i3 - March/April 2020 - 46

Business

By Rick Kowalski

BY T H E N U M B E RS

Embedded Technologies Equal
Big Market Opportunities

ach edition of CTA's U.S. Consumer Technology Sales and Forecasts report highlights the
emergence of new technologies that are driving growth and innovation in the industry.
The Internet of Things (IoT) phenomenon, which brought connectivity to everyday
objects throughout the past decade, has laid the foundation for the new IoT: the Intelligence of
Things. Connected devices are tapping the potential of artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, sensors
and cloud computing, allowing for more personalized experiences and smarter services. These
enhancements equate to big market opportunities, as CTA's January forecast shows.
5G is Here

Connected
Health Monitoring
As sensor technology has
evolved over the past
decade, the digital health
industry is demonstrating
new ways to address health
concerns with connected
health monitoring devices.
These app-connected
devices measure heart
rhythm, blood pressure,
blood glucose levels and
other vital signs. They can
help people with chronic diseases track their day-to-day
health, alert them of major
changes, and share the
results with doctors. CTA predicts that connected health
monitoring devices will generate nearly $1 billion in revenues in 2020, a healthy start
for a new category.

Smart Home
The Internet of Things brought
the smart home to the masses
over the past decade. Devices
such as smart doorbells and
home security technologies
allow homeowners to monitor
activity or answer their front
door while they are away.
Consumers benefit from
home automation tech like
smart lighting and smart thermostats, which help manage
home energy use. Smart
home products are becoming
more predictive and intelligent, with the ability to take
actions based on a person's
daily activities and personal
preferences. CTA forecasts
over 35 million smart home
devices will ship in 2020, a
15% increase over 2019.

Smart Audio
AI - specifically speech recognition - has changed the
audio market forever. Wildly
successful smart speakers
sparked this trend with digital
assistants found in virtually
every audio product now. True
wireless earbuds are taking
audio a step further, representing one of the best examples of how embedded
technologies can lead to market success. Integrating
Bluetooth, motion sensors,
touch sensors, voice recognition, and wireless charging,
true wireless earbuds are
expected to generate $8 billion in revenues in 2020 (up
30% year-over-year).
As 2020 unfolds, new technology mashups will continue
to push the envelope and
open up new opportunities
for the industry in 2020.

iStock/Getty Images

All eyes are on 5G to bring a
new level of connectivity to
devices. CTA expects 20.3
million 5G handsets to ship to
the U.S. in 2020 as wireless
providers expand their networks. Aside from phones,
service providers are
expected to begin to rollout
home 5G internet service,
which will raise demand for
5G broadband modems, of
which 1.4 million will ship in
2020. The potential for 5G
doesn't stop there.
Manufacturers are embedding 5G in cars, tablets, laptops, farm equipment and
infrastructure. The industry
expects that 5G devices will
range from very simple datagathering devices to software
and services that manage
vast networks of 5G equipment, meaning a world of
possibilities to explore.

MARCH/APRIL 2020

i3_0320_Business_ByTheNumbers.indd 46

I T I S I N N O VAT I O N

3/13/20 5:15 PM

https://www.cta.tech/salesandforecasts

i3 - March/April 2020

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of i3 - March/April 2020