Smart Connected Devices Expected to Double by 2016
If you haven’t gotten a handle on your customers’ mobile device management issues yet, you’d better do it soon. That’s because the tidal wave of mobile devices on the market is set to just get bigger and bigger.
More than 916 units of smart connected devices, including PCs, smartphones and media tablets, were shipped in 2011. According to the International Data Corporation (IDC), the revenues from these shipments surpassed $489 billion dollars, which reflect the combined totals from IDC’s WorldWide Quarterly PC Tracker, Mobile Phone Tracker and Media Tablet Tracker.
With that being said, where will unit shipments land in our future? By 2016, IDC predicts shipments will reach a whopping 1.84 billion units. These predictions are more than double the 2011 figure. For the five-year forecast period, this works out to a compound annual growth rate of 15.4 percent.
In addition, IDC expects a dramatic shift in platforms between 2011 and 2016. The Windows on x86 platform, which in 2011 led the pack with 35.9 percent share, falls down to 25.1 percent in 2016. On the other hand, the Android platforms are expected to grow. In 2011, Android platforms shared 29.4 percent of the market, while predictions have Android platforms leading the market with 31.1 percent.
The smartphone growth leaves companies with the challenge of staying ahead of the security and management issues associated with so many users having mobile devices.
