Press Releases

January 2010
Mobile App stores will generate 15 billion dollars in 2013
Mobile application stores are revitalising the mobile content market, with 3.6 billion apps downloaded from app stores in 2009, expected to rise to 6.6 billion this year, and growing to 16.2 billion in 2013, according to a new strategic report from Futuresource Consulting.

Futuresource CES Show Report: Free Publication
CES2010 was overflowing with innovation from both full-range and niche vendors. Much of this show report consists of first-hand experiences of the team of seven Futuresource analysts who were on the ground throughout the show.

China schools are on track for 2m+ projectors by 2013
A new China Schools Technology report from Futuresource Consulting reveals explosive growth for the interactive whiteboard (IWB) market in the region, with an installed base of more than 200,000 forecast for the end of 2010, equating to 40%+ sales growth. “By 2013 we’re going to see the number of IWBs in Chinese schools increase to nearly 650,000”, says Colin Messenger, Senior Consultant, Futuresource.

Movie-on-Demand revenues to reach 430m Euros in Western Europe and 2.4bn dollars in USA by 2013
Video on Demand (VoD) delivered straight to the television is generating high levels of consumer interest, but little revenue, with free content accounting for more than 95% of the material being watched. However, a new Pay-TV market report from Futuresource Consulting shows consumers will pay extra for movies on demand delivered by their broadcaster or Pay TV operator. By 2013, transactional revenues from movies on demand alone will reach 2.4bn dollars in the USA and 430m Euros in the leading five Western European countries.

One billion people will own a smartphone by 2013
Despite the increasing overlap between mobile phone functionality and other handheld devices, consumers are still purchasing standalone cameras, sat navs, personal media players and handheld gaming devices, according to a new convergence report from Futuresource Consulting.

Industry Update: The Photobook Market
The photo industry continues to evolve and experience significant change, with falling demand for 6x4” hardcopy prints (worth €4.5 billion in 2006, against €2.8 billion in 2009), and the photobook and photo-merchandise market shaking up the traditional photo market. It is clear that consumers are becoming more creative and are looking for different ways to share their images, encouraged by the many options now available to them.

December 2009
Mainstream adoption of 3D in the home moves one step closer
In line with the BDA’s announcement this month on the finalisation and release of their ‘Blu-ray 3D’ specification, a recent strategic 3D report from Futuresource Consulting shows an upsurge in the adoption of High Definition and Blu-ray hardware in 2010, strengthened by a clearly defined 3D roadmap.

20% of TVs shipped in Europe next year will have Internet capability
The first TV and Blu-ray devices capable of accessing content directly from the Internet emerged in Europe during 2009 and will start to gain ground fast, with more than 20% of flat panel TVs shipped in the region next year able to connect to the Internet, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

Implications of the Comcast/NBC Universal Deal
The announcement earlier this month that Comcast has acquired a 51% stake in NBC Universal will result in a massive new media conglomerate. The potential implications for the market are currently being hotly debated, with a wide variety of very differing views being expressed.

November 2009
New consumer research: 9 out of 10 are photo sharing
With growing consumer interest in personal video sharing and photo sharing both digitally and in print form, Futuresource Consulting has carried out a UK consumer survey to gain greater insight into the media that are being used, the decision-making process and the level of reliance on the available platforms.

Business Display Categories: Q3 Global Roundup
Q3 heralded a return to business growth for the displays category with projectors, large format flat panels and Interactive whiteboards all witnessing strong sales growth on a global level. Following relatively weak first half performances (except for the IWB segment), vendors and channel partners alike are now reporting an increase in activity and heightened end-user demand from a number of sectors.

Internet radio to ignite networked audio market
The rise of connected devices and Internet radio are laying the foundations for multi-room networked audio, according to a new strategic report from Futuresource Consulting. The digital music market in the USA now accounts for 35% of the country's music revenues, with a subscription market worth nearly US$3bn (85% derived from satellite radio).

October 2009
Mobile Handsets: USA & UK see polarisation, China & India capture 30%
Emerging markets now account for over two thirds of all mobile phone handset shipments with China and India leading the charge, according to a new global tracking service from Futuresource Consulting. “The global handset market will decline by around 3% in 2009, with consumers and businesses alike keeping hold of their handsets for longer,” says David Sidebottom, Digital Media Consultant at Futuresource Consulting.

Photobook market to grow 36% in Western Europe this year
The European photobook market is on track for continued healthy growth, with demand projected to reach nearly 14.5m units this year, up from 10.7m in 2008, according to a new Photobook Market Report from Futuresource Consulting.

September 2009
The Portable Consumer Electronics Market in Europe
Netbooks, pocket video cameras, digital SLRs, smartphones, mobile Internet devices and handheld games consoles are fuelling growth in the European portable electronics market this year, which in the face of economic challenges and convergence, grew 18% in 2008 to reach 155 million units and is forecast to grow a further 7% in 2009 to reach close to 170 million units.

