nbn becoming more important in competitive mobile services market

April 11, 2017

1 in 4 considering nbn services from their primary mobile service provider

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Australia’s telecommunications market is getting substantially more competitive leading up to a once in a generation churn opportunity with the arrival of nbn into metropolitan areas, according to a new study by emerging technology analyst firm Telsyte.

The Telsyte Australian Mobile Services Market Study 2017 found the mobile services market is heating up with 15 per cent of subscribers switching providers in 2016, up from 11 per cent in 2015.

Mobile is becoming a critical competitive factor for the fixed line market. A quarter of Australians are willing to consider getting nbn broadband from their primary mobile service provider even if they are not providing non-nbn fixed services today (providers like Vodafone, Amaysim, Kogan Mobile, ALDIMobile, etc.).

According to Telsyte’s survey of consumers, mobile carriers collectively rate higher than brands such as Google, Facebook or Apple in terms of potential to become nbn service providers. The nbn is a huge opportunity for mobile only carriers to expand their services in the coming years. More than 10 per cent of mobile and fixed broadband subscribers bundle their services already, and Telsyte believes this trend to continue to grow.

The Australian mobile services market continues to favour month-to-month plans, reaching 53 per cent at the end of December 2016 despite higher smartphone prices and more competitive contract plans. This lack of commitment to long term contracts is paving the way for more flexible fixed line broadband packages which could include pay by the month and pre-paid offerings.

MVNO growth accelerating as consumer hunt for better deals

MVNOs (Mobile Virtual network Operators) which currently have around 10 per cent share of subscriptions were responsible for a quarter of the net additional subscribers during H2, driven by competitive pricing and flexible non-contract plans. Telsyte found the market added more than 600,000 SIOs (Services in operation) in the six months to the end of December 2016, with 33.2 million SIOs in total.

“Carrier plans to use second SIMs to improve the bottom line has yet to really taken off,” Telsyte Senior Analyst, Alvin Lee says.

Less than 10 per cent of mobile phone users purchased second SIMs in 2016, as more Australians become comfortable tethering their devices to their smartphone with a larger data plan.

According to Telsyte’s research, the average smartphone data allowance increased by more than 40 per cent in 2016 while data usage grew by more than 60 per cent over the same period.

“More than 75 per cent of Australian smartphone users streamed music, video or both to their smartphones during 2016 and average data utilisation rate increased to around two thirds of the plan’s allowance,” Lee says.

Telsyte’s study found mobile international roaming is still not economical for all Australians, with only around one quarter of travellers activating roaming on their existing mobile services when abroad.

With many Australians travelling during the winter months, 1 in 3 will still choose to purchase a SIM on arrival, despite the lower prices and changes to roaming policies from Australian carriers.

Additionally, 18 per cent purchase a prepaid travel SIM, and the rest rely on public WIFI or go off grid (see below chart).

For further information on the report or media enquiries contact:

Alvin Lee
Senior Analyst
Tel: +61 2 9235 5890
Email: alee@telsyte.com.au

Foad Fadaghi
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9235 5851
Email: ffadaghi@telsyte.com.au

Telsyte’s Australian Mobile Services Market Study 2017 is a comprehensive study which provides subscribers with:

Market sizing and forecasts of the Australian mobile services market
Analysis of current offerings in the market
Carrier performance and review
End-user trends and strategic discussions
Mobile services market KPI

In preparing this study, Telsyte used:

Interviews conducted with executives from service providers, mobile operators, content providers and channel partners.
An online survey of a representative sample of Australians 16+ years of age conducted with 1,060 respondents in November 2016.
Financial reports released by service providers.
On-going monitoring of local and global market and vendor trends.

About Telsyte

Telsyte is Australia’s leading emerging technology analyst firm. Telsyte analysts deliver market research, insights and advisory into enterprise and consumer technologies. Telsyte is an independent business unit of DXC.technology. For more information visit www.telsyte.com.au.

The material in this article is copyright protected and not intended to be altered, copied, distributed or used for any commercial or non-commercial purpose, except for news reporting, comment, criticism, teaching and scholarship.

Big data surges as Australian organisations increase spending in 2017

March 16, 2017

Big Data budgets now rival CRM software

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Australian enterprises are boosting their big data analytics capability by investing more in tools and services to transform business processes and create new products and services, according to new research from emerging technology analyst firm Telsyte.

