Deloitte held an event in downtown Toronto yesterday where they shared their 2013 TMT predictions to a packed room of over 1,200. The event has significantly grown in size and for the first time we noticed a number of professionals from the public relations industry, which shows a definite shift in digital communications.
- P@$$1234: The end of strong password-only security — More than 90% of user-generated passwords — even those considered strong — will be vulnerable to hacking in seconds. Additional forms of authentication including token devices, additional passwords sent through SMS to your phone, fingerprints and other biometrics, or even ‘tap and go’ credit cards may be required.
- The reality of TV “cord cutting” in North America — More than 99% of North Americans will continue their pay TV subscriptions. But a growing number of young people will likely not subscribe when they move out on their own, becoming the first generation of “cord nevers.”
- Over-the-top may lift legacy broadcasters more than pure plays — Two of the top three over-the-top (OTT) TV and movie services are likely to be provided by existing broadcasters or distributors.
- 4K kicks off — The next generation of high definition (HD) TV sets — 4K — will be available in Canadian stores, offering four times higher resolution than the current highest standard HD TV. But there will be no 4K broadcasts in 2013, so consumers will not have much to watch on their expensive ($15,000 – $25,000) sets.
- The PC is not dead: It’s about usage not units — More than 80% of Internet traffic measured in bits will continue to be generated on traditional personal computers (desktops and laptops). And of the total time spent on PCs, tablets and smartphones combined, more than 70% will be using PCs. This includes both work and home usage.
- Let’s get together: Crowdfunding portals bring in the bucks — Crowdfunding portals will raise $3-billion globally, a 100% increase over 2011.
- “Mobile advertising” thrives, led by tablets, but smartphone display lags — “Mobile” advertising — a category including tablets, smartphones and feature phones —should grow by 50% to reach $9-billion globally.
- Enterprise Social Networks (ESN): Another tool, but not yet a panacea — More than 90% of Fortune 500 companies will have selectively or fully implemented an ESN by the end of 2013, a 70% increase over 2011. Of those who register, only a third will read content once a week or more and just 40% will make an ESN post in the average month.
- Bring your own computer: A tale of two interpretations — Very few additional companies will adopt a bring-your-own-computer (BYOC) policy where the employer pays for the PC. At the same time, 50% of Fortune 500 companies will allow employees to bring their own personally-owned and paid for computers.
- The looming spectrum shortage: Worse before it gets better — The demand for wireless bandwidth continues to grow causing increased spectrum exhaustion, especially in Canada’s urban areas — leading mainly to slower speeds, but sometimes an inability to access networks or dropped calls or data sessions.
Take a look at what Deloitte has predicted in the past, 2011 TMT Predications, 2010 TMT Predictions.