By Niels Van Der Valk, VP Americas & EMEA Sales at Eye-Fi.
There are currently 525,000 iPhones and close to 1.5 million Android devices sold each day. It’s simple mathematics – smartphone subscriptions are growing exponentially. In a recent Frost and Sullivan report it emerged that Middle East and North Africa (MENA) is expected to be linked through 4 Billion connected devices by 2020, which means six to seven connected devices per household in the next six years. The surge is being propelled by the demand for instant access to information anywhere anytime and cameras are no exception.
Connectivity is becoming an increasingly important way of life – not just globally, but in the Middle East as well. The proliferation of smart devices, development of high-speed broadband internet, and region-wide support of digital initiatives, the Middle East is currently one of the most adaptable region’s supporting the smart device technology revolution. According to Ericsson’s latest mobility report, mobile penetration in the Middle East is currently at 107 per cent, with 365 million mobile subscriptions.
Can you imagine the untapped opportunity this represents for us all? This revolution is moving at a rapid speed. So much so that this movement has enabled us to transform standard cameras into connected devices so that photos and videos can be transferred wirelessly to a mobile device for immediate upload on social media and email.
Leveraging a combination of new technology we are able to bring together the imaging quality of a digital camera and the connectivity of a smartphone or tablet in an unprecedented way. It’s all part of the Internet of Things, which is bringing connectivity to everything. In addition to transferring to mobile devices for quick viewing and sharing, we have now developed an additional option where photos can be transferred directly to their desktop to be viewed instantly.
Connectivity is ubiquitous – there’s no stopping it. As the United Arab Emirates moves towards products and solutions that keep them constantly connected, we find ourselves surrounded in an eco-system of connected devices that is revolutionising the way we see the world, it’s no wonder we all want in on it. Adding desktop transfer in response to our customers’ requirements is just another way of ensuring that connectivity needs are met.
