IP-connected CE shipments to pass 2.5 billion

Shipments of IP-enabled consumer electronics devices will reach 2.5 billion this year, according to a report by IMS Research.

According to IMS, shipments of IP-connected devices will approach 2.5 billion this year and grow to 3.5 billion by 2015. Shipments of residential data modems and gateways is expected to reach 135 million in 2012, according to the report.

IMS said that growth in multiscreen TV would be driven by increased adoption of fixed broadband services and wireless home networking, the rapid growth in the installed base of IP-enabled devices, confidence about securing content on iOS and Android platforms, the development of standardised encryption protocols such as the DLNA Premium Video standard, the evolution of content distribution contracts to allow for multiscreen distribution and a range of new technology innovations including adaptive transcoding.

“While the concept of a converged multi-screen ecosystem is not new, the reality is that previous attempts to implement have provided a sub-par user experience,” said Stephen Froehlich, senior analyst at IMS Research. “However, 2012 will be the year that this all changes. Numerous vendors at this year’s CES, for instance, demonstrated products which showed real, highly complex, incredibly powerful and scalable solutions to the incredibly difficult problem of delivering a converged, multiscreen television experience.”