Hot or Not? Predictions for the UK CE market in Q4 2009
As we move ever closer to the critical Q4 trading period, Futuresource Consulting takes a look at some of the hot product segments, providing an insight into where the CE market is going and what movements we should expect to see on the UK high street in the run up to Christmas.

B2B Flat Panel Market: 30% y-o-y growth seen in Q2 this year
In contrast to many other product categories in the Pro AV/IT space, the B2B flat panel market has experienced steady growth this year, with the market racking up sales in excess of 400,000 units in Q2 2009, according to new research from Futuresource Consulting.

August 2009
Visualisers: The Market Snapshot, UK & Europe
Futuresource Consulting has finalised its UK and European report on the Visualiser. This electronic imaging tool for projecting small objects, images and text onto a screen is coming to the fore as a key teaching tool in classrooms and training rooms across the world.

July 2009
3D Digital Out-Of-Home may bridge the R&D gap
As the development of 3D technologies intensifies, opportunities within B2B applications become more attractive, with digital out of home (DOOH) systems offering an ideal proving ground for ‘no glasses’ 3D systems. For the potential to be realised there are serious obstacles to overcome, according to a new market report from Futuresource Consulting.

Home broadband to exceed 500 million connections by 2010
Global household penetration of fixed broadband continues apace, with total subscribers on track to break the 500 million barrier next year, according to recent research from Futuresource Consulting.

Interactive Voting Systems market worth $400m by 2010
Interactive Voting Systems - or audience participation systems - continue to flourish across the globe, with more than eight million handsets forecast to be sold worldwide next year, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

June 2009
New international study: 8% admit to downloading video content illegally
8% of consumers across the UK, France, Germany and the USA admitted to downloading video content illegally from file sharing websites, a new consumer research study by Futuresource Consulting reveals.

Interactive Whiteboard market continues to perform for education
There are still no signs of recession in education technology markets according to Futuresource Consulting’s latest quarterly report focusing on the interactive display segment.

May 2009
Driving Digital Content: It's happening in less than a week!!
Less than one week to go until Driving Digital Content and we'll soon be taking final bookings, so don't miss out on what promises to be the definitive digital content conference of 2009.

Results of consumer study to be unveiled at Driving Digital Content
All delegates attending Driving Digital Content in London on 4-5 June will be the first to hear the results of "Living With Digital: Consumer Insights into Entertainment Consumption", new consumer research into European and US attitudes to digital entertainment consumption, including feedback from consumers as young as 12 years old. Delegates will also receive a free copy of the findings.

10%+ of US and Japanese households will be ‘3D enabled’ by 2012
Now more than ever 3D is coming to the fore, with backing from all major sectors of the entertainment and consumer electronics industries. 3D movie production is intensifying, cinemas all over the world are investing in 3D technologies and feedback from audiences has been highly positive, with encouraging ticket sales. Yet the ultimate goal is to bring 3D to the home, according to Futuresource Consulting’s newly-released ‘Strategic Impact of 3D’ report.

US Photobook market to exceed $500m this year
The US photobook market is on track for healthy growth this year, with demand projected to reach nearly 17m units this year, up from close to 12.5m in 2008, according to a new US Photobook Market Report from Futuresource Consulting.

April 2009
Digital Photo Frame market worth 750m Euros in Western Europe
The digital photo frame (DPF) market is on track to reach a trade value of nearly 750m Euros across Western Europe this year, up from less than 700m Euros in 2008, according to a new industry report from Futuresource Consulting.

Futuresource quarterly analysis: 12m Blu-ray players will ship this year
Despite the economic downturn, global shipments of Blu-ray players, excluding PS3, are expected to total nearly 12m units this year, according to the new quarterly ‘Blu-ray Hardware Performance’ tracking service from Futuresource Consulting.

Driving Digital Content event returns to London in June
Futuresource Consulting is delighted to announce the return of Driving Digital Content, the two-day event focusing on the business opportunities presented by digital content delivery, taking place in London on 4-5 June 2009.

March 2009
Pro Camcorder Market Fuelled by HD and non-tape
The professional camcorder market experienced a groundswell of activity in EMEA last year, with incremental growth outstripping the previous year’s performance by nearly three to one, according to a recent Pro Camcorder Quarterly Market Update from Futuresource Consulting.

Digital Photo Frames now in 10% of UK homes
Digital Photo Frames (DPFs) were once again one of the hot-selling products of the year in 2008, shifting more than 1.8 million units at an average retail price of around £90, and they are now present in an estimated 10% of UK homes...

Interactive Whiteboard market shows no real signs of recession
Close to 600,000 Interactive Whiteboards were sold worldwide last year, generating nearly US$1bn of revenue, according to a new market report from Futuresource Consulting.

