Mobile world gets ready for breakout year

Tablets, smartphones, mobile apps and cloud-based services look set to become rising stars in 2012 thanks to changing digital lifestyles, lower prices and greater product variety.

Major device makers, especially Apple and Samsung, are moving aggressively to offer a wider range of different display sizes and mobile operating systems to boost their tablet market shares.

Variety of cheaper data packages to serve user needs

Mobile operators are offering a variety of cheaper data packages to serve user needs and stimulate adoption of smartphones and tablets.

The arrival of the cloud was spurred not just by changing user behaviour however also a changing information-research business model, from upfront investment on hardware and licensed software to a pay-per-use model or subscription service.

The innovation firm Frost & Sullivan forecasts a value of 1.5 billion baht for the local cloud computing market in 2012, up by 50% from 2011.

The surge in smartphones

The surge in smartphones and wireless devices has prompted an increase in social media traffic and users, presenting an possibility for online marketing and advertising channels.