NEW YORK: Reportlinker.com announces that a new market research report is available in its catalogue:

The Future of Pc/Mobile Convergence: Competing technologies and emerging business models for the mobile Internet

http://www.reportlinker.com/p0186701/The-Future-of-Pc-Mobile-Convergence-Competing-technologies-and-emerging-business-models-for-the-mobile-Internet.html?d=CPDAIN21

The global mobile phone industry has been extremely successful in the past decade, with an average year-on-year subscriber growth of 24%. While the market has reached saturation in the more developed countries, it is still growing strongly in developing countries due to a combination of cheaper mobile phone handsets and the relative lack of fixed line infrastructure. Mobile operators therefore face two challenges: how to maintain or stimulate demand in the mature markets and secure a new client base and acquire market share in the developing markets.

There were an estimated 1.2bn computers in use worldwide at the end of 2008 with mobile PCs driving the current and future computer expansion although general PC growth is slowing. As is the case with the mobile phone industry, the bulk of the installed base (nearly 60%) can be found in mature markets. However, developing countries will increasingly account for a larger share of the global installed base and PC penetration is expected to double by 2013.

The lines have become more and more blurred between the mobile phone industry and computer industry with consumers demanding more portability and mobility, processing capability and access to data and applications anywhere and at any time. The availability of multifunctional devices such as smartphones with cloud computing capacities and portable PCs with integrated mobile technology able to access 3G, EDGE and other mobile networks for data transfer is further contributing to the convergence between the PC and mobile markets.

Key features of this report

• Overview of the market trends, technological and regulatory changes that shape pc/mobile convergence.
• Identification of the current issues influencing the convergence between the PC and mobile technologies.
• Description of the converged products and services currently available.
• Forecasts of products and services available in the future.
• Analysis of the threats and opportunities posed by PC/mobile convergence.

Scope of this report

• Review the current technologies, standards, regulatory frameworks and devices impacting the mobile phone and computer industries.
• Identify changes in consumers' lifestyle and needs that stimulate offerings of converged mobile and PC products and services.
• Understand how technological advances in both mobile telephony and computing are leading towards a convergence between mobile telephony and computing.
• Assess the implications, threats and opportunities of PC/mobile convergence for mobile operators, handset manufacturers and IT companies.

Key Market Issues

• PC and mobile phone users in mature, developed, markets have higher expectations from their ICT providers. They demand more portability, high-speed data and seamless mobility. They also expect multifunctional devices, networked products and combined services. Faced with an increasingly competitive environment and demanding clients, IT and mobile companies are looking at new ways of creating and sustaining demand through the integration of more advanced multimedia services.
• All-in-one devices that combine telephony with access to the Internet and multimedia services are becoming more popular across the board, intensifying the competition between IT companies, fixed broadband operators, mobile operators and integrated operators. Mobile and computer companies are trying to broaden their service offerings to meet and stimulate demand in increasingly competitive mature markets, leading to networked products and converged services such as on-demand video, digital TV, high speed Internet, VoIP and wireless applications.
• In developing countries mobile phones are replacing landlines due to the relative lack of fixed infrastructure. Investor interest and future expansion and upgrade will pave the way for mobile broadband and converged services in those markets.
• Technological advances in wireless information transfer will make next generation wireless technologies a more cost-effective and efficient option than 3G mobile Internet for mobile operators. This is, however, hampered by the finite amount of spectrum currently available. The digital switchover and resulting digital dividend will bring convergence between the PC and mobile even closer by making a vast amount of spectrum available to mobile operators.

Key findings from this report

• Mobile communications are replacing traditional fixed communications across the world. This trend is caused by increasing user mobility and demand for portable devices and "always on" ICT services in developed countries, and relative lack of fixed telephone infrastructures in developing countries.
• Technological advances combined with tougher competition and changing lifestyles are contributing to the convergence between the mobile telephony and PC industry and accelerating the decline of traditional computing and telephony.
• The IT and telecoms industries share technological standards for the provision of wireless connectivity, which contributes further to the convergence of the two industries.
• Mobile and PC penetration levels are close to saturation in developed countries, while there is still room for growth in emerging markets, where penetration levels are much lower. Emerging countries therefore present greater growth opportunities for ICT companies and a number of them have already implemented strategies to exploit those markets.

Key questions answered

• What are the major trends and drivers behind PC/mobile convergence?
• What technologies and enablers will influence further development in converged mobile and PC products and services?
• Who are the major players in the PC/mobile converged market and how do they position themselves?
• What are the main threats posed by the convergence between PC and mobile products and services and how can companies protect themselves?
• How will the PC/mobile converged market evolve and grow in the next 3-5 years?