Now in its third edition, the Telsyte Australian Big Data & Analytics Market Study 2017 reveals the demand for high volume data processing and real-time intelligence is growing strongly as organisations struggle to keep up with an explosion of data.

Telsyte’s maturity model which classifies the market into the maturity levels of static, active, tactical, strategic, dynamic and optimised, found that most (63%) enterprises are at a low maturity level. However, the rate of organisations with “strategic” to “optimised” Big Data maturity has risen sharply during the past two years.

Budgets are increasing with 83 per cent of Australian CIOs planning to invest more on big data in 2017, including hardware, software and services.

Intention to use big data analytics are high across a range of applications, including: financial modelling; customer interaction; security and fraud detection; retail sales and e-commerce; and IoT and machine-to-machine infrastructure.

Around a third of CIOs are looking to use big data analytics for sales and marketing applications, making it in the top three of line of business use cases. However, uptake is still lagging with only 15 per cent of marketing departments having implemented big data analytics.

Big data analytics now firmly on the software agenda

Big data and associated analytics is now in the same league as CRM and marketing automation for share of software budget, indicating its strategic relevance across a growing number of data sources, not just traditional databases.

Some 30 per cent of enterprises are using or planning to use big data for predictive analytics, indicating a strong requirement for these use cases.

Furthermore, big data analytics is now in top five of enterprises applications managed by third-party service providers indicating a lack of in-house capability to process large data sets.

Telsyte research shows more than half of Australian CIOs predict a five or more fold increase in the number of connected devices in their enterprise within the next five years. And a lack of a big data strategy is a blocker for IoT adoption in one in four organisations.

“Just collecting and processing data is half the story. Australian business leaders must use real-time analytics to gain business value from data and transform their decision making from reactive to proactive,” Telsyte Senior Analyst, Rodney Gedda, says.

The main benefits CIOs are looking to derive from a big data and analytics strategy are better productivity, improved decision making and better product and service development which is now the number one business priority for Australian IT leaders.

Telsyte research investigated the main barriers to the adoption of big data among Australian enterprises and factors like software costs, lack of in-house skills and IT infrastructure requirements are holding back broader adoption in Australia.

Telsyte research shows big data processing is already the number one use-case for high-performance computing and analytics and reporting is in the top five.

Big data managed services high on agenda in Australia

The Australian market for big data and analytics support partners is growing strong with global players like IBM, Amazon Web Services, Cloudera, Dell/EMC, Google, Microsoft, SAP and Oracle all vying for a slice of the boom in spending by buyers of big data.

Telsyte research found platforms and managed services top of the shopping lists for organisations embracing big data.

In addition to the multinational options Australia has a growing big data analytics industry with vendors like Contexti, EngineRoom.io and YellowFin offering a range of products and services in the space.

“The local big data services space remains ripe for consolidation with a number of service providers growing quickly in the past 12 months,” Telsyte Managing Director, Foad Fadaghi, says.

For further information on licensing the study or media enquiries contact:

Foad Fadaghi
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9235 5851
Twitter: @foadfadaghi
Email: ffadaghi@telsyte.com.au

Rodney Gedda
Senior Analyst
+61 2 9235 5891
Twitter: @rodneygedda
Email: rgedda@telsyte.com.au

Telsyte’s big data and analytics research program provides leading insights into the technologies and services that are re-defining how Australian organisations, including the public sector, deploy and manage big data infrastructure and applications.

Telsyte’s Australian Big Data and Analytics Study 2017 is a comprehensive 98 page report and advisory service offering subscribers:

Impact of Big Data on IT priorities and spending of Australian businesses
Big data adoption and maturity levels
Drivers and inhibitors of Big Data adoption
Management of Big Data
Big Data adoption and insights across industry sectors including:
- Retail
- Healthcare
- Banking & finance
- Insurance
- ICT
- Government
Impact of Big Data adoption
Vendor profiles SWOT analysis, including: SAS, Oracle, Cloudera etc.

