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Tag Archives: 4G
Connected Anywhere
There will be few in the tech industry who missed Dropbox’s recent funding news. Its latest round of funding closed at $250 million with a market valuation of $4 billion. Although impressive, I was far more intrigued by Drew Houston’s, CEO, ambitions to integrate into our lives. Houston wants to create a world where our data is never far away. Indeed, Houston sees a future where Dropbox is integrated into just about everything, from cameras to televisions, from cars to refrigerators. Houston wants your data to follow you, wherever you are.
It’s tantalising to imagine such a reality. To have our photos, videos, music, documents and every other piece of important data close to our fingertips and accessible by any connected device. Dropbox is certainly not alone in its ambition to become the universal keeper and distributor of data though. One need only look at Apple’s iCloud or Google’s rumoured Drive (GDrive) to see this is a huge market and one where the Internet giants are keen to capitalize. There can be no question that part of the reason Dropbox is trying to make as much noise now is the threat from Apple and Google, especially on mobile devices. Read more
The Human Cloud and IT’s Arab Spring
I’m fascinated by the human cloud. I believe it represents a seismic shift in the way we work and in the very way we live. The notion that we can use the rapid advancements in global networks to build an online workforce not bound by office locations, able to work effectively from anywhere, at anytime, is tantalising. For many companies, the human cloud is already a critical part of business operations. Indeed, as the global recession continues to bite and the demand to find a greener existence deepens, the human cloud presents a unique and unchallenged opportunity.
However, there are still critical barriers to overcome before we can truly embrace the possibilities of a global human cloud. Some of these barriers are technological, while some are more ideological. In fact, it may well be the latter that are the most difficult to overcome. As the Economist highlighted in a recent article, we’re in the midst of an IT Arab Spring. Yet it’s not governments that are being overthrown here but the old guard of corporate IT. Read more
Two Critical Hurdles to 4G Success
Amid last week’s media huddle over the iPhone 4S and the rollout of iOS 5, a report gently crept past the radar attracting little to no attention. The report detailed the speed at which U.S. carriers are rolling out LTE: A speed so rapid that the U.S. is now the global leader in LTE deployments. The country can now claim 47% of all LTE subscriptions. This figure is further strengthened when you consider that Americans will own 71% of LTE handsets by the end of 2011. Verizon, AT&T and MetroPSC please take a bow.
These are incredible figures and highlight just how serious U.S. carriers are at pushing mobile broadband across the country. Special mention should be made of Verizon here. It’s moving forward at incredible speeds and is fuelled by impressive revenues. Read more
Mobile Data and the Ticking Tablets
After a week of U.S. travel, I spent some time yesterday looking at how much data I’d consumed on my laptop, iPad and iPhone. I was amazed at the results. I shouldn’t be. Looking back I realise that I barely used my laptop. My iPad is rapidly becoming my mobile office. Emails, video conferencing, document sharing, Twitter. This is no longer a tool purely for mobile consumption but is now a device for mobile productivity. Looking again at my data usage, even my iPhone outstripped my laptop. Needless to say, I’m expecting a congratulatory note from my mobile service provider later this month. Read more
Should the Mobile Tsunami be Downgraded to a Squall?
Over the past few weeks there have been a number of reports on the state of mobile broadband and the amount of mobile data being generated. While some of these reports have centred upon headline-grabbing figures aimed clearly at making the mobile industry panic, others have taken a more reserved approach. This fluctuation of figures is something that continually fascinates me and at times suggests a slight disconnect between the different bodies within the mobile ecosystem. Yet one of the key questions facing the industry is how to assimilate this data and find an effective middle path.
As the mobile industry continues to migrate to LTE and 4G technologies, there still appears to be some ambiguity as to whether these new networks will be able to accommodate the growing demand for bandwidth-intensive mobile applications, such as video conferencing, online gaming and audio streaming. However, some within the industry are suggesting that we’re overestimating demand and possibly creating a bandwidth glut. Looking at figures from Cisco’s latest VNI report though, there doesn’t appear to be any glut in sight. Indeed, Cisco expects mobile traffic to increase 26-fold by 2015 achieving a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 92%. Such significant growth will see monthly traffic reach a staggering 6.3 exabytes. Read more
