Deloitte releases 2007 technology & media predictions

Deloitte has released their predictions for 2007. They include: expanding social networks which will create a greater need for security and copyright protection technologies, while user-generated content from blogs, amateur filmmakers and others will both complement and threaten traditional media outlets. 

There are 3 reports, technology, telecommunications and media. I will only focus on technology and media. Nothing shocking in the reports but well worth the read -- they provide PDFs of the report for offline reading. Here is an overview of the reports:

Technology

Social Networking Evolves -- Social networks will continue to expand, creating a need for identification improvements, the ability to remove copyrighted material quickly, and making downloads as instantaneous as possible.

Tech Goes Green -- Portable power needs will explode, with solutions including power-scavenging technologies that draw energy from around them -- from body heat, ambient light, vibrations or movement -- to provide supplementary battery charge.

Biometrics on the Cusp -- With security continuing to be a concern, the use of biometric data (iris, fingerprint and palm geometry) for access control is on the rise.

Digital Storage Expansion Driven by Laws -- Digital storage needs will be impacted by companies' legal obligations to keep years and petabytes worth of data, with costs passed onto the user.

Read the full technology predictions

Media

Consumer as Media Mogul -- User-generated content is increasing. Blogs, amateur filmmakers and others are creating content that complements -- or perhaps threatens -- traditional media outlets. Smart media companies will serve up user-generated content as a powerful promotional vehicle and use it as an effective medium for scouting talent.

It's a New Media World After All -- New media metrics are taking over, with old media metrics becoming a thing of the past. Development of comparable statistics will emerge, enabling companies, their customers and their investors to more accurately gauge performance.

DVD vs. VOD: No Clear Winner in Sight -- Simultaneous availability of movies on DVD and VOD will make them closer competitors.

Read the full media predictions