In preparing this study, Telsyte used:

An online survey of a representative sample of 269 ICT decision makers across Australian organisations with greater than 20 employees.
Sampling was conducted on a size of spend weighting basis, with 61 per cent of respondents coming from organisations with greater than 200 employees.
Interviews conducted with executives from software vendors, system integrators, hardware and big data software providers, as well as their channel partners.
On-going monitoring of local and global market and vendor trends.

About Telsyte

Telsyte delivers strategic insights and advisory services to businesses that are producing, or are impacted by, disruptive technologies. Telsyte publishes studies into emerging consumer and business markets and provides custom research and advisory services. Telsyte is an independent business unit of DXC Technology .

Windows 10 ‘2-in-1’s set the pace as traditional slate sales slow

March 7, 2017

Touchscreen desktop computers set to enter the Australian market

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Sales of tablet devices continued to rebound in the second half of 2016 with 1.64 million units sold, according to the Telsyte Australian Tablet Market Study 2017.

The modest half-on-half increase of 2 per cent was facilitated by a boom in convertible ‘2-in-1’ Windows tablet sales which accounted for 27 per cent of all devices sold. Windows has almost overtaken Android (29%) but remains behind the market leader Apple with 44 per cent share.

Telsyte estimates that Australian sales of Windows tablets grew around 60 per cent half-on-half (2H 2016 vs 2H 2015) while during the same period Android tablet and iPad sales declined 13 per cent, and 9 per cent respectively. Convertible ‘2-in-1’s led the charge with the category now making up 30 per cent of sales, up from 15 per cent in 2H 2015 [1].

The latest findings show that Australians are moving significantly away from sub-premium (or low cost) tablets. Telsyte estimates less than 10 per cent of tablets sold in 2H 2016 fall into this category. According to Telsyte’s Australian Digital Consumer Study 2017, around 40 per cent of Australians are willing to pay more for ‘top quality electronics’ as digital devices become central to the consumer lifestyle.

Australian tablet users on average spend around 2 hours per day on their tablets, with primary usage still being at home (over 80%). The time spent on 2-in-1 tablets is more than 3 hours per day and over 30 per cent use them outside of home.

“Tablets are no longer just about media consumption, touchscreen devices are revolutionising the creative experience,” Telsyte Managing Director, Foad Fadaghi, says.

Tablets move beyond the handheld

Telsyte expects the introduction of larger format, desktop touch computers, such as Microsoft’s Surface Studio to boost an otherwise sluggish PC market which has struggled to give users a reason to upgrade. Telsyte estimates that the average replacement cycle for PCs in Australia has now grown to 4.7 years.

Telsyte believes Microsoft and its OEM partners will cater for different segments of this bourgeoning market developing both tabletop and desktop touch interfaces using Windows 10 in various form factors.

Telsyte estimates that by 2021, at least 10 per cent of desktop PCs sold will have touch screen interfaces, with more pervasiveness expected as screen price come down. Currently large format touch screens are more closely aligned to creative professionals, businesses and high end household budgets than the mainstream buyer.

Around 80 per cent of the ICT decision makers in Australia and New Zealand surveyed by Telsyte indicate that they are already buying or interested in purchasing larger format touch screen computers for their organisation.

Tablets accessories boom despite device sales remaining flat

Despite a slowdown in tablet unit sales from the boom years of 2012 to 2013, the market for tablet-related accessories continues to be a profitable category for leading retailers. Telsyte research shows that 71 per cent of tablet users have at some stage purchased some form of accessory for their device, with the top add-ons in 2016 being cases and keyboard-type covers. In addition, sales of pen input or stylus devices featured prominently for owners of 2-in-1 devices.

For further information on the study or media inquiries contact:

Foad Fadaghi
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9235 5851
Twitter: @foadfadaghi
Email: ffadaghi@telsyte.com.au

About Telsyte’s Australian Tablet Market Study 2017

Tablet definition: A computer device consisting of a 7 inch or larger touch screen that can be used in a slate format (not requiring keyboard or mouse). Telsyte’s definitions includes 2-in-1 devices with detachable or foldable keyboard, and tabletop, or reclinable desktop screens that provide a tablet form factor experience.

2-in-1 definition: Primarily refer to laptops that have a touch screen and detachable keyboards or foldable form factor to provide a pure tablet-like experience. Tablets that are known for their versatility and mimic laptop-like experience with keyboards or type covers are also considered as 2-in-1s. E.g. Microsoft Surface tablets, iPad Pro, Samsung Galaxy TabPro S, Google Pixel C, Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet, Toshiba Portege Z20t, or Lenovo Yoga 3 Pro.

