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Greater percentage of Generation Y own iPhones than any other age group
The smartphone movement has penetrated just about every demographic imaginable, but when it comes to the iPhone, Generation Y are the biggest fans. As reported by ReadWrite, a new Forrester Research report notes that 29 percent of Gen Y smartphone users -- defined here as ages 24 to 32 -- own Apple's smartphone. Following Generation Y on the charts is Generation Z with 24 percent and then Generation X with 22 percent. iPhone adoption drops off pretty dramatically after that group, with the "Younger Boomers" demographic coming in with just 11 percent, "Older Boomers" at 9 percent and the "Golden Generation" at 6 percent. When taking the entire US mobile phone market into account, regardless of age, the iPhone claims an 18 percent share of overall users, tying with LG. Samsung rules the roost with 24 percent of the market, while Motorola and HTC lag behind at 12 percent and 8 percent, respectively.
Forrester report finds US tablet ownership doubled this year
Forrester Research has come out with its annual report on technology consumption in the US, and tablets are certainly gaining popularity. Although slightly lower than Pew Research's figures, Forrester deduced from its nigh 60,000-strong survey that 19 percent of 'mericans over the age of 18 own at least one tablet -- double the number the research outfit noted last year. While tech penetration is lowest among adults aged 47 and up, 14 percent of this demographic now have slates, which again is twice the figure recorded in 2011. Another notable stat that's risen is daily internet use, with 84 percent of adults hopping online every day (up from 78 percent last year), and approximately half of those owning a smartphone of some variety. TVs are pretty well connected also, as 43 percent of the plugged-in population has accessed the net from their living rooms, with games consoles being by far the most popular intermediary. The whole report isn't available to the public, but why not use the time you would've spent reading it inspecting what's under the tree, and hoping you'll be responsible for upping those tablet stats in next year's report.
Forrester: 19% of U.S. consumers now use tablets
As 2012 draws to an end, it's time once again for various analytics firms to reveal what the statistics they've been feverishly compiling. Forrester Research is one such organization, and as TechCrunch reports, the company's annual "State of Consumers and Technology" report has just been published. Among the tastier tidbits of data on the report is the finding that 19 percent of consumers in the US now own at least one tablet. That figure is roughly double what it was at the end of 2011, which is quite a remarkable leap in adoption. The research also found that while 43 percent of consumers now utilize web-based programming via their TVs, the method by which many user connect may surprise you; 42 percent of those who use the internet on their TVs do so through a video game console, with just 14 percent of the remainder relying on set-top boxes like Apple TV.
Forrester survey finds first ever decline in people 'using the internet,' but a changing notion of 'being online'
A survey measuring people's internet use used to be a fairly simple thing. If you dialed up and logged onto CompuServe or AOL, you were "online" until you disconnected. Even in more recent years, you were "online" for as long as you were looking at a web browser or a chat window. But things have gotten more complicated as we've grown more mobile and connected than ever, and that's now resulted in the first ever decline of people "using the internet" in Forrester's annual survey since it began asking the question in 1997. As AllThingsD reports, this year's survey found that people spent an average of 19.6 hours per week using the internet, compared to 21.9 hours in 2011. According to Forrester's Gina Sverdlov, however, that's not due to a shift back towards TV or other activities, but to a changing notion of what "being online" means to individuals. As she puts it, "given the various types of connected devices that US consumers own, many people are connected and logged on (automatically) at all times," and that "the internet has become such a normal part of their lives that consumers don't register that they are using the internet when they're on Facebook, for example." The full report isn't available to the public, but you can find a few more details from it at the links below.
Forrester: Apple makes strides into enterprises, users iWork hard for the money
Forrester has announced the results of its latest survey, which encompassed 10,000 enterprise computer users, across 17 countries. It looked at the degree of Apple product adoption in businesses and support for them within IT services. There's plenty to chew on, but here's the big one; over a fifth of those surveyed uses an Apple product for work. This, however, includes workers using their personal devices for work tasks, with 11 percent using their iPhone, 9 percent their iPad and 8 percent working on their Macs. Half of the enterprises included in Forrester's survey plan to increase the number of Macs used by 52 percent, while nearly half of the firms are already issuing Apple PCs to employees, gaining even more traction within IT departments in the US and Western Europe. Unsurprisingly, given its premium pricing, those using Apple gear are more likely to be higher paid, while also (paradoxically) younger and in a senior rank. More specifically, 43 percent of those making over $150,000 a year use an iPhone, iPad or Mac. No cause or effect here, ladies and gents, but we'll be putting in our expense claim for a new set of business iPads very soon.
