Type of Article: MacTech Blog

Intelligent automation will transform workplace outsourcing according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). Sourcing and vendor management leaders must prepare to restructure these services and renegotiate contracts to leverage intelligent automation, according to the research group.

Gartner defines intelligent automation services as the umbrella term for a variety of strategies, skills, tools and techniques that service providers are using to remove the need for labor, and increase the predictability and reliability of services while reducing the cost of delivery.

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that smart speakers such as Amazon Echo, Google Home, and the Sonos One will be installed in over 70 million US households by 2022, reaching 55% of all homes. Total installed devices will exceed 175 million.

Ultra-mobile devices (UMD) are on the verge of becoming mainstream from being a niche product category, according to a new report from Transparency Market Research (www.transparencymarketresearch.com).

Their sales are soaring with companies banking on new product launches to entice the rising crop of tech savvy consumers, according to the research group. A prominent characteristic of the global ultra-mobile devices market is the presence of numerous suppliers for similar components which makes it easier for buyers to switch suppliers at low costs.

Adtaxi (www.adtaxi.com), a digital marketing agencies, has released the results of its inaugural “State of Ecommerce” in America survey, an in-depth look at ecommerce trends and consumer preferences nationwide. From small inexpensive household items to mega, high-priced purchases such as automobiles, the scope and willingness of consumers to make purchases online has proven to be powerfully pervasive.

The survey reveals just how often consumers are making purchases online, what they are purchasing and the method in which they are purchasing them. Highlights of the survey:

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that global consumer spend on digital content will reach $202 billion in 2018, up by 10% on this year’s total of $184 billion.

The research found that SVoD (Subscription Video on Demand) services will be a key driver of growth, with major OTT (Over The Top) players such as Netflix and Amazon committing budgets of more than $5 billion to original content over the coming year. Meanwhile, Apple and Facebook are each expected to invest at least $1 billion for the first time.