Connected tech seen as top trend for 2017

During CES 2017, which was staged in Las Vegas from January 5 to 8, experts from the Consumer Technology Association (CTA) said advanced connected technology was now shaping the global digital ecosystem. 
Fifth-generation broadband Internet is the future, driven by the rise of data consumption. While 4G is sufficient for now to meet the demand for real-time activities, 5G technology will allow to consumers to go further and do more. 
CTA chief economist Shawn DuBravac told the press that the roll-out of Wi-Fi connections in homes in many cities had helped increase the importance of smart homes and home automation, and this would lead to personalised and customised services in the near future. 
Jack Cutts, director of CTA business intelligence, added that with this new cutting-edge technology, this new ecosystem needed the development of new software and features to provide new experiences for consumers. 
As the wireless network grows in each city, connected technology via sensors installed inside key components such as buildings and energy management as well as transportation systems will help create smart cities. 
Bosch’s smart technology is a good example in this regard. Werner Struth, a member of the board of management of Robert Bosch GmbH, said his company was putting more emphasis on the development of smart solutions in the areas of mobility, energy and building technology, security, and digital city administration. 
“The new innovative waterfront communities The San Francisco Shipyard and Candlestick [are models] of smart-city development. We also [have created the] Vivatar application as a digital guardian angel for people who commute in the city, for safety reasons,” Struth explained.
Bosch is also working on pilot projects on community-based parking systems. It said such projects in the US were planned for this year under cooperation with Mercedes-Benz and other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). Currently, the company is testing this concept in German and other European cities. 
However, Brian Markwalter, vice president of CTA research and standards, acknowledged that the transition to this type of technology would take a long time. 
This year, the rising star of new technology with high growth rates is expected to be in the category of sports performance wearables and fitness trackers, because they come from a low base. 
The global market for wearables this year is estimated to hit 184 million units, up by 50 per cent from 122 million last year, according to a presentation by Steve Koenig, senior director for market research at the CTA.
Smart watches and health/fitness trackers will continue to take the lead. Meanwhile, Western European countries and China will be key markets to watch this year as they gain on the US market’s early wearable lead. 
The CTA predicts that wearables will continue to see double-digit revenue growth of 42 per cent to US$21 billion (Bt740 billion) this year, increasing from $15 billion in 2016. 
However, the CTA estimates that global tech spending this year will be lower than last year because of several factors. 
First, a stronger US dollar means unfavourable exchange rates with such currencies as the euro and yen. China’s economic growth is expected to moderate, while global gross domestic product will grow by only 3.4 per cent in 2017.
Second, sales growth in core categories such as smartphones, personal computers, television sets and tablets is expected to be flat or negative this year in volume terms. Meanwhile, retail prices in those categories are likely to be lower than in 2016. 
The CTA considers geopolitics in the US and Russia, trade risks from Brexit and the end of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and global commodity prices as among this year’s uncertainties.