Forrester does a 180 on Macs in enterprise, finds most productive staffers are Mac users
I'll bet a lot of us have fought the Mac wars in our own companies. I won some, I lost some, so it's especially gratifying to see Forrester Research urging IT to get over itself and enthusiastically support Macs in the enterprise. A new report from the research company, authored by senior analyst David K. Johnson, turns the already-stale conventional wisdom about integrating Mac OS machines into enterprise operations completely on its head. Mac-enabled employees are actually the HEROes of business, says Johnson -- Highly Empowered and Resourceful Operatives. This 17% slice of the enterprise workforce are the ones who work longer, give more effort and actually push innovation forward. The report is pricey if you're not a Forrester subscriber, but it's extensively quoted at Fortune's Apple 2.0 blog. One of the most powerful statements in the report is that Mac users forced to use Windows laptops find the PCs are "slowing them down." "Time is the only thing that these fierce competitors can't make more of. Many of today's corporate PCs are saddled with management, backup, and security agents that can bog down a PC. Employees want their PCs to boot in 10 seconds, not 10 minutes, and they don't want to have to get a cup of coffee while opening a 20 MB spreadsheet in Excel. They're drawn to uncluttered Macs -- especially those with solid-state drives, which are more responsive and boot in seconds." Pretty amazing from the same research group that warned companies in 2008 to stay well clear of the Mac. "Unless your market is a niche business group, Windows is the only desktop you need support." Even now, 41% of the enterprises that Forrester surveyed don't even support Mac clients getting access to web-based corporate email, much less welcome the Mac in as a full-fledged IT citizen. Now the tide has turned, with more and more Mac laptops making inroads into the most productive corners of the enterprise PC landscape. Forrester says, rather emphatically, "Stand in the way (of letting Apple in), and you will eventually get run over." If you want to part with US$499, you can buy a copy of the report and leave it in your boss's inbox.
Study finds Macs account for 11% of corporate computers, Windows XP dominates
After 27 years of existence, the Mac may finally be getting some respect in corporations. According to a study by research firm Forrester, Macs have jumped from 9.1% of all computers in enterprises in April, 2010 to 11% in March of 2011. The study looked at 400,000 computers from 2,500 companies that accessed the Forrester.com website. Why the big leap in acceptance? Forrester's Ben Gray noted that some companies are yielding to pressure from employees who want to use their own machines at work. This trend is referred to as the "consumerization" of the enterprise, and Gray mentioned that "Empowered workers attracted to BYO [bring your own] device programs are quickly coming to expect Mac and iOS support." There was no mention of the so-called Apple "Halo Effect" being at work, although anecdotal evidence points toward many iPod, iPhone, and iPad users later embracing Macs for work and home. This could be a factor in why workers are beginning to take their Macs into the workplace. While Mac OS X use in the enterprise is climbing, Windows XP -- which Microsoft will officially drop support for in April, 2014 -- is still the primary OS in use in big business with close to a 60% share of the installed base. Windows 7 powers about 21% of corporate computers, with the remaining share being divided between Linux and Windows Vista. [via MacWorld UK]
Shocker! Internet use now ties TV in time spent avoiding outdoor activity
Despite a huge dropoff in cable subscribers this year, Forrester Research's 40,000-strong survey pegs consumer TV consumption at about 13 hours weekly, same as it ever was. But lo and behold, reported internet use has also risen to 13 hours weekly, a veritable tie to which we naturally reply, "what took it so long?" This number represents a 121 percent uptake in the past five years and attributes its success to multitaskers and those who are spending less time with radio, newspaper, and magazines -- again, nothing too mind-blowing to our perception of reality. If the survey has revealed anything surprise to us, it's that email is only used by 92 percent of those questioned, leaving at least eight percent classically trained in case the post-apocalyptic world of Kevin Costner's The Postman ever becomes reality. [Image Credit: ICHC]
Forrester: e-book sales to hit nearly $1 billion this year, $3 billion by 2015
There's no denying that e-books are already big business, and market research firm Forrester is now offering some pretty impressive numbers that show just how big it already is, and how much bigger it will get in the next few years. The firm surveyed some 4,000 people and found that while just seven percent of those actually read e-books, they still bought enough of them to translate to $966 million in sales this year -- a number that's projected to grow to $3 billion by 2015. As for the reading habits of that seven percent, Forrester found that they "read the most books and spend the most money on books," and that they read 41 percent of their books in digital form. That doesn't necessarily mean that they use actual e-readers, though -- a full 35 percent apparently do most of their e-book reading on a laptop, followed by 32 percent on a Kindle, 15 percent on an iPhone, 12 percent on a Sony e-reader, and ten percent on a netbook. Interestingly, but perhaps unsurprisingly, Kindle users seem to be the biggest boosters of e-books -- they do 66 percent of all their reading in digital form.
