Type of Article: MacTech Blog

The global smart speaker market to grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 24.02% during the period 2017-2021, according to new data from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com).

According to the research group, one of the major drivers for this market is increase in number of smart homes. A large number of homes in developed countries such as the U.S. and the UK are being renovated into smart homes. In a smart home, smart electronics, consumer electronic devices, and media and entertainment gadgets are connected to the home network and can interact with each other.

Worldwide spending on information security products and services will reach $86.4 billion in 2017, an increase of 7% over 2016, with spending expected to grow to $93 billion in 2018, according to the latest forecast from Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com).

The emerging technologies on the “Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies, 2017” reveal three distinct megatrends that will enable businesses to survive and thrive in the digital economy over the next five to 10 years.

Artificial intelligence (AI) everywhere, transparently immersive experiences and digital platforms are the trends that will provide unrivaled intelligence, create profoundly new experiences and offer platforms that allow organizations to connect with new business ecosystems, according to Gartner (www.gartner.com).

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) forecasts 1.4 billion 5G connections by 2025, an increase from just one million in 2019, the anticipated first year of commercial launch. This will represent an average annual growth of 232%.

Juniper’s new research says that, to be successful, 5G fixed wireless broadband need to meet expectations in real-world scenarios to compete with fibre broadband.

MDR, a data and research driven marketing services agency, has released its third research report (www.schooldata.com) for the “State of the K-12 Market,” which examines shifts in U.S. K-12 instructional priorities and initiatives in light of rapid technology acceleration and advancements.

The report finds that U.S. K-12 are seeing these emerging trends: transition to more digital instructional and curricular materials; innovative ways to enhance teaching and learning anywhere and anytime; and the growing proliferation of computing devices preferred by students.