a communal website that has been purpose-built for ‘social networking’?
Convergence of technologies — and of the functions of so many electronic gadgets — is the main market feature for the future. Companies are encroaching onto each other’s territories, so that the large mobile networks — O2, Vodafone, Orange and T-Mobile — are having to face rivals from the worlds of broadcasting (Sky) and cable (Virgin Media), while, at the same time, the latest mobile phones also intruding into Internet-provider territory by offering broadband subscriptions.
Although this remains a dynamic market, growth is bound to be slower during the ‘credit crunch’ of 2009, and signs of market saturation are inevitably emerging. Convergence will make competition ever fiercer in the years ahead, and companies might be forced to compete on price, rather than technological wizardry, during the recession, providing consumers with even easier and cheaper access to the very latest in communications.
Key Topics Covered:
* Executive Summary
* Market Definition
* Market Size
* Industry Background
* Competitor Analysis
* Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats 52
* Buying Behaviour
* Current Issues
* The Global Market
* Forecasts
* Company Profiles
* Further Sources
Companies Mentioned:
* BT Group PLC
* British Sky Broadcasting Group PLC
* Cable and Wireless PLC
* Orange Personal Communications Services Ltd
* Telefónica O2 UK Ltd
* T-Mobile (UK) Ltd
* Virgin Media Ltd
* Vodafone Group PLC
* The Carphone Warehouse Group PLC
* Hutchison 3G UK Ltd
* Microsoft Corporation
For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/a3fb00/digital_communicat
