Apple v Android battle, unlimited mobile plans and ‘mobilution’ just some of the predictions for the new year.Next year will indeed be a tumultuous one for the telecommunications industry, if market analysts IDC’s 2011 predictions for telecommunications are anything to go by.
The battle for market share in smartphones looks set to intensify, as they “continue to filter down prices drop, cannibalising feature phones in the low to midrange,” according to the forecast.
The fight over the leading operating systems also looks to gain further ground and although Apple is seeking to increase its grip over the market with the iPhone, over 2.2 million Android smartphones to be shipped in here next year, setting stage for an intensive competition for users.
“Android will increasingly put pressure on Apple’s newly acquired lead in the smartphone market,” said Mark Novosel, Market Analyst, Telecommunications at IDC.
Mobile voice and data plans will also undergo reform in the new year, with carriers expected to offer more and more “unlimited” plans, in a bid to acquire subscribers.
Telstra will also seek to get in on the cheap data act, launching its Project New, as demand for home phone lines dwindle and cheaper mobile packages dampen fixed line demand.
“Vodafone recently undercut competitors with the launch of its “Infinite” range of plans, starting from only A$45 per month.”
“With the A$49 price-point widely seen as a sweet spot in the world of mobile capped plans, there’s no doubt that a A$45 plan offering unlimited standard calls, both local and international SMS and MMS, with 1GB of data and unmetered social networking is highly appealing,” he said.
Cloud computing is also hotly tipped to explode in 2011, and despite security concerns voiced several software experts as reported by Channel News last week, the IDC forecast security concerns will be overcome says IDC.
The Cloud system, already flagged as one of the top ten future technologies, could be well set to completely change the business landscape, where the network of computers make up the cloud in a remote location, reducing the hardware and software load required in-office.
Media Tablets will also become hotly contested as vendors are to up their offering and 2011 will also see the ‘Mobilution’ in the IT sector, where mobile solutions will be key.
The full scale rollout of the NBN will also kick off the end of 2011 with the break up of Telstra’s network assets “optimistic yet achievable’
With the largest hurdle passed, the remaining steps should not pose a significant challenge,” says the market analyst.
