How do you begin to sum up…
- 37 football fields of exhibit space
- 15 miles of aisles
- 3,100 companies
- More than 20,000 new products
…in as few words as possible?
Just look at the words. Strolling through the aisles and aisles of exhibitors, I could not help but recognize themes unfold from simply the signage displayed, and the demos given. Everywhere I turned, and everyone I spoke with, I saw and heard the same 5 buzzwords over an over again. Leading me to come to the conclusion that CES could be summed up as…
The mobile, smart, connected, digital, content show.
1. Mobile
From mainstays like smartphones and tablets to newcomer Ultrabooks, mobility was the hottest topic at CES for the 2nd year in a row. If it wasn’t specifically one of the above, it was storage, applications, cases, bags, adapters, power sources, gaming, you name it…all in the name of a more powerful mobile entertainment and work experience. It’s hard to believe we are just scratching the suface when it comes to mobility. Could we even get any more mobile than we are today? Better believe it.
2. Smart
What would innovation be if not more intelligent? Everything from the smart home automation to the products that make homes smarter like self-learning thermostats, appliances, televisions, set-top boxes, surveillance, and home controls rallied around the dream we all have of more energy efficient, economical, and enjoyable dwelling. But it didn’t stop in the home. Automobiles got into the mix with smarter, more fuel efficient, and feature rich designs. It’s about time that being the smartest kid in the class is cool.
3. Connected
What’s the point of having intelligence and being able to move around at will without still being “connected”? Connectivity was all the rage as products promised the same “connectedness” whether you were at home, on the road, or visiting your favorite (or least favorite) destination. 4G LTE, Wi-Fi Direct, standard Wi-Fi, WHDI, WirelessHD, WiGig, MHL, SlimPort/MYDP…it seems if there’s a will, there’s a way. The beauty is that at the times we don’t want to be connected, we can (and sometime should) disconnect, for our own sanity.
4. Digital
Every storage suppliers favorite word because undoubtedly, everywhere you see or hear the word, you almost always think data, and data needs storage. This begs the question: when is digital just assumed? I mean, how much worth does the word have anymore? Isn’t everything these days digital in one form or another? If it isn’t, do we even want it? Sure, their will always be a place for analog nostalgia, but when it comes to innovation in the consumer electronics space, if it’s not digital, is it really innovative? The word is officially mainstreamed, so let’s drop it as a value prop. (Just a small rant mixed in for fun)
5. Content
Everybody’s favorite word, because it’s the one thing we all want. In this more mobile, smarter, more connected, digital world we live, it really is all about the content. We demand more ways to consume it (Smartphones, Tablets, Ultrabooks, PCs, TVs, Game consoles, etc.), richer ways to enjoy it (HD, 3D), easier ways to access it (the cloud, wireless storage), smarter ways to use it (home appliances, automobiles, home automation ), and greater ways to share it with friends and family (social media). I guess content really is king.
That’s my take on CES this year. I wonder what the buzzwords will be in 2013.
Any guesses?
Check out all of the Seagate coverage from CES at Seagate.com/CES, or scan the list of blogs from CES, and once again, Thanks for following us…stay tuned for on-going reaction from the show.
If I could add some additional words, I would include:
– Phone Cases
– 3D
– Loud =)