From electric bikes to a rise in audio books, these are the latest tech predictions for 2020 according to Deloitte's ’s technology, media and telecommunications team.
The 2020 series of TMT Predictions is the 19th edition of the report and draws on from internal and external inputs from thousands of conversations with clients as well as partners and managers specialising in TMT alongside discussions with industry analysts and interviews with leading executives from around the world.
E-bikes - 130m expected to be sold in the next three years
Pedal power is going to be big with Deloitte predicting that the proportion of people cycling to work will grow by one percentage-point over the next three years. This means a surge in bike riding supported by the launch of e-bikes, as well as a diverse array of technological innovations.
Deloitte predicts that between 2020 and 2023, more than 130 million e-bikes will be sold globally. This is more than six-times the number of electric vehicles that are forecast to be sold in the entirety of the next decade.
Technology innovations including predictive analytics, wireless connectivity, digital urban planning tools and 3D-printed parts will launch with the aim of making cycling safer, faster, more convenient, and easier to track and measure.
Paul Lee, global head of TMT research at Deloitte, said: “The first patent for electrifying a bike was filed in the nineteenth century, however 2020 will be the year that e-bikes pick up pace. Improvements in lithium ion battery technology, pricing, and power has led to a significant surge in interest globally. The number of e-bikes on the roads will easily outpace other e-vehicles by the end of next year.”
Industrial 5G - more than 100 companies will begin testing private 5G deployments in 2020
Manchester has already become an early adopter of 5G thanks to operators EE and Vodafone and 2020 will see the deployment of 5G spread across the globe.
This means for many of the world’s largest businesses, private 5G will enable ultra-reliable, high-speed, low-latency, power-efficient, high-density wireless connectivity.
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Deloitte predicts that more than 100 companies worldwide will be evaluating or have deployed 5G in industrial environments such as factories, ports, and logistics centres by the end of 2020.
By 2023, the value of cellular equipment and services for use in industrial deployments will be worth tens of billions of pounds annually.
Claire Jolly, head of TMT at Deloitte in the North West, said: “The North West was one of the earliest adopters of 5G in the 海角视频, so many businesses in the region are well placed to use private 5G deployments next year.
“With an established mobile infrastructure that is primed for even greater growth in 2020, we could see more businesses move to the North West to capitalise on the efficiencies brought about by private 5G deployments, delivering another boost to the region’s thriving economy.”
Revenues from advertising video on demand will break £500m in the 海角视频 in 2020
Deloitte predicts that revenues from advertising supported video on demand (AVOD) will reach £500m in the 海角视频 in 2020, representing 10 per cent of all television advertising revenues.
The forecast for 2020 implies 17 percent year-on-year growth, compared to five percent growth for the overall 海角视频 advertising market.
Deloitte predicts that by 2025 the majority of streamed services, both mainstream and niche, will rely on advertising as a significant or sole revenue source.
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Dan Ison, lead partner for TMT at Deloitte, said: “TV viewers are being spoilt with an ever-widening array of some of the best television content ever made.
"Generating advertising revenue will allow streaming platforms to maintain spend on hit shows and major rights, for both traditional broadcasters and online-only providers.
"As production costs grow and competitor platforms continue to launch, streaming services must look for new sources of revenue to invest in making stand-out, quality content.”
Audiobooks to surpass e-books in 2020
Thanks to the growing sophistication of headphones and speakers, audiobooks have been on the rise recently.
One of the biggest hits in 2018/2019 included Michelle Obama’s Becoming. The audiobook, read by the former first lady, has become the fastest-ever seller put out by Penguin Random House.
In 2020, Deloitte predicts that the global audiobook market will grow by 25 percent to over £4bn.
In the 海角视频, the value of audiobooks is predicted to reach £115m in 2020. This suggests 25 per cent growth over 2019 and 30 per cent over 2018.
Deloitte predicts that audiobook revenues are on a trajectory to surpass e-books by 2023 in the US.
In the 海角视频, e-readers are now owned by just one in four (26 percent) consumers, down from 31 percent in 2015.
Lee said: “Storytelling is moving back to its traditional spoken form with the rise of audiobooks. Diehard print lovers may still be clinging to the page, but the growing sophistication of headphones and speakers, as well as the use of well-known narrators, is attracting many to tune in to audiobooks instead.
“Silence may be golden, but it is not necessarily the most interesting thing to listen to while commuting, doing chores, or working out. To amplify revenues, publishers will need to think carefully about which titles to release as audiobooks, how many and how often.”
One million robots will be sold for enterprise use in 2020
The use of robots in the workplace is set to become even more commonplace as Deloitte predicts that almost one million robots will be sold worldwide for enterprise use in 2020.
That’s up by 18 per cent from 2019 and will generate £27bn in revenues over the course of the year.
Of the almost one million enterprise robots forecast to be sold in 2020, just over half are predicted to be professional service robots, generating more than £13bn in revenue, a 30 perc ent rise on 2019.
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In comparison, industrial robots are expected to account for £14bn in 2020, a nine per cent year-on-year increase.
Lee said: “The 海角视频 is behind other major global economies in the uptake of robotics and the country is now ripe for investment in the technology. The challenge now will be for companies to assess if and when professional service robots are the right tool for the job.”