WebProNews

Top Gartner Analyst Predicts Android Will Be #2 In 2012

The good people of Gartner believe that, given a little bit of time, Android is going to become a big deal.  In fact, one high-ranking analyst recently predicted that it'll be the second-biggest operating system on the mobile market by 2012.

Global Broadband Continues Solid Growth

The number of household broadband connections continues to experience solid growth and one in five households globally will have a fixed broadband connection by the end of 2009, according to a new report from Gartner. A total of 422 million households will have a fixed broadband connection in 2009, up from 382 million households in 2008, and the market will continue to grow with nearly 580 million connections by 2013.

Smartphone Sales Up 27%

Global mobile phone sales reached 286.1 million units in the second quarter of 2009, a 6.1 percent decrease from the second quarter of 2008, according to a new report from Gartner. Smartphone sales were a bright spot for the industry, surpassing 40 million units, a 27 percent increase from the same period last year, representing the fastest growing segment of the mobile devices market.

Gartner: Twitter Disillusionment Inevitable

The days of not being able to go ten minutes without hearing the term "Twitter" may soon come to an end.  According to a new report from Gartner, the site is moving towards the trough of the tech hype cycle.

Consumers Favor Personalization For Online Banking

Online banking features that focus on personalization and communication are what consumers value the most, according to a new survey by Gartner. "As consumer adoption of online banking increases, banks are searching for ways to differentiate their services while maximizing the cost-effectiveness of self-service channels," said Stessa Cohen, research director at Gartner.

PC Market To See Positive Growth In Q4

Global PC shipments are on track to reach 274 million units in 2009, a 6 percent decrease from 2008 shipments of 292 million, according to Gartner. Despite the overall decline, Gartner now expects the PC market to post positive growth in the fourth quarter of 2009, setting the stage for a solid market recovery in 2010 with a forecast of growth of 10.3 percent.

IT Departments Cut First Quarter Budgets

In the first quarter of 2009, 42 percent of CIOs decreased their IT budgets with an average cut of 4.7 percent, according to a new survey by Gartner. CIOs were expecting a minor budget increase of 0.16 percent in the first quarter, but due to the economy were forced to cut costs. More than 90 percent of firms changing their budgets made a reduction in the first quarter, with the average being 7.2 percent. Forty-four percent of respondents reported no change in their IT budgets, with just 4 percent reporting an increase in their IT budget.

Smartphones See Solid First Quarter Growth

Global mobile phone sales totaled 269.1 million units in the first quarter of 2009, a 9.4 percent decrease from the first quarter of 2008, according to Gartner. Smartphone sales surpassed 36.4 million units, a 12.7 percent increase from the same period last year.

Newspapers Not Effectively Using Social Media

Newspapers should be using social media more effectively to engage their readers and boost online revenue, according to a new survey by Gartner. "In the wake of the economic challenges facing the U.S. newspaper industry, publishers are losing focus on the crucial imperative of how to capitalize on those consumers who remain loyal, engaged online and print readers," said Allen Weiner, research vice president at Gartner.

Global Smartphone Sales Up In 2008

In the fourth quarter of 2008, global sales of smartphones reached 38.1 million units, an increase of 3.7 percent over the fourth quarter of 2007, according to Gartner. Worldwide sales of smartphone for 2008 reached 139.3 million, up 13.9 percent compared to 2007.