Multitouch has already been disruptive in the smartphone market and this disruption will spread to other parts of the consumer electronics segment- the recent research by Gartner reveals. Multitouch technology has rapidly moved to become the consumer experience on high-end smartphones. The behaviour associated with multitouch is extending to additional devices, such as tablets, digital media players or portable navigation devices.
The success of Apple’s iPhone has significantly disrupted the smartphone industry and has resulted in most high-end smartphones adopting touchscreens. Some of the smartphones have implemented multitouch, while others have chosen single-touch solutions. Consumers have moved towards smartphones with touch implementations, with one exception- smartphones that have heavy messaging as their central value proposition. Some users opted for physical keyboard for long emails and text messages.
When Apple launched the iPhone, there were very few touchscreen handsets in the market. Within a matter of months, the number of touchscreen phones had increased dramatically. Multitouch has already caused a disruption in product introductions for multiple industries and has the potential to change well-established consumer’s behaviours. It will also continue to disrupt the market in the PC and tablet segment as it has the potential to disrupt the entrenched mouse controls that the PC industry has relied on for years. Multitouch could redefine the PC form factor over time.
Finnish mobile phone maker Nokia has launched Lumia 800 and Lumia 710- two new smartphones based on Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7.5 operating system. It marks the beginning of Nokia’s fightback against Apple’s iPhone and competitors using Google’s Android software. Nokia’s CEO said that the launched marked the “rebirth” of Nokia.
The flagship Lumia 800 (codenamed “Sea Ray”) gets the bold look of N9 while the Lumia 710 (aka “Sabre”) is the budget Nokia wit the the same perks as 800. The Lumia 800 is priced at 420 Euro, while the Lumia 710 is much more affordable at 270 Euro. To distinguish itself from other Windows phone makers Nokia is betting on a range of services. Lumia 800 and 710 users will get to enjoy free apps and services out-of-box: the voice assisted navigational service Nokia Drive, Nokia Music’s MixRadio streaming app to discover local music around the world, and the ESPN Sports Hub for the latest news. Both phones will also include 25 GB of free SkyDrive cloud-based storage from Windows.
Software giant Microsoft has been struggling for years to break into the mobile phone market. The Lumia launch, with 35 network operators, will be accompanied by a campaign called “The Amazing Everyday” involving viral marketing stunts. Microsoft is reportedly supporting both Nokia with tens of millions of dollars to advertise new Windows Phones in the market.
The latest study by sourcing advisory group TPI reveals that the investment in outsourced IT services is growing. The retail, manufacturing, media and telecoms sectors in Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) have spent more money on outsourcing during the first nine months of this year than in the whole of 2010.
The manufacturing sector spent €5.8bn in the first three quarters of this year, compared with €5.6bn in all of 2010. The retail industry’s investment in outsourced IT so far this year reached €1.4bn compared with €0.8bn in 2010. The telecoms sector has spent €4bn so far in 2011 compared with €2.8bn in he full 12 months last year.
Meanwhile, the financial services sector has slowed its spending on outsourced IT services. After the first three quarters of 2011 the sector’s spending accounts for 48% of its total for 2010. Financial sector was not alone in reducing spending. The energy, healthcare and pharmaceutical sectors also experienced falls.
Martyn Hart, chairman of the National Outsourcing Association commented: “Outsourcing in the Emea retail sector has risen 600% on last quarter, and 75% year-on-year. This is due to major retail players seeking competitive advantage by adopting high-tech IT solutions and infrastructure upgrades. They are turning to outsourcing providers as a low-risk route to superior technology.”
Reasons for outsourcing IT services
- Outsourcing reduces capital and operating costs.
- It saves time and provides relief from the administrative tasks involved in employee-related responsibilities. The company can then focus on growth strategies.
- In 95% of cases proactive IT support service is better than having internal IT team
- Even companies which have internal IT provision often need some extra assistance
- Internal IT team may need additional skills or simply more engineering time to implement a new project
- IT requires a vast range of skills and internal IT people may not possess all the necessary skills.
- Outsourcing IT support services means that the company can concentrate on its core business.
Multitouch has already been disruptive in the smartphone market and this disruption will spread to other parts of the consumer electronics segment- the recent research by Gartner reveals. Multitouch technology has rapidly moved to become the consumer experience on high-end smartphones. The behaviour associated with multitouch is extending to additional devices, such as tablets, digital media players or portable navigation devices.
