Mobile market continues to grow worldwide and the global mobile subscriber base reached 2.130 billion at 2005 end, an increase of 375 million from the beginning of that year. This number is anticipated to reach to approx 4 billion by 2011 end. Also, in the same period, the world population is believed to rise to about 6.9 billion from current 6 billion. It means that penetration of worldwide mobile phone market should cross 50% mark by around 2009 end.

The operating margins are under pressure because of the increasingly tough competition. It appears that future will face tough time as the market is maturing rapidly. Fortunately, handsets are not the only devices, which can be linked to mobile networks. Notebook computers and various kinds of machines are the next in line to get the capabilities of mobile communication. With a 3/4th of a billion new devices to link, developments are on the way taking the sector in a new direction.

The surging mobile market for handheld-based GPS navigation solutions in Western Europe gave a massive hike to vendors in the last few years. But this has changed rapidly to the demand for devoted 'transferable' devices. The vendors who don't operate in this field are missing out. But this is too early to say what will be the face of future industry.

In the coming years, service providers and device vendors in different categories will be presented with more changes and new opportunities. Increased GPS integration in mobile phones and tenacious communication between enterprise database (calendaring, CRM and contacts) and navigation systems are few examples of fields that will be explored by vendors of smart mobile phone device.

For further information about World Mobile Market, read the report "World Mobile Market (2006) " by RNCOS at:
http://www.rncos.com/Report/COM34.htm

RNCOS is an industry leader in the field of online business research. We specialize in industry research on various business verticals. To read our other reports, visit: http://www.rncos.com/Report.htm or email us at info@rncos.com

To get the latest news on Global Mobile Market And its growth, please visit our newly launched Blog section at http://www.rncos.com/Blog/mobile.html

RNCOS offers complete e-publishing solutions for your business. We provide personalized world-class content development and management solutions that are qualitative and result-oriented.

A possible disadvantage for the sales may be the fact that the negative advertising has been made. This negative advertising concerns the vulnerability of the screens, the easy scratching surfaces and other several features. However, the sales are up due to the great success among the teenagers, among very busy people who travel a lot.

Some researches show that instead of the iPod video success and publicity the Amazon online store the most popular iPod is the nano model. However, the sales are ahead expectations and in the case of other stores are outselling the popular iPod nano. These high sales may be due to the high storage capacity, video features and reasonable prices. From this point of view, a selection of users may be made, as the nano edition iPod attracts more MP3 users. Therefore, a new trend and a new profile of user appeared taking into account the high sales for the new video iPod.

Another aspect of the great sales concerns the fact the new iPod video is not a competitor for the TV industry, but more a complementary device. Although the rating of some TV shows or films may lower, the iPod video may also contribute to the fame extend of some TV shows or films. The sales may be also triggered by the trendy urban lifestyle and capacity of influencing the preferences and needs of the others. The fact that the episodes of the TV series such is the case of “Lost” or “Desperate Housewives” may have contributed to the great success and great sales of the new edition of the iPod.

Other sales were going up as they developed from the new edition of the iPod and this is the case of the iTunes Music Store. In this type of store you may buy episodes of the famous TV series, music videos and pictures. The parallel development of two complementary services – the handheld video device and the special store for it - is a great achievement. Besides, the iPod is the best selling music online store and it will probably be the best music video online store. The sales may also rise due to the new available TV series or TV shows of the famous TV Channels.

Taking into account the fact that the iPod is the best seller in the United States, being the most successful music player, it was easy to predict high sales for the new edition, even it is a video iPod. The prices were lower as the lower-cost players were introduced on the market in the last years, but the nano edition has increased the prices. With the new iPod video the price has been pushed beyond the average selling price.

That is why the sales of 100 iPods every minute may seem not surprising at all and sales of 14 millions in the first quarter of the fiscal year 2006 are considered not bad at all for such a company. The sales for the iPod video may also rise together with the spreading worldwide of the popularity of this edition of iPod http://www.reviews7.info .