In the 2017 study, Telsyte has provided forecasts for desktop touchscreen computers that can be used in a slate format. Please note this excludes blackboard style devices (e.g. Surface hub), or touchscreen laptops that require keyboard and mouse for operation (Telsyte considers these as laptop computers).

[1] Please note Telsyte measures Apple iPad Pro models as 2-in-1s for comparison reasons, due to having a specifically designed Apple keyboard, typically sold together.

Telsyte’s Australian Tablet Market Study 2017 is a comprehensive 113 page report which provides subscribers with:

Market sizing, platform and vendor market shares and forecasts
End user trends across devices, usage, platforms and accessories
Tablet and computer purchase intentions and loyalty
Product reviews and insights
Tablet audience estimates and strategies for media companies

In preparing this study, Telsyte used:

An online survey of a representative sample of Australians 16+ years of age conducted with 1,060 respondents in November 2016.
An online survey of a representative sample of Australian & New Zealand CIOs and IT decision makers with 302 respondents completed in August 2016. Organisations had 20-20,000+ or more employees.
Financial reports released by mobile carriers, manufacturers, retailers and service providers.
Interviews conducted with executives from mobile operators, vendors, retailers, and channel partners.
On-going monitoring of local and global market and vendor trends.

Editor’s note:

Telsyte measures sales of devices (“sell out”), not shipments or sales to retailers or carriers (sometimes called “sell-in”). Telsyte believes this is a more accurate measure of performance of products in a marketplace. Telsyte does not rely on disclosure from vendors or general assumptions made for large multinational companies that do not release local market data. Telsyte uses a comprehensive methodology that includes surveys of consumers, discussions with vendors, carriers and their partners, retailers, and financial analysts. In addition, public financial results from manufacturers and carriers are used. Telsyte tests a wide range of products in real life usage scenarios and conducts satisfaction and repeat purchase surveys with large and representative samples of Australian smart device users. Telsyte is a pioneer in measuring and reporting tablet sales in Australia and has been providing insights on tablet device since 2010.

Please note this study was formerly titled “Australian Media tablet market study”

Australian smartphone sales remain flat despite soaring usage

February 28, 2017

Smartwatch sales continue to grow as mobile payments emerges as a killer app

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Australian smartphone sales for the second half of 2016 remained flat despite soaring usage rates, according to a new study by emerging technology analyst firm Telsyte.

New findings from the Telsyte Australian Smartphone & Wearable Devices Market Study 2017 shows 4.1 million smartphones were sold during 2H 2016, down 2 per cent (or 0.1m) compared to H2 2015. Year-on-year the market grew less than 1 per cent. Sales were impacted by a combination of factors including the recall of the Samsung Note 7, rising prices of premium handsets, and a difficult retail environment.

At the end of 2016, Telsyte estimates that 75 per cent of Australians were using a smartphone, with near full penetration in the 18 to 55-year-old age group. The smartphone has quickly become the go-to device for Australians’ digital lifestyles. Telsyte’s study findings show that:

3 in 4 smartphone users streamed music, video or both to their device during 2016, as mobile data caps increased and more than half of all mobile phones were connected via 4G.
Around 30 per cent of all eCommerce (online purchases of physical goods and services) were conducted via post-PC devices (smartphone & tablet), up from 22 per cent in 2015 (averaged across 23 measured product and service categories)
Services such as ride sharing, food ordering and delivery services that are primarily accessed via smartphone apps are growing strongly. Over 2 million Australian smartphone users used online food order and delivery services in 2016 and 1.7m used a ride or car sharing service.
1 in 4 smartphone users indicate that they “feel addicted to their smartphone”.

Apple’s iPhone was the most popular brand of smartphone sold in Australia with an estimated 1.7 million units sold in H2 2016. However, Telsyte believes Apple was not able to replicate its H2 2014 performance which covered the period following the launch of the iPhone 6, which triggered a major upgrade event due to its larger screen size. Telsyte believes price rises have also impacted iPhone sales.

