New research indicates that the number of smartphones shipped in 2009 topped 180 million units worldwide, with Nokia, Research in Motion, and Apple sharing 60% of the market claims research Company Park Associates.
Annual sales will reach almost 400 million by 2014, and as the number of users approaches one billion, consumer demand will grow for mobile broadband services that can share content, particularly high-quality video, across connected devices and the home network.
“Applications will have to diversify with the growing population of users, creating huge opportunities for mobile application integrators, solution enablers, and payment technology providers,” said Kurt Scherf , session moderator and VP, principal analyst, Parks Associates. “These important partners for mobile carriers and handset makers enable new revenue models, accelerate time-to-market for new apps, and enhance users’ phone experience.”
In a recent Parks Associates survey on mobile convergence, over one-third of smartphone users expressed an interest in streaming multimedia content stored on home CE to their mobile device. Service providers will have to adapt their mobile and video strategies to meet the demands of multiple platforms, and the panelists will discuss these challenges, plus the impact of new devices such as the iPad and the HP Slate.
