ABI Research Blog

It is well understood that the continued growth of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) will have a far-reaching impact on a number of markets. However, to support this far-reaching impact requires a capable connectivity backbone. A massive bandwidth requirement for premium content experiences combined with ubiquitous all-day device usage will bring about an unprecedented network strain, unable to be fully supported with current network infrastructure. The introduction of 5G, and its continued development over the next decade, will allow mobile AR and VR to reach their full potential across industries.

TV consumption is making a clear migration from broadcast and classic managed IPTV platforms to over-the-top (OTT) delivery.  This occurs in both live linear channels as well as with catch-up content, defined as video on demand (VOD) assets of recently aired content played out to consumers while capturing the TV audience.  From a business model standpoint, early premium OTT services were based primarily on subscription VOD models (SVOD) and therefore ad-free content.  Meanwhile, early online video platforms, generally defined as short-form content like YouTube, relied primarily on pre-roll advertisements.  They have done so primarily within the context of dedicated applications (YouTube, Vevo, etc.), which originate the advertising and content from the same server and can coordinate the playback.  Newer live linear Pay TV Lite services, supported by mix of subscription and ad supported revenues, are just taking off as a meaningful component of the Pay TV landscape.  They grew nearly 50% in 2016 to US$1.1 billion and are expected to grow at a 44% annual growth rate through 2021 to represent US$6.8 billion in subscription revenues.

Every so often Amazon makes announcement that looks like a Ryanair publicity stunt; something that sounds remotely plausible but in reality is a non-starter. The difference is that these are very much starters. We have seen the drone, the bookstore and even Amazon Dash and now we have the payless store. No more queues, no more coupons, no more loyalty cards, no more neural network-like calculations on the shortest line to join; you walk in, pick up your stuff and walk out again, simple as that. The problem is that to enable this simplicity requires a technology that doesn’t seem to exist right now.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler published an interesting letter addressed to Senator Mark Warner, in response to his questions asking what the FCC is planning to do regarding the well-publicized IoT DDoS attack powered by Mirai & co botnets. Mr. Warner puts it well when he states that “Mirai’s efficacy depends, in large part, on the unacceptably low level of security inherent in a vast array of network devices”. And he is right to be concerned.

Sports leagues, advertisers, and broadcasters looking to impress sponsors, develop their future technology platform, and impressed fans have started to invest in at least a single UltraHD camera rig and production system, capable of producing a predictable pace of premium UltraHD content. Many distributors today are thinking of delivering this content as demonstrations, with a relatively few offering ongoing services in UltraHD. Some recent UltraHD content distributed to consumers, including sports and arts content, includes:

The promise of investment for securing industrial control systems (ICS) has remained relatively unfulfilled in the past few years since the first shockwaves resulting from the discovery of Stuxnet in 2009. Industrial operators have been slow to implement comprehensive cybersecurity mechanisms within their facilities. Cost factors, legacy equipment, skills shortage, and low risk awareness all contribute to the poor state of affairs in ICS security, despite best intentions.

A Thriving Market Still with Room to Grow

Kontakt.io hs just announced a new rnge of hardware platform on which a new generation of start-ups and applications around asset tracking and RTLS can be built. Kontakt.io offers gateway infrastructure, cloud platform and a range of different tag formats, which will enable low cost indoor asset tracking that is easy to deploy and manage.

Airports are finally emerging as one of the hottest verticals for BLE beacons and indoor location technology, and San Diego International Airport created an innovative deployment that should act as a prototype for airports across the world on the multiple layers of utility these technologies can bring.