Trends in Disruptive Consumer Technologies: Emerging Innovation and the Key Drivers of Change

There are numerous examples throughout modern history of disruptive technologies appearing, apparently from nowhere, to displace existing technologies and the industries and vendors that grew up around them. In the consumer technology space, the phenomenal adoption of mobile phones springs quickly to mind, but equally innovations such as the desktop computer, video recorders, the iPod and iTunes, flat-panel TVs, digital/personal video recorders (DVRs/PVRs) and Internet TV have caused – and continue to cause – disruption in markets and shifted the balance of power in entire industries. A number of rapidly evolving trends, technological advances and consumer behaviours are changing the shape of consumer technology markets, and in turn combining to create new consumer technology product classes and markets. As a result, a number of traditional business models are under threat.

Key features of this report

- An assessment of some of the factors that combine to create the ‘tipping point’ for new consumer technologies.

- An in-depth analysis of the current state of the tipping point factors.

- Provides market sizing and opportunity statistics for consumer technology.

- Assesses which consumer technologies are potentially open to disruption.
Scope of this report

- Gain insight into how disruption occurs.

- Understand how four factors combine to create a tipping point for new consumer technologies.

- Understand the consumer and technical trends that are shaping the evolution of technology advances.

- Gain competitive advantage by understanding how disruption occurs and which consumer technology sectors are currently most threatened by disruption.

- Understand the potential future market opportunities for new and disruptive technologies.

Key Market Issues

- How can organizations protect themselves from disruptive technologies?

- How can organizations predict disruption and turn it into competitive advantage?

- Which four factors combine to create the tipping point for new consumer technologies?

- What are the main technical and consumer trends that are shaping the future of consumer technologies?

- Where and how will disruption happen next?

Key findings from this report

- Disruptions not only displace technologies, they also fundamentally shift the balance of power in entire industries and, often, spell the end for established market leading vendors.

- There is nothing disruptive per se about any new technology; rather disruption comes from the manner in which the industry leaders and players manage it.

- There are four factors that combine to create a tipping point for new consumer technologies.

- Lifestyle and consumer trends are shaping the evolution of consumer technologies.

- Consumption of all media types is increasing across the world.

Key questions answered

- What characteristics are common to disruptive technologies?

- How can organizations assess the threat of disruption and how do they turn that knowledge into new market opportunities?

- How are consumer trends shaping the evolution of consumer technology?

- Which factors combine to create a ‘tipping point’ for consumer technologies?

- Where is disruption most likely to occur next? SHOW LESS READ MORE >

Disruptive Technology in Consumer Electronics
Executive summary
Anticipating disruption
Disruptive trends
Enablers of disruption
Technology areas facing disruption

Chapter 1 Introduction and scope of report
Introduction
Who is this report for?

Chapter 2 Anticipating disruption
Summary
Introduction
What is a disruptive technology?
Examples of disruptive technologies
Defining disruptive patterns
The evolution of a disruptive technology
Characteristics of a disruptive technology
Drivers and inhibitors of disruption
Intrinsic and extrinsic factors
Assessing the ‘tipping point’ for disruption
Shifting consumer behavior and media consumption patterns
Attitudes to work-life balance
Growing impact of the Internet
Embracing technology and connectivity
Changing media consumption habits
The ‘mobile lifestyle’
Cost of technology
Technology performance
Enablers of disruption
Conclusions

Chapter 3 Disruptive trends
Summary
Introduction
Disruptive trends
Consumption patterns: Time and location-shifting
Trend towards customization
Trend towards mobility and mobile technology
Trend towards social networking
Growth of social networks
Types of social networking sites
Trend towards cloud computing
Technology business models
The concept of ‘good enough’
Best-in-class technology
Conclusions

Chapter 4 Enablers of disruption
Summary
Introduction
Enablers of disruption
Content delivery models
New ‘broadcasting’ models
Mobile TV
Commoditization of older technologies
Broadband access and data transfer speeds
Conclusions

Chapter 5 Technology areas facing disruption
Summary
Introduction
Home entertainment
Digital video recorders
Internet radio and music streaming
Internet TV
Three-dimensional (3D) TV and Internet
3DTV
3D Internet
Portable technology
Netbooks / mobile internet
Mobile applications
Mobile gaming
Flash storage
Ethical technologies
‘Green gadgets’
Natural user interfaces
Gaming
Multi-touch screens
Index

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: The evolution of a disruptive technology
Figure 2.2: Characteristics of an early-stage disruptive technology
Figure 2.3: Simple checklist for assessing potentially disruptive technology
Figure 2.4: Examples of drivers and inhibitors of disruption
Figure 2.5: Interaction of intrinsic and extrinsic factors for disruption
Figure 2.6: Assessing the ‘tipping point’ for disruption in consumer technology
Figure 2.7: Average time spent working and on the Internet per person, per day (by country, 2012)
Figure 2.8: Connective technology drivers and inhibitors
Figure 2.9: Average time spent consuming media per day, hours (by country, 2002-2012)
Figure 3.10: Apple App Store downloads by category
Figure 3.11: Global mobile subscribers and penetration (bn, %), 2004-2008
Figure 3.12: Global iPod sales and units sold, 2006-2008
Figure 3.13: Global social networking revenue ($m), 2006-2012
Figure 3.14: Global social networking memberships, 2006-2012
Figure 4.15: Examples of disruption enablers
Figure 4.16: Six steps of commoditization
Figure 4.17: Average Internet connection speed by country, 2009
Figure 5.18: DVR household growth by region (m), 2007-2013
Figure 5.19: Global IPTV subscribers, 2009-2013 (m)
Figure 5.20: Global 3DTV market size, 2010-2015 ($bn)
Figure 5.21: Global netbook market size, 2008-2012 (millions of units shipped)
Figure 5.22: Global mobile gaming market size ($bn), 2003-2013

List of Tables

Table 2.1: Examples of disruptive technologies
Table 2.2: Intrinsic and extrinsic factors for disruptive technologies
Table 2.3: Average time spent working and on the Internet per day (2012)
Table 2.4: Internet users and total % of population, by continent, 2008
Table 2.5: Average time spent consuming media per day, hours (by country, 2002-2012)
Table 3.6: Global mobile subscribers and penetration (bn, %), 2004-2008
Table 3.7: Global social networking revenue ($m), 2006-2012
Table 3.8: Global social networking memberships, 2006-2012
Table 4.9: Internet speeds available in Europe, 2009
Table 4.10: Internet speeds available in the Americas, 2009
Table 4.11: Internet speeds available in the Middle East, 2009
Table 4.12: Internet speeds available in Asia Pacific, 2009
Table 5.13: DVR household growth by region (m), 2007-2013