However, the iPod video doubles the Apple’s sales. The sales were made skyrocket due to the great success of the new iPod video outselling in some cases other types or editions of iPods. Nevertheless, the maximized sales are due to the new video features, longer battery life, more options and more memory space enough for a lot of music, music videos, TV shows and episodes, and even lots of photos for the photo album. These features and improvements make the new iPod video so popular and fashionable. These aspects and others (games, possibility of checking the e-mail, possibility of finding out the time in other cities and other useful features) suit very well the contemporary lifestyle.

iPod video

The Philips MCA brings a number of technology features together into a single platform, including an easy to read 10.4 inch XGA touch-screen, RFID and barcode scanning, Bluetooth, wireless LAN connectivity and a digital camera. The portable, always connected device is designed to require minimal training and provides significant benefits to the clinical users, helping to reduce medication errors, positively identify staff and patients, fill out charts, capture vital signs, write up reports and validate blood transfusions as well as the ability to closely monitor the healing of wounds.

Designed by clinicians for clinicians
Nurses are already busy enough today and every little step you can save is very important to them, said Franco Martegani, CEO of Philips FIMI a global provider of medical displays and mobile point-of-care terminals. The MCA embodies our brand promiseSense and Simplicity. It marries technology with usability and is designed around the way healthcare professionals are working when visiting patients, giving it the potential to provide more real-time care for a better patient experience.

The overall concept of the MCA has been defined by studying different usage models, with direct input from clinical staff. Individual components in the Philips MCA have been optimally tuned to each other to ensure the highest level of usability and portability. The MCA is made of lightweight material and provides an ergonomic fit for both right- and left-hand users. The device is also being designed to minimize fatigue while holding it flat thanks to a ground-breaking hand grip on the back of the unit, and features intuitive function controls, LED indicators and other smart interfaces that are suitable for use in many different fast-paced clinical situations.

Designed as a fully sealed device without any unnecessary I/O ports, the MCA can easily be wiped clean with disinfectant to reduce the spread of infection as nurses move from patient to patient. Moreover, its durable design makes the MCA suitable to withstand knocks, drops and the general daily activities within the hospital. Its medical grade compliance allows usage in many clinical areas, including intensive care units and surgery theatres.

The Philips MCA also comes with a revolutionary feature to swap the long-life battery with a fresh one in the docking station without disrupting applications currently in use. The grab and go docking station has been designed not only to charge the device but also to use it as a back-office desktop device in combination with a mouse, keyboard and high-speed Ethernet connection.
Sharing a common vision
Martegani concludes by adding that Philips fully shares Intels healthcare vision and we are delighted to collaborate with them on the creation of this new product category. Our market experience with the current ProScribe (12.1 inch) mobile point-of-care terminal confirms the growing demand for integrated and mobile solutions. Both products are complementing each other and offer care providers freedom of choice to deploy the right solution for the appropriate usage model.

Intel is very pleased to be working with Philips FIMI to bring Intels Mobile Clinical Assistant platform to market to address the challenges of todays healthcare system, said Patricia Perry, vice president of Intels Digital Health Group and general manager of Healthcare IT. The MCA, designed for and with clinicians, allows nurses to access up-to-the-minute patient records and to document a patients condition in real time, enhancing care while reducing the administrative workload of the clinical staff.

The MCA category has the support of a number of leading healthcare software vendors, who are optimizing their software interfaces to take advantage of the product features delivered to the user by the platform. This demonstrates a broad commitment from the ecosystem to the category.

Concept design for the Philips Mobile Clinical Assistant
The wireless, handheld device uses lightweight materials and an ergonomic design to ensure ease of use and portability. The Mobile Clinical Assistant (currently in development) is designed based on research conducted by Intel Corporation and is intended to help nurses and physicians improve bedside care by providing mobile access to patient information stored in electronic medical records.

About Royal Philips Electronics
Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a global leader in healthcare, lifestyle and technology, delivering products, services and solutions through the brand promise of sense and simplicity. Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 121,700 employees in more than 60 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 27.0 billion in 2006, the company is a market leader in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring systems, energy efficient lighting solutions, personal care and home appliances, as well as consumer electronics. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

After working for a few large IT firms Read born in 1966, is currently an entrepreneur and Venture Capital Advisor and Managing Consultant for Wireless and Mobile technologies [including the internet] and in particular, in software applications for the Wireless or Mobile Industry.
http://www.craigread.com/

RESOURCE:

http://www.torwug.org/Articles/newsletters/Mar15_2007/ar_03.asp