February 2009
Blu-ray disc sales to exceed 100 million units in 2009
Research from Futuresource Consulting reveals that consumers are on target to buy in excess of 100 million Blu-ray discs (BD) across the USA, Western Europe and Japan this year, with sales of High Definition capable LCD and plasma TVs and continued dramatic reductions in BD player prices continuing to fuel interest in packaged HD content despite the economic downturn.

Kangaroo: expert comment on decision to block
Following the Competition Commission’s decision to block the online VOD venture, Kangaroo, Futuresource Consulting’s Principal Consultant, Graeme Packman, provides market insight and places the decision in the wider industry context.

January 2009
New virtual research campus and conference centre unveiled
Futuresource Consulting and Rivers Run Red are delighted to announce the joint development of Futuresource Campus, a real-time virtual research environment built on the world-leading Second Life Grid platform.
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3D moves to centre stage
2009 looks set to be the year for 3D, a reality that was apparent across the breadth of last week’s CES show, with many key players in the industry pulling out all the stops to showcase their 3D capabilities. Futuresource Consulting is excited to announce the launch of a new market report outlining opportunities and challenges for 3D...

Web 2.0 awakens new camcorder segment
The consumer camcorder market remains one of the most dynamic CE categories to date. Now, the emergence of a new breed of back-to-basics pocket video camera is opening the market to a host of non-traditional camcorder brands.

December 2008
New US Supply Chain initiatives will bolster profitability in tight economic climate
The US Home Video market is in the process of transformation, with its supply chain gearing up for tighter inventory management and more regular stock replenishment, according to a new Home Video Supply Chain report by Futuresource Consulting.

November 2008
The Changing CE World: conference round-up
The Changing CE World, a two-day conference in Barcelona produced by Futuresource Consulting, brought together key international players from across the industry and around the globe to focus on consumer electronics devices and the impact of convergence and connectivity.

October 2008
‘Staycation’ will drive home entertainment sales despite downturn
Across much of the globe, financial reporting has shown a fall in lending for homes and businesses, core service industries weakening, heavy deceleration within construction, utilities and manufacturing, and repercussions across the breadth of the real economy. However, in times of economic hardship consumer electronics and in-home entertainment can weather the storm, according to a new report from Futuresource Consulting.

September 2008
DVD Supply Chain is Still a Key Strategic Focus for Hollywood Studios
The home video market in Western Europe is expected to generate total retail revenues of €11billion Euros by the end of 2008, with an earth-shattering 97% of those revenues coming from packaged media (DVD and Blu-ray) according to Futuresource Consulting.

August 2008
Interactive Whiteboard market to exceed US$1bn by end of year
A new market report from Futuresource Consulting reveals explosive growth for the interactive whiteboard market, with over 600,000 boards installed across the globe during 2008, equating to a value in excess of US$1bn.

Blu-ray market update
The Hi Def disc markets in both the USA and Europe continue to perform in line with expectations, following a more bullish outlook once the world shifted to one format at the beginning of this year.

WE photo merchandise sector worth 545m euros by year end
The photo merchandise market will continue to thrive according to a newly released industry report from Futuresource Consulting, which reveals 44% growth in retail value for Western Europe this year alone.

July 2008
Digital Photo Frame Consumer Survey Uncovers Growing Marketplace
With an upsurge of interest in Digital Photo Frames and the market gaining ground, Futuresource Consulting has carried out a consumer survey to better understand consumers’ attitudes to DPFs.

Pay-TV Set Top Box on Target for 40% Growth
Global shipments of Pay-TV Set Top Boxes (STBs) are on track to grow by nearly 40% by 2012 according to a new Industry Update Report from Futuresource Consulting.

India’s CE Market Value to Reach US$16bn by 2012
According to a newly released India CE Market report from Futuresource Consulting, India's market value is set to skyrocket to nearly US$16bn by 2012, up from US$3.8bn last year.

Consumer Home Copying Research Findings
Futuresource Consulting outlines the findings of its second annual home copying consumer research study, sponsored by Macrovision and carried out in the US and the UK.

White Paper: Digital Media Networks Can't Fail to Succeed
The technology is fit-for-purpose, the metrics are in development and the level of interest is once again high. In this white paper, Chris McIntyre-Brown of Futuresource sets out to address some of the key questions.

June 2008
Focus on Digital SLR Market Movements
20 June: Futuresource Consulting’s weekly price tracker system shows the ASP of Digital SLR cameras across EMEA has witnessed a decline of 1.6% (20 Euros) in the past ten weeks.

Blu-ray’s European Ascendance: BD sales outstrip early DVD performance
Focusing on like-for-like coverage of Western Europe and comparing the first few years of uptake, the early indications are that BD player sales are running way ahead of DVD after the same time period.

Understanding & Solutions and DTC announce landmark merger
9 June: U&S and DTC have signed a merger agreement that will create a major new market tracking and consulting organisation.