Companies mentioned

Acer , Apple , Google , Huawei , Microsoft , Motorola , Nokia , Verizon Wireless , Vodafone

Table of Contents

The Future of PC/Mobile Convergence

Executive summary 10

Market overview 10

The competitive landscape shaping convergence 10

Emerging converged products and services 11

Leading player strategies 12

The future of PC/mobile convergence 13

Chapter 1 Introduction 16

Introduction 16

Who is this report for and what is it about? 17

Definitions 18

3G 18

Convergence 18

Desktop PC 18

EDGE 18

GSM 18

HSPA 18

LTE 19

Mobile broadband 19

Mobile internet 19

Notebook 19

Netbook 19

Wi-Fi 19

WiMAX 19

Chapter 2 Market overview 22

Summary 22

Introduction 22

From desktop computing to mobile computing 23

Desktop computing is in decline but remains an important ICT segment 23

Portable devices are challenging desktop computers 23

The recession hits desktop PCs sales hard 25

The PC industry is adapting to the new trend 26

Usage of mobile computing services is set to increase 27

Mobile telephony: from GSM to 3G 28

Mobile telephony is the most popular ICT service in the world 28

The developing countries lead the mobile telephony boom 28

Mobile data services revenue is on the rise as usage increases 33

3G Mobile technologies drive PC/mobile convergence 35

Wi-Fi versus 3G 37

Wi-Fi is cheaper for both the operator and mobile user 37

Congestion is the main issue with Wi-Fi 38

Cost issues 38

Ease of use 38

Chapter 3 The competitive landscape shaping convergence 42

Summary 42

Introduction 43

Trends and drivers 43

Consumers are mobile and demanding 43

The shift from voice to data services forces new strategies 44

Lack of fixed infrastructure in developing countries benefits mobile ICT 45

Internet penetration in Africa 46

ICTs remain more expensive in developing countries 48

Price competition is key 48

Falling ARPU leads to converged service offerings 49

User-generated content and social networking blurs the line between

IT and telecoms services 50

The impact of the recession was milder than feared 51

Regulatory drivers and barriers 52

European Union initiatives 53

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) 53

CDMA Development Group (CDG) 54

International Telecommunications Union (ITU) 54

Connect a Child Connect a Community 54

Connect Africa 54

Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) 55

The GSM Association (GSMA) 55

The Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) 56

LTE SAE Trial Initiative (LSTI) 56

Voice over LTE – One Voice initiative 56

Next Generation Mobile Networks (NGMN) alliance 56

Regulatory situation regarding radio spectrum allocation 57

In Europe 57

In the US 58

Convergence technologies and standards 58

EDGE 58

Evolved EDGE / EDGE Evolution 59

HSPA (High Speed Packet Access / 3.5G) 59

HSPA+ (evolved HSPA / HSPA Evolution) 62

Combining HSPA and EDGE 64

Long Term Evolution (LTE) 65

LTE advanced 68

WiMAX 68

CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access) 72

Main challenges to PC/mobile convergence 73

Limitations of mobile computing 73

Recommendations 74

Limitations of mobile telephony 74

Recommendations 75

Chapter 4 Emerging converged products and services 78

Summary 78

Introduction 78

Mobile broadband 79

Mobile broadband is increasingly popular 79

Mobile broadband penetration is lower in developing countries 81

Mobile VoIP 84

Voice over Wi-Fi 85

Multiplay devices 87

Handsets and smartphones 88

Notebooks and netbooks 90

Tablet PCs 90

Chapter 5 Leading player strategies 94

Summary 94

Introduction 95

Google 96

PC/mobile convergence is a huge opportunity for Google 96

Making partnerships to play in both the software and hardware fields 96

Identifying market shifts and trends 98

Opportunities through mobile advertising 99

Apple 100

The huge success of the iPhone and the App Store 100

Expansion into mobile advertising and search 100

Mixed reactions to the iPad 101

Opportunities in mobile VoIP 101

Microsoft 103

Microsoft is struggling in the mobile market 103

Windows Mobile does not meet consumer expectations 104

Microsoft's shifting mobile strategy 104

Targeting emerging markets 106

Nokia 107

Strategies to make up for lost ground 107

Competing at both ends of the market 107

Closing the app gap 108

Sticking with Symbian while developing Maemo 108

Preparing for the cloud 109

Motorola 110

Bouncing back and restructuring 110

Positioning as a leader in converged services 110

Building partnerships 111

Identifying successful future technologies 111

Mobile applications development 112

Capitalizing on social networking and music 112

Acer 113

Aiming to dominate the portable computing market 113

Mobile strategy 113

Pricing strategy 114

Emulating Apple 115

Partnerships to aid growth 115

Launching the Acer app store 115

Huawei 117

Successful low pricing strategy 117

Shifting the business model towards innovation in LTE 117

Innovation in consumer electronics 118

