Digital Image Sensing, Storage and Transfer

Report Highlights

• The global market for digital image capture, storage, transfer and display devices and technologies is expected to approach $305 billion in 2005 and surpass $701 billion by 2010, at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 18.1%.
• Hardware such as digital cameras, disk drives and printers make up the bulk of the market and will rise to 81% in 2010.
• Consumables, including writable optical media, printer ink, laser toner and digital paper account for the second-largest share, but will dip to 14.5% in 2010.
• Software and services only account for small shares of the market.

INTRODUCTION

Fast moving digital imaging technology, introduced in the 1980s, has revolutionized the way organizations such as companies and governments organize and process their work and communicate with their stakeholders. The technology also has led to fundamental shifts in the ways individuals communicate with one another. The economic impacts on sales of digital imaging (sales of imaging-related equipment and services, new markets opened, and productivity enhancements) have been equally momentous.

Since BCC completed its last review of digital imaging technologies and markets in 1998, the landscape has been transformed by the proliferation of digital cameras and other digital imaging devices such as photo-enabled cell phones; the widespread availability of broadband Internet connections; powerful new image processing and management software; and the deployment of new image display and output devices and technologies.

This BCC provides an up-to-date understanding of recent developments in digital image sensing, storage and transfer technologies and a sense of the directions in which new technologies under development are likely to take the field in the next five years.

SCOPE OF STUDY

The report contains:

• Identification of key enabling technologies for digital image capture, storage and transfer and their specific applications
• Descriptions of the main groups of end users for digital imaging technologies
• Estimates of sales of enabling technologies and devices incorporating them, and identifies major market drivers
• Forecasts by product/service, technology, application segment end-user groups through 2010
• Analysis of the structure of the digital imaging industry, including competitive conditions and market shares
• Identification of technological, economic, regulatory and other trends that may have a significant impact on the market.

METHODOLOGY AND INFORMATION SOURCES

The findings and conclusions of this report are based on information gathered from industry sources, including manufacturers and users of digital imaging equipment and services. Interview data were combined with information gathered through an extensive review of secondary sources, such as trade publications, trade associations, company literature, and online databases, to produce the forecasts and projections contained in this report.

The base year for analysis and projection is 2004. With 2004 as a baseline, market projections were developed for 2005 to 2010. These projections are based on a combination of a consensus among the primary contacts combined with our understanding of the key market drivers and their impact from a historical and analytical perspective. The analytical methodologies used to generate the market estimates are described in detail in the section on Market Size, Segmentation, and Trends.

All dollar projections presented in this report are in 2004 constant dollars, unless otherwise noted. (See Market Size, Segmentation, and Trendsfor a more detailed discussion of pricing issues.

ANALYST CREDENTIALS

Andrew McWilliams, the author of this report, is a partner in the Boston-based international technology and marketing consulting firm, 43rd Parallel, LLC. He is also the author of numerous other Communications Co. (BCC) reports, including several nanotechnology-related market assessments, including the following:

• GB-285 Emerging RF Technologies
• GB-290 Nanotechnology: A Realistic Market Evaluation
• GB-309 Smart and Interactive Textiles
• B-182 Medical Robotics and Computer Assisted Surgery Market.