Between 2012 and 2014, over 70 companies globally valued at more than $1bn were start-ups with unique, transformative business models. During the same period, most business model innovators have managed to produce consistently profitable returns with average revenue gain between 100 and 500%. The keys to these success stories have been connectivity and convergence with 50% of start-ups launched on mobile platforms.

According to a recent study from Frost & Sullivan, titled Analysis of the Global RFID Market in Retail, the RFID market will grow from $737.8m in 2014 to $5409.0m in 2020. The study covers middleware, hardware and tags. The proliferation of omni-channel retailing is increasing the demand for RFID technology. 

Environmental regulations, high carbon emissions and the need for energy quality and efficiency are expected to boost the demand for smart grids in Europe. Frost & Sullivan analysis, 'Revisiting the European Smart Grid Demand Response (DR) Market', finds that investment activity will grow in the market with the need to replace ageing electric utility infrastructure, which is estimated to be between 70 and 80 years old in most of Europe.

More than 90% of corporate and public sector executives believe that digital technologies will disrupt their existing business model in the next two to three years. Digitalisation is reshaping the world as we know it, but do companies have the digital skills they need to compete, do they know the true value that digitalisation can bring?

The online payment industry was exposed to a slew of attacks in 2013-14, with hackers meticulously examining the payment infrastructure to exploit potential weaknesses. To guard against such security breaches, the payment industry needs to devise global security initiatives and establish common rules. According to new analysis from Frost & Sullivan, Are Digital Transactions Secure Enough?, HCE has created a new layer of security services.

We are living a connected life in a connected world says Frost & Sullivan. Our smartphone is our gateway to the world and very soon we will be able to connect our glasses, watch, thermostat, lights, door locks and car. The connected life market has been valued by Frost & Sullivan at over $700bn by 2020, but are companies prepared to drive and manage this change to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving world in which we live? 

Frost & Sullivan has recognised Rohde & Schwarz with its 2015 Global Award for Competitive Strategy Innovation and Leadership, based on recent analysis of the oscilloscopes market. Rohde & Schwarz entered the oscilloscope market five years ago, introducing a product portfolio that helped it expand its footprint globally.

End-user industries are increasingly investing in industrial UPS systems to minimise productivity losses and threats to plant safety due to power interruption. Annual productivity losses on account of power quality issues are costing end user industries in Europe €150bn and those in the US $188bn.

HMI solutions have made rapid strides in the last decade in step with changing customer demands. As the trend towards real-time factory intelligence gains widespread acceptance in industries, HMI software will continue to evolve. From merely providing plant data on a mobile device, HMI now delivers real-time data and actionable insights to operators.

We are living a connected life in a connected world. Our smartphone is our gateway to the world and very soon we will be able to connect our glasses, watch, thermostat, lights, door locks and car. The connected life market has been valued by Frost & Sullivan at over $700bn by 2020, but are companies prepared to drive and manage this change to stay ahead of the rapidly evolving world in which we live?

High Performance Polymers (HPP) and phenolics have made considerable inroads into challenging automotive and aviation applications owing to their superior physical, chemicals and mechanical properties. Technological advancements and strong R&D support along with robust testing and certification processes have further attributed to the rapid adoption of HPP and phenolics in Europe.

According to a Frost & Sullivan study, the total ICT spending in the government sector will reach $441bn by 2018. North America is expected to account for 47.4%, followed by Asia-Pacific with 21.7% and Western Europe with 21.3%.

The wearable devices space is viewed as the next goldmine of opportunity for sensor manufacturers as profits shrink in the smartphone and tablet segments. Frost & Sullivan's 'Wearable Electronics Enabled by Sensors' analysis finds that the sensors market earned revenues of $108m in 2014 and estimates this to catapult to $800m in 2020.

Frost & Sullivan's analysis, '3D Printing Technology – 9 Dimensional Assessment', has indicated that the trend toward personal manufacturing and small scale production is paving the way for 3D printing adoption. Consumer goods manufacturing and healthcare applications, in addition to established application sectors such as the automobile and aerospace segments, offer immense scope for the technology.

Connectivity and convergence is the theme of Frost & Sullivan's GIL (Growth, Innovation and Leadership) 2015: Europe. The GIL congress returns to London for its seventh consecutive year on Thursday 14th May at Royal Garden, in Kensington. Over 200 industry leaders are expected to convene from all over Europe to share ideas and strategies to make their business choices successful.

According to analysis from Frost & Sullivan, the global PLC market witnessed a strong decline in growth in 2012 due to the uncertain economic scenario in the developed world, notably in mature North American and European markets. However, since 2013, the market has witnessed positive growth across all regions, particularly in emerging regions such as Asia-Pacific. These regions are displaying uptrends due to increased activity in the construc...

There are three common industrial waste heat management options: recycling within the same heating system; recovery of the waste heat to be used in other systems within the same plant; and converting the waste heat to power. 'Innovations in Industrial Waste Heat Management', an analysis from Frost & Sullivan, reveals that of the three processes, converting waste heat to power will be the most preferred option in the future.

According to Frost & Sullivan in its report: ‘Touchless Sensors Technology - 9 Dimensional Assessment’, next-gen interfaces enabled by touchless sensing technologies will soon enter the consumer electronics, healthcare, automotive, security, military and gaming industries. Of the various segments and sub-segments, the company believes that mobile electronic devices will offer the most opportunities for touchless sensing techn...

During Mobile World Congress in February 2014, Visa and Mastercard announced that both firms will support the Host Card Emulation (HCE) initiative to help accelerate the uptake of NFC services. With PayPal's wallet entering the physical payment world and Apple’s iPhone 6 supporting NFC features via the Apple Pay wallet, the HCE initiative caused strong disruption among payment industry players by answering what the mobile payment indus...

The increasing level of industrial automation is fuelling the global demand for (MCC) Motor Control Centres. A MCC is an assembly of motor starters or overload protection devices such as contractors and/or overload relays that are connected by a common power bus bar so as to control several motors. Intelligent MCCs (iMCCs) – with remote diagnostic capabilities as well as features such as loss detection and predictive maintenance – are...