Nonetheless, iPhone repeat purchase intentions remain industry leading at greater than 80 per cent, creating a big opportunity for Apple if it can deliver a compelling new product at the end of 2017.

“A third of the iPhone installed base is on the iPhone 5S or earlier models, making them ripe for an upgrade,” Telsyte Senior Analyst, Alvin Lee, says.

Telsyte anticipates that an iOS upgrade in 2017 will result in models such as the iPhone 5 and iPhone 5c being left unsupported.

Android remains the most popular operating system on smartphones in Australia (52% of the installed base), with Samsung continuing its Android sales leadership followed by Huawei.

According to Telsyte’s research, the recall of Galaxy Note 7 has negatively impacted Samsung’s brand for only around a third of Samsung’s smartphone users. Samsung smartphone users indicate around 60 percent repeat purchase intention, similar to before the recall.

Smartwatch sales set to overtake smart fitness bands in 2017

Telsyte estimates nearly 2 million wrist-based wearables were sold in 2016, of which 37 per cent were smartwatches. Telsyte expects by the end of 2017, over half of all wrist-based wearable sales will be smartwatches, as more basic smart fitness band sales decline in sales. Telsyte estimates that smart fitness band sales in Australia were down 10 per cent year on year, and down 28 per cent in H2-2015 compared with H2 2016.

“Around 1 in 6 smart fitness bands are given as gifts in Australia which is impacting longer term usage rates,” Telsyte Managing Director, Foad Fadaghi, says.

Telsyte believes mobile payments is quickly becoming the killer application for smartwatches.

Telsyte surveys show that almost half of Apple Watch owners have used Apple Pay, with more than 70 per cent indicating they use it “regularly” or “almost always”. In comparison, less than 10 per cent of iPhone users in Australia that have a compatible handset have used Apple Pay.

“Once users get over the initial barrier of raising a smartwatch to a payment terminal, they start to use it regularly, indicating it might be a critical application for smartwatch retention,” Fadaghi says.

Telsyte research shows that the number one requested smartwatch feature is longer battery life.

For further information on the study or media enquiries contact:

Foad Fadaghi
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9235 5851
Email: ffadaghi@telsyte.com.au

Alvin Lee
Senior Analyst
Tel: +61 2 9235 5890
Email: alee@telsyte.com.au

The Telsyte Australian Smartphone & Wearable Devices Market Study 2017 is a comprehensive study which provides subscribers with:

Smartphone market sizing estimates, platform and vendor market shares and forecasts.
Smart wrist-based wearables market sizing estimates, platform and vendor market shares and forecasts.
End user trends across devices, application usage, platforms and operators.
Purchase intentions and acquisition channels.
Strategic analysis of market trends and issues.
Device profiles and Telsyte analyst ratings of tested devices.

Telsyte measures smart wearable devices in the Telsyte Australian Smartphone & Wearable Devices Market Study 2017 as computing accessories worn on a user’s wrist typically paired and controlled via a smartphone. Examples includes products from Adidas, Apple, Asus, Fitbit, Garmin, Huawei, Jawbone, LG, Microsoft, Motorola, Nike, Pebble, Samsung, Sony, TomTom and others.

In preparing this study, Telsyte used:

An online survey of a representative sample of Australians 16+ years of age conducted with 1,060 respondents in November 2016.
Interviews conducted with executives from service providers, network operators, manufacturers, retailers, financial analysts and channel partners.
Financial reports released by service providers and manufacturers.
On-going monitoring of local and global market and vendor trends.
Analyst reviews of leading smartphone and wearable devices.

Editor’s note:

Telsyte measures sales of devices (“sell out”), not shipments or sales to retailers or carriers (sometimes called “sell-in”). Telsyte believes this is a more accurate measure of performance of products in a marketplace. Telsyte does not rely on disclosure from vendors or general assumptions made for large multinational companies that do not release local market data. Telsyte uses a comprehensive methodology that includes surveys of consumers, discussions with vendors, carriers and their partners, retailers, and financial analysts. In addition, public financial results from manufacturers and carriers are used. Telsyte tests a wide range of products in real life usage scenarios and conducts satisfaction and repeat purchase surveys with large and representative samples of Australian smart device users. Telsyte is a pioneer in measuring and reporting smartphone sales in Australia and has been providing insights on mobile technologies since 2006.

