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2017 TMT Predictions: Biometric Security on the Rise, Tablet Sales on the Wane

The number of fingerprint-reader-equipped devices will reach one billion in early 2017, the demand for tablets has probably peaked, falling short of reaching 160 million of units sold, and the market in vinyl discs will see a boom. These are the main conclusions of the 16th edition of the Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions mapping modern technologies.

“The pace of technological innovations keeps increasing, which is why it is more and more difficult to say what the dominant trends affecting the business sector and consumers will be,” says Petr Viktora, the partner leading the Deloitte Digital advisory team. He adds: “Nevertheless, it is clear that 2017 will be dominated by security-focused technologies, including biometric security, as the number of cyber-attacks will be on the rise.”

The study by Deloitte Digital predicts that over 300 million smartphones, or more than one fifth of units sold in 2017, will have machine learning capabilities within the device in the next 12 months. However, over time machine learning will not just be limited to smartphones. These capabilities are likely to be found in tens of millions of drones, tablets, cars, virtual or augmented reality devices and others.

This year, it is predicted that sales of tablets will be fewer than 160 million units. “The demand for these devices has probably already reached its peak. Across a range of online activities, tablets have their fans, but there is no single activity where tablets are the preferred device that would generate further growth,” adds Petr Viktora.

Other TMT predictions for 2017 in brief
Prints charming: biometric security reaches the billions. The active base of fingerprint-reader-equipped devices is predicted to top one billion for the first time in early 2017.

Vinyl: the billion-dollar nostalgic niche. It is predicted that vinyl will continue its resurgence this year and may approach $1 billion in revenues. Today, for many buyers, the record has become a collectible, a memento, a proudly physical format and an expression of individuality in an increasingly digital world.

DDoS attacks enter the terabit era. Deloitte Global predicts that in 2017, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks, a form of cyber-attack, will become larger in scale, harder to mitigate and more frequent.

Car safety first: by 2022, annual US motor vehicle fatalities could fall by 6,000. Although there are other motor vehicle safety technologies that are likely to contribute to this reduction, the single greatest factor will be automatic emergency braking (AEB) technologies.

Would you like to know more? Download the TMT study and read more about the technology, media & telecommunications predictions for 2017.