Apple scores high on customer experience index, iTunes not so much
According to AppleInsider, Apple has scored higher than other PC companies on Forrester's new customer experience survey, but their main software app didn't fare quite as well. Apple came in at number 35 on the list, which places them way above PC competitors like HP, Compaq and Dell, though iTunes only scored place number 46, putting them way behind online media competitors Barnes and Noble (which sat at number one) and Amazon.com (#4). The survey was driven by asking customers how well their needs were met by the companies on the list, how easy it was to conduct business with them, and how enjoyable the different interactions were. Note that this survey only rates customer interaction -- in terms of actual sales, iTunes is still through the roof. And Apple is still leading the way in customer satisfaction as well. But in terms of actual customer experience, iTunes especially, for something that is quickly becoming Apple's core method of interacting with customers, could probably use a little work.
A 1998 Forrester Research prediction about HDTVs wasn't even close
One of our favorite pastimes here at Engadget HD is to give analysts and researchers a hard time and this is one that we just couldn't pass up. The HDTV Almanac happened across a very old Forrester Research report that didn't think HDTV had much of a future. Of course looking back over 10 years makes it almost too easy to poke fun, but predicting that HDTVs would still cost $2000 in 2008 seems pretty silly about now. What's worse is the prediction that only one million sets would be sold by 2003, while the number ended up being 3.4 million. Looking back at all of this makes us wonder about all the 3D predictions we've seen lately, because if consumers went that crazy about going from 480i to 1080p, just imagine how they'll feel about adding a third dimension.
Apple tops Forrester satisfaction survey
While Microsoft pushes a series of ads that prompt customers to focus on the in-store price (remember, the price is not the cost), Apple customers are expressing satisfaction with the ownership experience. Research firm Forrester conducted a survey of 4,600 people about their experiences with several brands, including Apple, HP, Dell and Gateway. Apple received a "Good" rating, meaning 80% of respondents rated their experience with the company's products highly (the actual measurement system isn't in the article's description). Gateway was next with an "Okay" rating (66% satisfaction), followed by HP at 63% (Lauren's choice!) and Dell bringing up the caboose at 58%.This illustrates the tough spot Microsoft is in. They don't manufacture the hardware that their product, the OS, requires. Yet, people use "PC" -- which actually stands for "Personal Computer" -- synonymously with "Windows." It's unclear the article's summary where those customers' dissatisfaction comes from, the hardware or the software. While it's easy to say that Microsoft should switch focus from price to quality, it would be very difficult for them to implement, as they only control half of the equation. [Via Electronista]
NYT: Music execs operate 'in fear of Apple'
In today's New York Times, Tim Arango tells a story of a heated conversation between Sony Music's Rolf Schmidt-Holtz and Steve Jobs on Christmas Eve -- one that "ricocheted around the music industry." Apparently, before the announcement at Macworld, all the labels except Sony had agreed to a new pricing deal. Sony wanted the new pricing to take effect immediately after the announcement, but Jobs wanted a longer rollout. After the phone call, according to the Times, Sony agreed to the longer waiting period. During this time, Jobs was allegedly on medical leave, recuperating at home from his much-publicized illness. Arango notes that Jobs' point-man on music industry relations, Eddie Cue, and Apple's entire staff "do their best to follow Mr. Jobs's style in their own negotiating." That is to say: Hardball. Music executives, according to an unnamed source, are afraid of angering Apple, as Apple can single-handedly remove a label's catalog from the iTunes store, angering the label's customers. At the same time, Apple can claim that their hands were tied, the decision wasn't theirs, and that all the ire should be directed at the music industry. Such a thing hasn't happened -- yet -- but the threat is there, and real. The labels, on the other hand, feel like they brought Apple back from the dead, blessing the company with content. Even so, David Card of Forrester Research offered an interesting coda to the story: "if it weren't for Apple, God knows how bad the music industry would be," he said. [Via 9-to-5 Mac.]
Forrester: Apple nearly quadruples enterprise share
Ben Gray, analyst at Forrester Research, says that Mac OS X accounts for 4.5 percent of the business operating system market, 3¾ times their share in January 2007. Computerworld notes that all this has happened with one thing notably absent: an enterprise strategy. "I haven't seen anything from Apple that seems to show it's attack[ing] the enterprise market," Gray said. He says the gains in market share are due to two trends: client virtualization (using software like Parallels or VMWare) and the idea that corporate IT departments are more willing to support a broader range of hardware and software. "In the end, [IT departments] want their employees to be as productive as humanly possible, so they'll approve tools that people are more comfortable with," said Gray. In related news, Windows' overall share of the corporate market dipped slightly from 95.6 to 94.9 percent for the same time period. [Via Macworld.]