Verizon Wireless 119

Reinventing its networks 119

LTE deployment 120

Partnerships to drive app sales 120

New offers for customers 121

Verizon's new pricing strategy looks set to be a success 124

Vodafone 125

Shifting towards a new strategic direction 125

Opportunities in mobile Internet 125

Opportunities in mobile music 126

Taking advantage of smartphones, new payment plans and the 3G network 126

Vendor summary 128

Chapter 6 The future of PC/mobile convergence 132

Summary 132

Introduction 133

The future of PC/mobile convergence 134

Mobile broadband and data services will drive growth in mature markets 135

Competition between mobile operating systems will intensify 136

Emerging business models 138

Fully converged 139

Semi converged 140

Advances in enabling technologies drive growth 140

Mobile VoIP solutions will be deployed as part of mobile operators' move to

4G 141

PC/mobile convergence will accelerate cloud computing adoption 142

The importance of the digital dividend and spectrum availability 144

Emerging markets will provide growth opportunities 145

Index 149

List of Figures

Figure 2.1: Global computing market ($bn), 2009-2014 24

Figure 2.2: Mobile connections and penetration in Africa, 2008-2014 29

Figure 2.3: Mobile connections and penetration in Asia-Pacific, 2008-2014 30

Figure 2.4: Fixed phone lines in Africa (m), 2008-2014 31

Figure 2.5: Global fixed voice lines and revenue, 2009-2014 32

Figure 2.6: Global mobile data services revenue share, 2009 35

Figure 2.7: Total global mobile services revenues ($bn), 2008-2013 36

Figure 2.8: Wi-Fi hotspot market share (%), 2007-2008 39

Figure 3.9: Total global mobile phone shipments (m), 2009-2014 46

Figure 3.10: Internet penetration (% of population with a connection), 2006-2009 47

Figure 3.11: Global mobile voice and data revenue share, 2009 50

Figure 3.12: Available HSPA devices, Dec 2009 61

Figure 3.13: Global LTE subscriptions (m), 2012-2015 67

Figure 3.14: WiMAX users by region (m), 2007-2102 69

Figure 3.15: WiMAX user penetration by region (%), 2007-2012 70

Figure 3.16: Global 3G+ Subscribers forecast by technology family, 2013 72

Figure 4.17: Fixed and mobile broadband subscribers (m), 2009-2014 79

Figure 4.18: Consumer fixed and mobile broadband revenue ($m), 2009-2014 80

Figure 4.19: Global broadband users, incl. mobile broadband (m), 2009-2014 82

Figure 4.20: Wi-Fi certified handsets by type, March 2010 86

Figure 4.21: Wi-Fi enabled phone shipments (m), 2007-2012 87

Figure 4.22: Smartphone shipments by region (m), 2009-2014 89

Figure 5.23: US smartphone market share by platform, Sep-Dec 2009 97

Figure 5.24: Verizon total data revenue ($bn), Q3 2008, Q2 2009, Q3 2009 123

Figure 5.25: Verizon total data ARPU ($), Q3 2008, Q2 2009, Q3 2009 123

Figure 5.26: Vendor summary – Google, Apple, Microsoft 128

Figure 5.27: Vendor summary – Nokia, Motorola, Acer 129

Figure 5.28: Vendor summary – Huawei, Verizon Wireless, Vodafone 130

Figure 6.29: Influences on the future of PC/mobile convergence 134

Figure 6.30: Competing mobile operating systems' strengths and weaknesses 138

Figure 6.31: Emerging PC/mobile convergence business models 139

Figure 6.32: Global mobile cloud computing subscribers, 2008-2014 143

Figure 6.33: Per capita PC penetration per region, 2008-2012 147

List of Tables

Table 2.1: Global computing market ($bn), 2009-2014 25

Table 2.2: Mobile connections and penetration in Africa, 2008-2014 29

Table 2.3: Mobile connections and penetration in Asia-Pacific, 2008-2014 30

Table 2.4: Fixed phone lines in Africa (m), 2008-2014 31

Table 2.5: Global fixed voice lines and revenue, 2009-2014 32

Table 2.6: Top ten mobile markets worldwide by subscriptions, data revenue and service revenue, 2009 34

Table 2.7: Global mobile data services revenue share, 2009 35

Table 2.8: Total global mobile services revenues ($bn), 2008-2013 36

Table 2.9: Wi-Fi hotspot market share, 2007-2008 40

Table 3.10: Total global mobile phone shipments (m), 2009-2014 46

Table 3.11: Internet penetration (% of population with a connection), 2006-2009 47

Table 3.12: PC ASPs in the US, 2008-2009 48

Table 3.13: 37 Commercial HSPA+ networks launched by December 2009 63

Table 3.14: 29 HSPA+ networks in deployment or planned 64

Table 3.15: Global LTE subscriptions (m), 2012-2015 68

Table 3.16: WiMAX* users by region (m), 2007-2012 69

Table 3.17: WiMAX user penetration by region (%), 2007-2012 70

Table 4.18: Consumer fixed and mobile broadband subscribers and revenue, 2009-2014 80

Table 4.19: Global broadband users, incl. mobile broadband (m), 2009-2014 82

Table 4.20: Wi-Fi certified handsets by type, March 2010 86

Table 4.21: Wi-Fi phone shipments (m), 2007-2012 87

Table 4.22: Smartphone shipments by region (m), 2009-2014 89

Table 5.23: US smartphone market by platform, September-December 2009 97

Table 6.24: Global mobile cloud computing subscribers, 2008-2014 143

Table 6.25: PC penetration per region (PCs/1,000 people), 2008-2012 147