KPCB analyst Mary Meeker’s Internet Trends 2015 report always makes valuable reading to anyone from the world of enterprise IT.
“We are re-imagining more and more aspects of our daily lives, as mobile users and entrepreneurs continue to push innovation and creative output across new online platforms,” she writes. “Business processes continue to be re-imagined, led by companies aiming to make data more useful and services more efficient,” she said.
We’ve pored through the 197-slide report to gather some useful insights that may help inform your digital transformation. Mary Meeker’s full presentation is available on Slideshare.
Strong but slowing growth
Growth in Internet users was up by 8 percent in 2015, down from 10 percent in 2013 and 11 percent in 2012. New mobile phone users grew by 23 percent, down from 27 percent growth the year before and from 65 percent in 2012. Global mobile subscriptions grew to 7 billion, with over 2 billion of those smartphones.
The Internet is only just beginning to transform some sectors, principally healthcare and government, suggesting more interesting possibilities for the digital transformation of everything.
A take away for those interested in collaboration is the popularity of messaging apps. Meeker believes apps like WhatsApp, We Chat, or Viber are attracting new Internet users to go online for the first time. A billion people will use these services by 2020, Meeker states.
People are changing
While 34 percent of the US workers now see themselves as freelance, in the employment stakes millennials have become the largest generation group (35 percent) represented in force and they have different work/life expectations. For example, 22 percent of millennials see training and development as the most valuable available workplace benefit and “Meaningful Work” (30 percent) is seen as slightly more important than “High Pay” (30 percent).
However, hiring managers see Millennials as more narcissistic, open to change, adaptive, creative and money motivated than previous generation employees. It seems possible employers will have to meet these new personal development and training needs, while future staff retention may depend on how closely brands can align themselves around being “meaningful”.
BYOD addiction
87 percent of millenials always have their smartphones with them, while 80 percent reach for it first thing at night and 60 percent believe everything will be done on mobile devices whtin the next five years.
India is interesting
India is seeing an explosion in Internet connectivity, with 232 million users making it the world's third largest market, behind the US and China. India is also the largest market for WhatsApp, the second largest market for Facebook and LinkedIn and the fastest-growing market for Twitter.
This reflects the steady migration away from conventional communication services towards OTT service providers, with billions of messages now exchanged globally. It also shows the potential to tap this fast-growing new market through digital channels, as people go online for messaging what other innovative online services may attract them?
The social networks
Twitter’s focus on the second screen seems to be working for advertisers: 53 percent of TV viewers re-exposed to a brand’s message on Twitter recalled the ad, while 40 percent of TV-only consumers recalled the ad.
The top three Facebook publishers by number of shares, comments and Likes are Buzzfeed, Huffington Post and ABC News. Twitter’s top three (by shares) seems more conventional, BBC, New York Times and Mashable.
Digital customers
The on-demand economy is booming, says Meeker, pointing out that
the average US household spends 33 percent of their budget on housing; 18 percent on transportation and 14 percent on food.
“Consumers’ expectation that they can get what they want with ease and speed will continue to rise,” she writes. “This changes fundamental underpinnings of business and can create rising demand for flexible workers.”
Explore our infographic explaining how digital transformation is transforming customer relationships and learn more about balancing social media and legal risks in an article by our Lead of Regulary Affairs, Johanna Pimentel.
I've been writing about technology for nearly 20 years, including editing industry magazines Connect and Communications International. In 2002 I co-founded Futurity Media with Anthony Plewes. My focus in Futurity Media is in emerging technologies, social media and future gazing. As a graduate of philosophy & science, I have studied futurology & foresight to the post-grad level.