About Telsyte
Telsyte delivers strategic insights and advisory services to businesses that are producing, or are impacted by, disruptive technologies. Telsyte publishes studies into emerging consumer and business markets and provides custom research and advisory services. Telsyte is an independent business unit of DXC Technology. www.telsyte.com.au

Virtual reality entering critical phase putting content developers in the hot seat

February 21, 2017

Australian sales of virtual reality headset exceed 200,000 units in 2016

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA – Sales of virtual reality headsets are off to a strong start in Australia with more than 200,000 units sold in 2016, according to a new study by emerging technology analyst firm Telsyte.

The Telsyte Australian VR & AR Market Study 2017 shows that 216,000 VR headsets were sold in the calendar year 2016, with mobile VR taking around 70 per cent share of units sold. However, nearly half of all device revenues were generated by the Sony PlayStation VR which is experiencing strong initial demand from video gamers.

Telsyte’s survey of Australian consumers (16+ years of age) shows almost half of those looking to purchase a VR headset are interested in using it for games, movies or entertainment purposes.

Nearly half of all Australian households currently have a game console making it fertile ground for early adopters.

Telsyte estimates VR penetration will reach 25.5 per cent of households by 2021, based on attachment rates of headsets to VR capable smartphones, games consoles and higher end gaming PCs.

Telsyte believes the key driver for the adoption of VR headsets will be support by content producers, in particular the AAA games titles and franchises. However, many production houses are waiting for broader adoption and a clear winner to emerge before making large scale investments.

“We are entering a chicken and egg scenario with VR adoption,” Telsyte Managing Director, Foad Fadaghi says.

“Developers are looking for a growing base of users before making large investments, at the same time mainstream technology buyers are waiting for killer VR content or applications,” Fadaghi says.

The wide range of VR products available is also impacting consumer and developer uptake. Telsyte believes that the choice of three main platforms (mobile, console, PC) and four main ecosystems (Oculus, PlayStation VR, HTC Vive/Stream VR, Google Daydream) is impacting consumer purchase decisions. This will be further exasperated with more options in H2 2017.

Telsyte research also shows early adopters are looking for a “distraction from reality”, although VR is typically used in small doses. Nearly half indicated “they enjoy playing online games with friends”, 58 per cent indicated “they often feel stressed” and 49 per cent indicated they have “very little free time” (24%, 18% and 11% higher than the average Australian respectively).

Telsyte’s assessment of VR hardware and software shows most early devices on the market are in need of advancement to help the overall market grow. Notwithstanding the health and safety concerns, VR hardware needs to become less visible, lighter and untethered, while software and content developers need to harness the technology better with less “demo” orientated releases.

For further information on the study or media inquiries contact:

Foad Fadaghi
Managing Director
Tel: +61 2 9235 5851
Twitter: @foadfadaghi
Email: ffadaghi@telsyte.com.au

About Telsyte’s VR & AR Market Study 2017

Telsyte’s Australian VR & AR Market Study 2017 is a comprehensive 102 page report and advisory service offering subscribers:

Market sizing estimates, platform and vendor market shares, hardware revenues and forecasts
End user trends across platforms
Application development strategies
Purchase intentions and use cases for VR/AR
Scenario based forecasts and insights on platforms
Small business usage and intentions on VR/AR
Device profiles and ratings
Audience estimates and forecasts useful for contentand application developers

In preparing this study, Telsyte used:

Interviews conducted with executives from VR and AR vendors, retailers, software developers, game publishers and channel partners.
Hands on testing of devices by analysts, including pre-release and post release products.
An online survey of a representative sample of 1,060 Australians 16+ years of age conducted in October 2016
An online survey of 302 CIOs and IT decision makers in Australian and New Zealand organisations with 20+ employees (Australia) and 10+ employees (New Zealand) in August 2016
Financial reports released by manufacturers, publishers and service providers.
On-going monitoring of global and local market trends and vendors.

About Telsyte

Telsyte delivers strategic insights and advisory services to businesses that are producing, or are impacted by, disruptive technologies. Telsyte publishes studies into emerging consumer and business markets and provides custom research and advisory services. Telsyte is an independent business unit of DXC Technology . www.telsyte.com.au