38 X-PLATFORM

January-February 2016

Because of the proliferation in Internet usage , people are becoming increasingly interconnected with others . In identifying the “ 10 Hot Consumer Trends 2016 ”, Ericsson ConsumerLab reported that four out of five people now experience a lifestyle network effect , where an individual ’ s benefit from a range of online services increases as more people use them .

According to Ericsson , this network effect happens to almost all new products and services simultaneously because of the Internet , with the accumulated value getting aggregated on a lifestyle level .

Crowd intelligence is an example of the lifestyle network effect , with 38 % of survey respondents considering user reviews to be better than expert reviews .

As the Internet continues to evolve , new generations are growing up with their own native behaviours . For instance , 20 % of 16-19 year olds say they watch more than three hours of YouTube daily , compared to only 7 % in 2011 .

Today ’ s teens are now streaming natives , with 46 % of them spending an hour or more on YouTube every day . Streaming natives also watch video on different platforms , spending around 59 % of their total viewing time on mobile screens , which is “ considerably more ” than other age groups .

The importance of visual information will continue to grow , especially outside of traditional screens . The way visual information is consumed will evolve , becoming more immersed in the physical world around us , predicted Ericsson . For instance , expect the emergence of movies that play virtually around the viewers , and VR headsets for sports to gain interest .

As the Internet continues to expand its global reach , the threat of cyberattacks will grow . Ericsson found that the majority of smartphone users believe a range of organisations , products and services will be hacked or become infected by a virus in the near future . Some 18 % of this group indicated that their trust in an organisation , product or service will be reduced when

it has been hacked .

However , not all is doom and gloom , with Ericsson identifying the positive effects that hacking can potentially bring . As many as 21 % of respondents say their trust goes up after an organisation resolves a problem after being hacked or infected .

Other trends Ericsson identified include : n Artifical Intelligence ( AI ) will enable interaction with objects without the need for a smartphone screen . n Bricks used to build homes could include sensors that monitor mould , leaks and electricity issues . n Smart commuters who want to use their time meaningfully and not feel like passive objects in transit . n Social networks may become the preferred way to contact emergency services . n Internal sensors in our bodies that measure well-being may become the new wearables . n Consumers share more information than ever and believe it increases their influence on society .

Net Insight says it is entering the over-the-top ( OTT ) market in order to solve the live OTT streaming challenges stunting the growth of this market opportunity .

Fredrik Tumegård , CEO of Net Insight , explained : “ With our innovation supporting a new level of live OTT , it will change the way we consume TV today . This is one of the most important evolutions of the media industry in many years , and it opens up many new business opportunities for the entire media and entertainment ecosystem .

“ The entry into the OTT market is an obvious and natural progression for us as it leverages our long , successful and unmatched expertise in live and high-quality media transport . With more than 500 media customers worldwide today , this puts Net Insight in the unique position to solve today ’ s OTT market challenges .”

And Net Insight ’ s live OTT solution has already signed up its first customer in Tata

Communications , which is integrating the Net Insight solution into its Media Ecosystem , including the Video Connect service .

Net Insight ’ s live OTT solution enables customers to overcome live OTT challenges by harmonising the first and second screens . Providing the capability to synchronise multi-screen TV in real time , Net Insight says it is paving the way for the monetisation of the “ massive commercial value ” found in live content .

In addition to synchronisation , the Net Insight solution allows the first and second screens to be integrated , thus enabling the second screen to serve as an extension of the viewing experience , and as a tool for interactivity .

The combination of synchronisation and the integrated second screen , said Net Insight , opens up “ significant business potential ” via viewer engagement with advertising , and as a device to interact via social media , all within the real-time TV viewing experience .

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