November, 2013 – As we say goodbye to 2013, Intel and its executives highlight key trends and predictions for the year ahead. The following comments may be attributed as indicated. Key predictions: • “Imagine when wearable devices are with us 24/7. With the amount of data, information, and personal content that will be exchanged, security will become even more important.” Brian Krzanich, CEO, Intel • “Of course there are also challenges around things like privacy, security, identity and reputation... As a result, there is a lot of governmental and regulatory activity to help clarify this emerging area – it will be fascinating to see what emerges around the globe.” Genevieve Bell, Futurist and Director of User Experience Research, Intel • “Technology is a necessity of modern life, especially for Asia’s young and fast-growing middle class.” Gregory Bryant, Vice President and General Manager, Intel Asia-Pacific and Japan • “During the next era of personal computing, the biologic problem shifts to a computational problem in the treatment of cancer. Computing doesn't get any more personal than when it saves your life.” Renee James, President, Intel Increased connectivity to boost the economy The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has forecasted that global growth is projected to remain at slightly above 3 percent in 2013, but there are risks of a longer growth slowdown in emerging markets . The IMF also says reforms should be introduced across all major economies to lift global growth and support global rebalancing. Intel’s views: Looking to China, and growth may have been revised down slightly by the IMF but the country is still forecasted to have one of the highest growth rates across the globe for at least the next 12 months. Five years ago in many emerging markets, you might find that one person with a mobile phone would be the single point of contact and communication for business for an entire village, all via simple text messages. Next year will see multiple devices reach beyond the Tier One and Two areas as governments and industry push for higher connectivity across emerging countries. In Indonesia, Intel is working with telecommunications provider Telkom to provide six months free connection for devices that have Intel inside. The education evolution Intel predicts that within the next three to five years, the region will see a huge increase in device ownership with one device for every student increasingly being the norm. The key challenge will be providing the adult population, particularly in regional areas with the right education, devices and services to engage them. Intel believes that every person should have access to education that matches both their interests and their skill sets. To move forward, we need to provide engaging content, otherwise people who haven’t had access to technology in the past will resist advancements – but one of the biggest barriers will be providing the content in a format that everyone can understand. There’s still work to be done on programs within schools. Simply giving children devices alone doesn’t guarantee that they will acquire the necessary 21st century digital literacy. The focus needs to be on education institutions themselves, the content they are producing – and most critically the teachers. Consumers demand new levels of interaction In 2013 research firm Gartner acknowledged that machines are becoming better at understanding humans and the environment – software that can recognize the emotion in someone’s voice is just one example . Intel agrees, and believes that 2014 will bring a rapid increase in emerging technologies such as human augmentation, speech-to-speech translation, augmented reality, gesture control and wearable user interfaces. Wearable devices aren’t new but the last 12 months saw a burst of product releases that have captured consumer interest. This trend will surge in the next one to three years with devices merging our love of consumer technology with our everyday needs. Wearable devices can already tell us our heart rate and as medical services move online, our devices will be able to trigger an alert to emergency services. This will be a true tipping point for health systems when we see interaction directly with medical professionals in times of need. Entertainment devices have made incredible progress and 2014 is set to bring even more. For example, in late 2013 Intel introduced the world to ‘Jimmie’ the robot at the Maker Faire in New York, an open source robot constructed using a 3D printer. As things progress and innovation continue in 2014 we will see new concepts in entertainment emerge. 2014 will see the emergence of a whole new sector for home entertainment. As more and more TV shows, movies and content are created for mobile devices, the media industry is undergoing a massive change across the globe. Big Data paves the way for innovation Intel believes that having 15 billion connected devices in the next few years is achievable. The biggest question is around where the data will go when these devices connect and the best way to make use of that information. This will prompt a whole industry to grow around predictive analysis and raw data. Big Data will help make companies smarter, more progressive and give them a business advantage. Governments will soon follow.
