BC Business
Deloitte’s annual TMT Predictions report identifies key trends in the technology, media and telecommunication industry sectors that will significantly affect Canadian businesses over the next five years.
Here are a few areas to watch next year:
Machine learning: The number of machine learning technology implementations and pilot projects by medium and large-sized enterprises will double compared to 2017 and double again by 2020.
Ad blocking: Seventy-four per cent of Canadians engage in at least one form of regular ad blocking, but only about 6 per cent block four or more ads: the “adlergic” population. Individuals who are young, highly educated, employed and earn higher incomes are more likely to be heavy ad blockers.
Digital media: By 2020, there will be more than 680 million digital subscriptions, with consumers increasingly willing to pay for content.
Augmented reality: More than a billion smartphone users will create augmented reality (AR) content at least once in 2018, with at least 300 million doing so monthly and tens of millions weekly. This translates to about 15 million Canadians using AR.
Live content: Live broadcast and events will generate over US$545 billion in direct revenues in 2018 globally and C$17.5 billion in Canada. Despite consumers’ capability to consume content on demand or attend events remotely, live consumption is thriving and can be made more productive and profitable by digital.