Source: DTTL, 2010

Deloitte recently produced their 2011 Predictions for Technology, Media & Telecommunications. I’ve combed through these predictions for you to highlight the ones that marketers need to know:

1. Rise of Tablet Computers. Deloitte predicts that more than 25% of all tablet computers in 2011 will be bought by enterprises, and that figure is expected to rise in 2012 and beyond.  The retail, manufacturing and healthcare industries are presumed to become early adopters. This means that marketers need to pay attention to how their online communications come across in tablets (in addition to other mobile devices).
2. Tipping Point for Non-PCs. Correlating with the first point on the rise of table computers, the era of the PC is coming to a close.  While traditional PCs (desktops, laptops, netbooks) will still be the main platform for 2011 and immediate years to come, the landscape is changing rapidly with the increase of tablets and smartphones.  Along with the increase in non-PCs has come the growth of the application industry which is only in its infancy. The industry is expected to grow 60% in 2011 to over $10 billion.
3. Operating System Diversity. While the adoption of non-PCs is rising, no dominant operating system (OS) has yet to emerge, which means that there is no defacto standard.  In a fragmented OS world, it means that no one app developed for a single platform can address the entire market. Marketers will need to understand that developing customized apps or versions for each OS requires time and money (between $5,000 – $500,000, depending on complexity) so they will need to pick and choose the markets they want to target wisely.
4. Social Networking Advertising Continues to Grow. While social network advertising revenues are still less than 1% of the global advertising spend, the potential for this channel is huge.  Deloitte predicts that 2011 will see over one billion unique social network members and a 40% year over year growth  in advertising revenues.  In addition to advertising revenues, other forms of revenue for social networks include serving as a payment platform for apps and e-commerce.  A blended e-commerce store model may be one where networks charge for online retail space and earn a commission on any sales.  What is certain is that marketers need to expand their use of social media to protect their image and reputation in online networks as people overwhelmingly trust peer recommendations (78%) over advertisements (14%).