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growth

India wearables market sees triple-digit growth in 2020, according to IDC

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The India wearables market posted a remarkable 144.3% year-over-year (YoY) growth in 2020, exiting 2020 with 36.4 million unit shipments, according to the recent data from the International Data Corporation’s (IDC) Wo rldwide Quarterly Wearable Device Tracker. India was the only country in the top 20 to see triple-digit growth in wearables in 2020 and continues to be the third-largest wearables market globally. This growth was majorly driven by the increasing acceptance of earwear devices and upgrades to watches from wrist bands, both recording their highest annual shipments in 2020.

Earwear device shipments grew more than threefold in 2020 compared to the previous year, mainly driven by the affordable launches, and expanding use cases beyond entertainment like virtual meetings and e-learning requirements. Truly Wireless Stereo (TWS) devices were the top gainer seeing a tenfold increase with shipments totaling 11.3 million units in 2020.

“Hearables became one of the most sought-after electronic categories in 2020. The newer version of hearables are much better in managing the increased audio usages and improved aesthetic and design also made them the trendsetter,” says Anisha Dumbre, Market Analyst, IDC India. She further adds, “TWS category saw the much-needed price corrections with several vendors launching devices at more affordable price points leading to the drop in the average selling price of TWS to $45 in 2020 from $110 in 2019.” [Read more…] about India wearables market sees triple-digit growth in 2020, according to IDC

The 5G economy will ‘spur massive GDP and job growth across the US’, says BCG

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5G networks in Washington, DC could create about 4.5 million jobs in the US and add roughly $1.5 trillion to the country’s GDP, according to a new report from Boston Consulting Group (BCG), commissioned by CTIA, the wireless industry association.

BCG’s analysis shows that 5G will contribute to US GDP and employment growth by enabling of innovation that will transform all sectors of America’s economy across cities and communities of all sizes.

“Our analysis shows that the 5G economy’s impact will be broad and deep, unlocking significant benefits across the US and enabling new use cases across all industries, including health care, education, and agriculture,” said Enrique Duarte Melo, a BCG managing director and senior partner and lead author of this report. “The GDP growth and job creation that America’s 5G networks are beginning to unlock will be instrumental in jump-starting the country’s economic recovery.” [Read more…] about The 5G economy will ‘spur massive GDP and job growth across the US’, says BCG

Highspot raises $200 million in growth funding to ‘take sales enablement mainstream’

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Highspot, claimed to be “the industry’s only unified, natively-built sales enablement platform”, has closed $200 million in Series E funding led by Tiger Global Management, with participation from new investor Bain & Company. The round included all existing investors: ICONIQ Growth, Madrona Venture Group, OpenView, Salesforce Ventures, Sapphire Ventures and Shasta Ventures. The round values Highspot at $2.3 billion.

Highspot’s hyper-growth has been driven by the critical role sales enablement plays in a company’s ability to improve the performance of their sales teams. Highspot’s innovation leadership and customer satisfaction resulted in back-to-back record quarters for new customer wins and annual recurring revenue growth in fiscal year 2021.

“Sales enablement is about more than sales. It connects everyone from marketing and sales to post-sales in delivering a unified buying experience that wins, retains and expands customer relationships,” said Robert Wahbe, CEO, Highspot. “Scaling your go-to-market strategy is a complex process with a large gap between strategy and execution. We close this gap. Our single, unified platform improves sales performance by turning strategy into successful execution.” [Read more…] about Highspot raises $200 million in growth funding to ‘take sales enablement mainstream’

Deloitte Global tech, media and telecom predictions: Growth in digital reality, virtual doctor visits, cloud, and sports tech intensify

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Deloitte Global has released its Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions report, which highlights how worldwide trends in TMT may affect businesses and consumers worldwide. In addition, the report highlights how many of these trends are being driven by the global pandemic’s economic and societal impacts, resulting in intensifying growth in video, virtual, and cloud technologies, as well as in media segments such as sports.

“While some technologies followed expected growth patterns, the reality of a global pandemic has resulted in unprecedented technology acceleration that has fundamentally changed how we live and work,” said Ariane Bucaille, Deloitte Global Technology, Media & Telecommunications Industry leader. “A range of enterprise and consumer technologies—from 5G to the cloud to virtual reality—will continue to offer opportunities to the worldwide business ecosystem.”
Doctor visits move to video

One effect of COVID-19 has been jumpstarting a worldwide trend of telemedicine, including video-based doctor visits. The global pandemic not only necessitated the elimination of regulatory barriers to such visits but also helped consumers better understand and leverage video calling apps, especially consumers over the age of 65. [Read more…] about Deloitte Global tech, media and telecom predictions: Growth in digital reality, virtual doctor visits, cloud, and sports tech intensify