Technology research services firm Gartner, Inc., US, has released a report tilted 'Competitive Landscape: Connected E-Readers, North America', available on its website at http://www.gartner.com/resId=1477015. According to the report, worldwide connected e-reader sales to end users are forecast to total 6.6 million units in 2010, up 79.8 percent from 2009 sales of 3.6 million units. In 2011, worldwide e-reader sales are projected to surpass 11 million units, a 68.3 percent increase from 2010.
The market for e-reading devices has become crowded and is at risk of commoditisation due to developments in adjacent markets, such as those for media tablets, according to Gartner analysts. According to Hugues De La Vergne, principal research analyst at Gartner, the connected e-reader market has grown dramatically during the past two years, driven by sales of Amazon's e-readers, primarily in North America. This is the dominant region for e-reader sales, and it is estimated that it will account for sales of just over 4 million units in 2010. Further, he noted that North America will remain a key market through 2014, although its dominance will decline significantly as regions such as Western Europe and Asia-Pacific become the leading locations for growth. Growth in North American and other markets will remain constrained by the success of media tablets, such as the Apple iPad.
Although three vendors dominate today's e-reader market - Amazon, Barnes & Noble and Sony - new competitors may well appear in the future with low-cost devices subsidised by content owners, says the report. Large consumer electronics and PC firms such as HP and Dell are also trying to position themselves strongly in the market for connected consumer devices.
E-readers have carved out a solid niche in the consumer electronics market due to their portability, long battery life, solid display technology (although most lack colour screens) and relatively inexpensive retail prices. Cannibalisation by media tablets represents the biggest threat to e-readers, the report says. Media tablets can offer a compelling experience for electronic magazines and newspapers, due to their widespread adoption of displays that show colour and support full-motion video. By incorporating e-reader functionality, media tablets can perform many different functions, including supporting e-reader applications.
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