In order to keep ahead of the market, it’s important to know what will provide the biggest growth in revenue. Right now, according to KPMG LLP’s Media and Telecommunications Industry Business Outlook Survey, it seems like that will be the transition to digital, as well as the mobile markets.

The survey gathered opinions from executives of media and telecommunications company managers in the U.S., and found that the most commonly held opinion is that digital distribution is the “pot of gold” for revenue in the coming years. This includes applications and content for smartphones, tablets, and other such devices, as well as cloud-based solutions.


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This stands at a contrast to the previous year’s survey, in which executives viewed social media, online advertising, and improved availability and speed for Internet access as the top revenue drivers. Of course, the two are not completely disconnected, as Internet access is required for these mobile devices, and social media and advertising still play key roles in mobile communication and actually getting word out about their products and services. However, the last survey ranked smartphones and tablet sales as the 10th and 8th most important; in this survey; the positions have basically been reversed.

According to Paul Wissmann, KPMG's National Sector Leader for Media and Telecommunications, "Industry executives are dealing with dramatic transformational changes and, consequently, we may see shifts in emphasis and focus as they move quickly to capture resulting new opportunities. The findings show that media and telecommunications executives believe in significant digital and mobile opportunity, and expect their companies to aggressively pursue these markets."

This means we can look forward to a wave of new digital releases for mobile devices, whether through the cloud or direct download. That doesn’t necessarily mean traditional software and solutions will be slowing down, just that more focus will be put on digital and mobile solutions in order to capture this market. Of course, by the time this survey rolls around again next year, the market could very well have shifted once more.

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