Notes From Deloitte’s TMT Predictions

Yesterday I attended the Deloitte Technology, Media and Telecommunications predictions in Winnipeg.  As a marketer in the technology space this is one of my favourite yearly events.  Not only is Duncan Stewart an entertaining presenter, the information he shares has the potential to impact my career, the company I work for and my personal life

There were three predictions this year that I found particularly interesting.  There are no direct ties to ERP but I believe, if they come true, they will effect our culture, which ultimately will trickle down to business.

Phablets are not a Phad – My first thought when I heard this was ‘I have to upgrade soon. I’m going to end up with a phone larger than my hand. Sigh’.  Deloitte predicts that phablets – smartphones with screens 5.0” or larger – will represent 25% of the global smart phone market.  The good news, for me anyhow, is that Canadian sales will be closer to 15% – 20%.

Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) – Deloitte is predicting that enrollment in massive online open courses will be up 100% in 2014 from 2012 and that over the long-term, MOOCs will be a globally disruptive force.  Some examples of MOOCs are Coursera.org, edx.org and Udacity.  Today many people that enroll in classes never actually even attend a class let alone fully participate.  The percentage of completion is minimal.  However, the rising cost of education, which affects both students and employers, will push this new type of learning forward. The classes I’ve participated in at Coursera were really great.  They ranged from business strategy to the changing force of media.  I think that it’s fantastic that this content is available to anyone who has the desire to learn more.

Broadcast Sports Rights – Deloitte predicts that the value of premium sports video rights will increase by 14%.  Live television ‘events’ still garner live audiences that are somewhat PVR-proof.  Sports leads the way with their passionate followers that continue to run-up the fees paid for broadcasting.  What does that mean?  I’m anticipating the cost of the Jets channel going up starting next season along with the cost to run an ad during a game.

You can check out all of the predictions below.  There are ten in total.  I highly recommend that you take a few minutes to browse through them.  It’s a good opportunity to escape your day-to-day tactic-side brain and think about future possibilities.