Forrester Research: Here Apple, have some terrible ideas
Forrester Research has mined its vast knowledge resources, and produced a report suggesting that Apple's products in 2013 will be nothing but household clutter. Apparently Apple is out of ideas, so Forrester decided to take on the task itself, coming up with an envelope-pushing list of electronics that includes such marvels as: digital picture frames clock radios universal remote controls Wow. That's research money well spent, if you ask me. Take note Apple employees, these are the ideas you're going to have to top in your next product development meeting. [Via AlleyInsider.]
How big is the streaming pie?
With the WGA strike seeming like a distant memory (two weeks old), it's a good time to examine what the fight was over online streaming. The resulting agreement grants residuals to the writers for content streamed more than 17-days after the on-air showing, and first year shows get treated to a 24-day window. Those are some pretty favorable terms for the studios, if you ask us. Real-life analysts seem to agree, estimating that online video ad spending will swell from $1.3 billion in 2006 to $7 billion by 2012. Those online ads are prime real estate, too -- "brand recall" from them is way above that seen for broadcast TV. If "brand recall" figures like 60-percent for online video ads versus single-digits for conventional TV hold up, expect to see another WGA uprising in the future. Until then, keep these figures in mind when TV studios decry internet video as a deathknell.[Image courtesy Today's Real Estate]
Forrester declares iPhone wrong for enterprise users
CIO magazine recounts a Forrester Research report from last week on "The iPhone is Not Meant for Enterprises," a $280 piece of critical business intelligence that tells IT departments something they a) wanted to hear and b) already knew: the iPhone is not a Blackberry (quel suprise!). Without key features such as remote kill, data encryption, and full Exchange support, Forrester says the iPhone is DOA in BigCo environments; despite this, IT folk need a strategy for handling the iPhones that make their touchable way in the revolving doors.Nobody expects IT to embrace the iPhone with both arms, but the tale of the numbers suggests that the warmth of the welcome may be irrelevant: the iPhone is here in a big way. With sales data suggesting that the iPhone has passed Windows Mobile in share, vendors like Visto promising full Exchange integration, and an SDK around the corner for blessed development, corporate technologists may have to settle for a policy of benign discontent as the shiny pretty things invade.Update: Some well-phrased and funny debunking of Forrester's stance by the Macalope and John Welch.[via Macworld]
Forrester blog responds to iTunes kerfuffle
"iTunes sales are NOT plummeting!" is the latest headline on the Forrester blog. You know Forrester, don't you? They're the ones behind the report the other day about iPods, iTunes and credit card transactions. That's the report that set everyone talking about whether iTunes was a failure and whether Apple's digital media sales were suddenly collapsing. Apple's stock dipped several percentage points on the news. Today, Forrester's blog points out that their findings were misinterpreted. iTunes sales did drop after the holiday rush last year but Forrester did not find that iTunes sales as a whole were on a general downward trend. Instead, it looks like iTunes sales are leveling off and that Apple's overall profitability should not be affected; their profits come mostly from iPod sales and not from iTunes. Good news for Apple lovers. Bad news for the newspapers with their overblown headlines.
On declining iTunes Store sales
The Register rang the town bell this week, pouncing on a report from Forrester Research which declared that iTunes Store sales are on the decline. Forrester analyzed 27 months of credit card transactions to conclude that revenue has fallen 65 percent since January 2006, and the size of the average transaction has dropped 17 percent. These numbers, however, don't take into account transactions like gift cards and gifted music, and I have a sneaking suspicion they might also have omitted other popular services like PayPal, which can be tied directly to a customer's banking account, bypassing credit cards altogether.Apple is notoriously tight-lipped about the performance of their 800 lb gorilla iTS, but MacNN notes that Apple reported 'above-break-even' profits for the store during last September's earnings conference call. Considering the iTS has long been known as a paper-thin profit loss-leader to sell iPods, as well as the possibility that the neglected portions of iTS transactions could shift Forrester's findings, I'm a bit skeptical of these reports. Of course, The Macalope asks 'who cares?' to all this worry of how the iTS is doing, but Geoff Duncan at Digital Trends reminds us of some interesting potential shifts in the digital distribution model that could depend directly on how well present offerings fair. Microsoft opened a Pandora's box by agreeing to pay the labels $1 for each Zune sold, and there are rumors that the jackass labels might be using this to pressure Apple into a similar deal. On an even broader scale though, Geoff also mentions something called 'blanket licensing' where said jackass labels could apply a tax to broadband subscriptions, allowing users to continue to freely download content over any network or service they use.We will undoubtedly receive an updated performance report on the iTunes Store from Stevie at next month's Macworld. If anything, Forrester's report and the resulting discussion might signify a new wave of interestingness in the sea of DRM and digital distribution. Stay tuned.
