The growth of cloud-based offerings for mobile devices and PCs is leading to the convergence of a single security product. A number of vendors are in fact moving towards this strategy: development of cloud and mobile functionalities for future integration into one multi-device offering.

On April 26, ALU discussed Q1 2013 results.  Although there were no comments about the reforms they will make (promised in June), what they did say and did not say may give us a hint of things to come. 

One of Europe’s biggest cyber security conferences, Infosecurity Europe 2013 has been making waves over the past two days and is rounding-up today. The exhibition floor was packed and eventful, indicative of a flourishing IT security market. There is no denying that cyber security has gained visibility in the past few years, with high-profile hacking and cyber-espionage repeatedly making the news. This is a boon for security vendors, and has prompted a growth in offerings targeting all the newest IT trends, including cloud-based services and mobile devices, apps and networks. These developments are not the only drivers of the security market; there is growing concern about data security, compliance and upcoming regulation resulting from national and regional cyber security strategies.

Intel continues their advance into SDN with the release of reference designs for both a server and a switch to promote rapid ecosystem development for SDN/NFV.

The Chamber of Deputies of Mexico recently passed a bill proposed by the President to overhaul the telecommunication industry. Some major initiatives are as follows:

As we like to do, a group of analysts here at ABI Research have been discussing the potential implications of Facebook Home.  As someone focused on all things relating to Security & ID, I was asked whether having an always on, top-of-the-page, news stream and updates from friends, family and those others that you have "liked"easily visible without unlocking a smartphone or tablet.

Facebook Home, the social network's big mobile moment, turned out to be quite much less extensive than what we predicted back in 2011. It isn’t an OS and it isn't an OS fork, but it certainly goes deeper than an ordinary Android skin. Call it a spoon, a spork, an under-overlay, an unusually thick skin, or whatever else that soothes your soul. In the following, I’ll take a look at how it fits into what is developing into one of the most intriguing themes in today’s mobile industry – Google’s disintermediation from its own OS, and what Google plans to do for it. Samsung is a sub-story of its own, a hardware player trying to figure out software. In the case of Facebook et al, it’s more about web players trying to figure out mobile.

The M&A rumor mill went into hyper-drive Tuesday as substantial but anonymous reports of AT&T potentially collaborating with its arch-rival Verizon Wireless to acquire Vodafone. On the face of it, it sounds like a “cunning plan”. Verizon Communications wants to secure full control over its Verizon Wireless subsidiary, in which Vodafone holds a 45% share, and AT&T is keen on building out its international mobile carrier portfolio, having missed the mobile phone land grab back in the 1990s. Certainly the relationship between Vodafone Group and Verizon is fractious but it is professional and the two management teams have put in place supplier sourcing efficiencies of hardware and services.

Once more the banging of drums could be heard resonating through the streets of New York. Instead of a speaker proclaiming the arrival of “King Kong, the eighth wonder of the world”, Samsung unveiled its latest Galaxy S smartphone, the S4. The new smartphone was brought onto the stage by a little boy meeting JK Shin in the middle of the platform. The S4 follows on from S3’s arrival back in May 2012, less than twelve months ago. The smartphone models have some mild differences in shape, size, sleekness, and weight. We can note the strong trend for larger screen sizes as more people use their mobile devices for internet browsing and watching multimedia which the experience is arguably heightened with a larger smartphone. The term phablet springs to mind. Nevertheless, what really struck me about Samsung’s latest Galaxy release were its “eye tracking, scrolling, and air gesture”, and wireless charging features. We are finally seeing a shift in aware technologies in mobile to immersive combined with ambient.

If there is one strategic story standing out from the launch of Galaxy S4, it is Samsung’s push bring more and more of on its own software, apps and services onto its flagship devices. This was clearly noticeable already with GS3, and it looks like that since then the firm has just doubled down. Air View, Smart Stay, and Smart Pause are all meant add new flavour to TouchWiz and increasingly hide the taste of the Android vanilla.