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Top ICT trends for Africa in 2015

Staff Writer
By Staff Writer, ITWeb
Johannesburg, 13 Nov 2014
OTT players are expected to expand their influence across Africa in 2015.
OTT players are expected to expand their influence across Africa in 2015.

The ICT industry has undergone some unprecedented developments over the last year. Continued upheaval - including an upsurge in over-the-top (OTT) activity, the launch of viable low-cost smartphones, and major changes in the competitive landscape as a result of partnerships and mergers, are some of the things that have defined this year in ICT.

So what can we expect in 2015? Growth consulting firm Frost & Sullivan has delved into the latest regional and international research - and taken industry benchmarks and developments into account - to try and answer that question.

The firm has identified these top ICT trends it believes we can expect to see in Africa next year:

1. Multiple African governments will drive the provision of Internet access in the year ahead. There is now widespread acceptance of the importance of telecoms infrastructure in driving socio-economic development, and governments across the continent will play an increasingly important role in this respect. Already, objectives such as financial inclusion, public sector service delivery, and healthcare, have received close attention and seen multiple pilot projects launched.
2. The year 2015 will bring about extensive innovation in new business ecosystems. This is a prominent global trend, but one that has particular application in Africa. Numerous companies have emerged to address the key challenges faced on the continent including power shortages, education, and the limited availability of data. Expect new trends such as peer-to-peer applications, on-demand services, and infrastructure sharing to establish unique models in Africa.
3. OTT players will expand their influence across Africa. At a global level, OTT players like Google, Facebook and Apple have disrupted the telecoms landscape, and 2015 will see them expand their influence across Africa. Beyond the continued cannibalisation of messaging and, increasingly, voice revenues, one can expect the battle for customers to intensify.
4. Other trends identified include the growing impact of convergence in the competitive landscape, the shift from bring your own device to bring your own software and the expansion of big data analytics from data collection to full application, bringing with it improved customer insights and personalisation.

"With the rise of connectivity and Internet penetration, competition in the telecommunications market is no longer confined to geographic boundaries," explains Frost & Sullivan industry analyst, Joanita Roos. "What is rapidly playing out in the market is a battle to control how consumers access communications services."

Frost & Sullivan operations director Hendrik Malan says the firm's ICT research team conducted extensive analysis, including a combination of local industry and process expertise, to select and prioritise the listed top trend predictions.

"These trends are anticipated to have an impact on both enterprise and consumer markets in Africa next year."

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