Smartphones have transformed the way consumers connect with businesses and each other. For businesses, capitalizing on this transformation represents a wealth of opportunities. This report summarizes key findings from a quantitative survey and follow-up focus groups with smartphone users, exploring how consumers use smartphones, how the technology has affected their everyday lives, and how much they expect to increase their use of smartphone activities during the next few years.

A quick survey of today's highways makes one thing clear: Less than 1 percent of all vehicles are electric. Yet environmental factors such as pollution and the scarcity of fossil fuels mean that before long electronic mobility-or eMobility-will be a strategic necessity. In fact, the first series-produced vehicles are bringing the concept of eMobility home to drivers, while underlying political conditions are quickly being established. Against this backdrop, the question for new entrants is: Which eMobility business model is the most profitable?

Considering there are almost as many mobile connections as there are humans on the planet, it seems somewhat paradoxical that the Asia Pacific region is expected to add another 1.5 billion connections between 2010 and 2015-similar in scale to the past five years when 1.7 billion new connections were added. This year, the region will reach another milestone as it crosses the 3 billion connections mark.

As issues ranging from environmental concerns to fluctuating oil prices increasingly push consumers toward alternatives to combustion engines, the world seems poised for an electric vehicle (EV) rebirth. Today’s EV, however, is beyond anything nineteenth century drivers could imagine. From intelligent driving to proactive service and remote vehicle access, EVs can offer the safety and convenience today’s consumers crave. However, hurdles to the adoption of electric vehicles remain, primarily concerns regarding price and range. To further understand these hurdles and gauge consumer and industry attitudes about EVs, we coupled interviews with executives from both leading and emerging automotive companies with a survey of consumers who rely on cars as their primary transportation mode.

Over the next 20 years, the chemicals market will more than double. However, at the same time, critical developments will stifle margins and growth rates. In our "Chemicals 2030" study, Roland Berger Strategy Consultants develops both a qualitative and quantitative outlook on the industry trends, demand shifts and rival strategies that drive future growth and profits.

More and more insurers are recognizing the need to migrate from their legacy policy administration systems to more modern, flexible systems, and interest is forecast to grow in the coming year. There are a number of business needs driving the interest in new policy administration systems, but foremost among them has been the lackluster economy. The past two years have been challenging ones for life and annuity carriers, who have experienced significant erosion of their investment returns. In light of this, insurers are taking a close look at systems that allow them to rapidly enter new markets, exit unprofitable ones, introduce uniquely differentiated products, and support diverse sale channels-all while improving operational efficiency and controlling costs.

Communications infrastructure becoming increasingly important in the competition to attract business. Expanding the communications infrastructure is therefore climbing up the political agenda to become one of the top priorities in a number of countries. The value of investments in broadband expansion in the European Union alone will undoubtedly exceed the EUR 200 bn mark by 2020.

Brazil's deficient urban public transport infrastructure is holding back its economic potential. Wasted time and fuel consumed in traffic congestion cost the economy of São Paulo nearly US$20bn in 2008, about 10% of its GDP, according to some estimates. Preparations for the FIFA 2014 football World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics include ambitious investments in urban transport infrastructure but many of the planned projects are behind schedule. Even so, through Private-Public Partnerships (PPPs), the private sector is providing much-needed resources and implementing new technologies such as driverless subways.

Game-changing smartphone applications in the Consumer Goods and Retail industry are impacting the way consumers shop, communicate, access information, and plan their time. For retailers, at the end of the day, it's about how and where the consumer decides to spend his money. Smartphones will become the most important digital device for the shopper in the Consumer Goods/Retail transaction process - and more so as a sales channel (mobile order) than a payment channel (mobile payment).

Las apps móviles (teléfonos y tablets), se han convertido en un elemento cotidiano de una población activa, consumista y que se interrelaciona con los demás a través de los terminales. Muchas de estas aplicaciones, ya están preinstaladas y funcionan en los móviles o tablets cuando salen a la venta, pero la mayoría de ellas deberán descargarlas e instalarlas los usuarios.

Este estudio, realizado por la Federación Española de Empresas de Tecnología Sanitaria (FENIN) y la Fundación Observatorio de Prospectiva Tecnológica e Industrial (OPTI), viene motivado por el interés de localizar información estratégica para la industria médica en términos de oportunidades asociadas a las tendencias tecnológicas relacionadas con el envejecimiento y el incremento de la tasa de dependencia, teniendo al envejecimiento activo como objetivo a alcanzar dentro de esa nueva realidad.

Along with five year forecasts on twelve industry segments, the 2011 edition points towards a media industry which rebounded during 2010, as the market started to recover from the global financial crisis. However, the positive economic trend shown during 2010 and the first months of 2011, has not continued. Digital experiences will become the main driver of E&M market growth within the next five years.

Las cifras del comercio electrónico durante el segundo trimestre de 2011 vuelven a ser de récord: récord en facturación (y ya van nueve trimestres consecutivos), récord en compras dentro de España y récord también tanto en compras como en ventas al extranjero. El volumen de negocio online volvió a superar los 2.000 millones de euros en un trimestre (como el trimestre anterior) alcanzando los 2.322,1 millones de euros, un 26,5% más que en el mismo trimestre de 2010.

Ya está disponible el número 93 de la Revista del Ministerio de Trabajo e Inmigración. Se trata de un número monográfico dedicado a diversos aspectos del personal laboral al servicio de las Administraciones Públicas.

While the majority of insurers (91 percent) believe future growth depends on providing a special customer experience, most of them do not currently see themselves as providing differentiated products and levels of service, according to findings of a global survey of 119 insurers by Accenture.

DTTL's Global Manufacturing Industry group conducted a global survey in early 2011 to explore consumer adoption of electric vehicles (EVs). The online survey captures the views of more than 13,000 consumers across the Americas, Asia and Europe in 17 countries. It examines, among other things, how likely consumers would be to consider buying or leasing an electric vehicle when they buy or lease their next vehicle. The following showcases the results of the survey by various countries worldwide.

El tráfico generado por los smartphones (teléfonos inteligentes) se multiplicará por doce hasta igualar el generado en los ordenadores en el año 2016, según un informe de Ericsson. En concreto, el tráfico total de teléfonos inteligentes se triplicará durante 2011, de acuerdo con este informe basado en mediciones registradas a lo largo de varios años en redes operativas de países de todo el mundo.

La industria farmacéutica en España está viviendo un proceso de transformación y reconversión que requiere una rápida adaptación por parte de los laboratorios para garantizar su sostenibilidad a medio plazo.