BlackBerry’s Struggles See No End

According to an IDC research report, smartphones powered by Android OS grew from 69% in 2012 to 78.6% in 2013, eating into the share of iOS devices. iOS-based phone sales fell from 18.7% to 15.2% and BlackBerry phones fell from 4.5% a year ago to 1.9% in 2013.

Mobile Messaging Apps: Kik Interactive

Besides Asia-based mobile messaging apps like WeChat and LINE, there are a few other players in the North American market as well who have managed to amass a substantial user base along with a sizeable revenue model. One such player is Canada-based Kik Interactive.

Mobile Messaging Apps: KakaoTalk

As I mentioned earlier, the preferred mobile messaging app varies across geographies. Facebook and WhatsApp are universal leaders in the Western markets, but the Orient is still dominated by home grown players. Here is a quick review of KakaoTalk, another Asian company making it big in the market. After capturing the South Korean market, KakaoTalk

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Mobile Messaging Apps: LINE App

An OnDevice research conducted in November last year noted that the preference for mobile messaging app market is split across geographies. While Facebook Messenger and WhatsApp may be clear leaders in the American and EMEA markets, the Asian market is a different story. Asia is dominated mostly by home grown apps who are now planning

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Mobile Messaging Apps: WeChat in China

Facebook may have bought WhatsApp to consolidate its leadership in the mobile messaging apps segment, but market dominance in China still remains a distant dream. Government regulations coupled with the country’s language and cultural differences have caused most technology giants including the likes of Google, Yahoo, and Amazon to rethink their China strategy. Similarly, while the

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Mobile Messaging Apps: A Market Review

The recent $19 billion acquisition of mobile messaging app WhatsApp by Facebook has brought unprecedented attention to the market. According to consulting firm Ovum, global revenues of mobile SMS plans fell from $145 billion in 2012 to $120 billion in 2013, primarily due to the shift toward data-driven communication applications. Add to that the growing adoption

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Chinese E-Tailer Trying to Bypass Intermediaries

According to a Euromonitor International report, worldwide e-tail sales are projected to grow 17.7% annually over the period 2012 through 2015 to be worth $849 billion in 2015. Analysts believe that as Internet penetration improves globally, e-commerce transactions will also grow. Additionally, this growth is also benefiting manufacturing countries such as China, which has now

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Online Real Estate Sector Preparing for the Housing Market Turnaround

Many expect the current year to be the breakthrough year for the housing market. While the housing sector was seeing pockets of recovery in 2013, 2014 is expected to be a lot better – mostly because according to analysts, it has “Nowhere to Go (but Up)”. The National Association of Home Builders is projecting a

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