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Computing from the Hip - IDC Estimates the U.S. Market for Wearable Computers Will Reach $600 Million by 2003
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The IDC Emerging Technology Markets Commercial Viability Rating Debuts with Rating on Wearable Computing
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., June 21 /PRNewswire/ -- New research from International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates the U.S. demand in the industrial, manufacturing, military, government, and medical sectors will drive growth in the wearable PC marketplace in the United States, pushing the potential market opportunity to $600 million by 2003. Because of the growing demand and the compelling applications in the manufacturing and military sectors, wearable computing rates 34 (on a scale of 1-100, with 100 being most viable) on the IDC Emerging Technology Markets Commercial Viability index. IDC's new proprietary rating system to judge the commercial viability of new technologies indicates that although wearable computing still has a lot of challenges to overcome, the device will be commercially viable.
"Wearable computing will start to play a key role in cost cutting and increasing productivity for many industrial users in the next 5 to 10 years," said Christine Arrington, program manager for IDC's Emerging Technology Markets group and author of IDC's report, Alternative Computing Device Report Series: Wearable Computing. "The true mobility of wearable computing will expand PC opportunities to markets and job functions PCs have not been able to penetrate up until now."
The wearable computer market is evolving from a research and development focused, start-up environment to a product- and customer-oriented market. Wearable computer vendors are now able to focus on customer needs rather than solely on technology development. Designs in the marketplace have become small, light, and powerful enough to begin attracting the attention of many different market segments.
Wearable computing has several applications where it will excel as the form factor of choice. Vehicle maintenance users, particularly large vehicles such as aircrafts, will find that a wearable computer can cut down on the need to refer to paper-based manuals and increase accuracy on the job. Medical workers will have immediate access to records, reference material, and with communications capabilities, other medical resources.
The biggest challenge to the wearable computing industry is user education. Although many very useful applications will be developed, the majority of end users will remain confused about the form factor. "How do you use it" and "what do you need it for" will be the questions that wearable vendors will continue to hear for the foreseeable future. Cultural obstacles will also hamper the effort to expand the market, particularly with consumers. "The applications to drive consumer interest are several years away," Arrington said. "And fear of the 'geek' factor will be a huge obstacle for some time, meaning that wearable computing is a commercial application for the next few years."
About the IDC Emerging Technology Markets Commercial Viability Index
The IDC Emerging Technology Markets Commercial Viability Index is a methodology that assigns ratings to technologies based on risk factor criteria and reward factor criteria. The rating results generate a commercial viability rating on a scale of 1 to 100 giving an indication of what level of viability, if at all, the technology rates. Baseline technologies or technology groups are used to calibrate the index - for example, baselines such as the World Wide Web score 75 on the grid rating system.
About the Alternative Computing Device Series: Wearable Computing Report
The Alternative Computing Devices Report Series looks at various devices being developed that take computing beyond what is broadly available on the market today. The first report in the series provides an in-depth analysis of the emerging market for wearable computers. The report rates the commercial viability of the new computing form factor and provides analysis on the total available market, applications, and potential end-user segments for the devices. Additional reports through the year will focus on personal augmentation and automobile computing.
The Alternative Computing Devices Report Series: Wearable Computing (IDC #W19020) is now available and may be purchased by contacting Sue Beauregard at 508-935-4774. Members of the press may contact Christine Arrington (650-962-6442) for a copy of the executive summary and table of contents.
About the Emerging Technology Markets Service
IDC's Emerging Technology Markets program provides technology companies, end users, and investors with an authoritative resource on technologies coming from private sector and government laboratories, industry start-ups, and established leaders in the market. The program focuses on how these technologies will impact the high-tech industry and how the market will accept them. Using a proprietary technology rating system, IDC analysts assess the commercial viability of new technologies. IDC's international technology expertise will enable the Emerging Technology Markets program to create a consolidated, well-informed, and practical view of the emerging technology scene. It will deliver research that will enable decision making on how new technologies will impact products and markets.
About IDC
International Data Corporation is the information technology industry's most comprehensive resource on worldwide IT markets, trends, products, vendors, and geographies. IDC provides data, analysis, and advisory services to the world's leading IT suppliers as well as IS professionals in finance, insurance, entertainment, advertising, consumer goods, and publishing. IDC's research and opinions are based on the results of more than 300,000 end-user surveys, in-depth competitive analysis, broad technology coverage, and strategic analysis. IDC is committed to providing global research with local content through its 500 analysts in more than 40 countries worldwide. Additional information on IDC can be found on its Web site at idc.com.
IDC is a division of International Data Group, the world's leading IT media, research, and exposition company.
All product and company names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders.
SOURCE International Data Corporation
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