By the end of 2012, there will be more mobile devices in use worldwide than there are people, predicts Dr. Mike Short.
With the global population at roughly 7 billion, Dr. Short expects mobile device adoption to surpass that number during the coming year. He also forecasts that China and India will each exceed 1 billion mobile subscriptions within the first half of 2012.
Dr. Short, who takes office today as president of the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) — Europe’s largest professional society for engineers — made these remarks in his inaugural address titled “Digital century – the web is your oyster.”
“Right now there are more mobile phones than toothbrushes. Unlike toothbrushes, mobile phones and devices are wonderfully inclusive, and with internet access they empower billions of people — especially those in emerging nations who will access the internet for the first time via mobile,” Dr. Short said.
He views this shift as a positive development that will expand shared innovation and connectivity, broaden internet access, and enable a host of new applications in education, transportation, and healthcare. The rapid rise of machine-to-machine communications will further accelerate service growth in connected cars, smart meters, and smart cities.
“We are all innovators now in a digital world,” Dr. Short added, “thanks to the convergence of the two major innovation platforms of the past two decades: the internet and mobile. This combination will spur digital innovation everywhere as these technologies become increasingly pervasive and valuable to people around the globe.”