full-featured media servers capable of connecting automatically to other
consumer devices such as TVs, picture frames, game consoles, and audio systems,
according to ABI Research.
DLNA and Wi-Fi
Direct certification programs are poised to simplify wireless connectivity for
consumers. But new mobile cloud services may provide even easier access to
consumers’ media content.
Wi-Fi Direct enables a device to
connect directly to another device without a wireless network. DLNA-certified
devices discover other certified devices, eliminating the need for a consumer
to configure the connection,” said Victoria Fodale, senior analyst, ABI
Research.
Both programs help mitigate the
difficulties that consumers often face when connecting devices at home, and
both bring wireless technology further into the mainstream market,” Fodale
added.
Both Wi-Fi Direct- and DLNA-enabled
smartphones will grow strongly, at compound average growth rates (CAGR) of 63
percent and 23 percent, respectively, through 2016. However, home networks will
grow at only 4 percent which shows a clear disconnect between smartphone
capability and use of home networks.
Although Wi-Fi connectivity is
ubiquitous in smartphones, and the number of wireless home networks is growing
steadily in developed markets, network configuration remains challenging for
the average consumer.
There may be an alternative: the new
cloud services offered by Amazon, Google and Apple allow consumers direct
access to both user-generated and licensed media. If they are easier and more
convenient for consumers, mobile cloud services could completely bypass the
need for integration with home networks or entertainment equipment.
By Telecomlead.com Team
editor@telecomlead.com
