Which technology trends will be big this year? Where will we see the strongest growth of tech device ownership? How can businesses stay on top of this fast-changing environment? We interviewed GfK technology and media expert, Tilman Rotberg, to find out.
Script
Where is the greatest growth potential for device manufacturers?
Our GfK forecasts show that China continues to be a very important market when it comes to tech devices. However, there are many other markets that we need to pay more attention to in the future because those are the markets that have the highest growth rates.
There is India of course, but also countries such as Pakistan, Nigeria and Vietnam, all of which will experience a very high growth rate when it comes to tech devices and so far not all manufacturers have paid attention to these markets.
What will be the key technology trends and developments in 2015?
This year we are expecting that wearables will finally be a success in the market and will move more towards the mass market. If those devices meet consumers’ needs and if consumers really understand the benefits, businesses will need to clearly communicate what consumers will get out of this additional screen in addition to the screens that they already have.
In addition, we have the area of smart homes which we have all been talking about for quite a while and the question is “will it finally pick up this year”? We know that consumers have a very high interest in smart homes; however, at this point they are not willing to necessarily pay for it, especially when we look at older age brackets. So what does this mean? Companies need to fully understand what consumers are looking for and need to clearly communicate those benefits in a language that consumers actually understand so that they are willing to make those long term investments that a smart home actually requires.
The larger trend of course is ‘The Internet of Things’ and business needs to understand this trend in order to succeed.
How can businesses stay competitive in this fast-changing environment?
In the ever changing technology environment that we live in with innovation constantly speeding up, it is even more important to get things right from the first moment on.
This is particularly true in the age of social media where people talk about their experiences very quickly, rumours spread around and this can actually cause a significant threat to the business potential; unless manufacturers and service companies get the experience right from the first moment on and reflect, with their products and with their service ideas, the needs that consumers really have.
