Once again another year has started and the Mobile industry will descend upon Barcelona to discuss the latest trends. There will be the obligatory talks about over-the-top applications. Tech personalities like Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg will discuss how all people on the planet need a fast mobile Internet. The Tier 1 Carriers will all discuss their plans for 5G. I do, however, expect to see some new themes this year that will add new dimensions to this yearly event.
Virtualization
Almost every vendor has received the message from Carriers that they no longer want proprietary hardware. They need to transform their networks to flexible, agile SW clouds. In a recent NY Times article, AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson discussed plans their plans to cloudify. Expect a tsunami of virtual everything demos at MWC.
IoT (Internet of Things)
Here's an area where Carriers see a potentially big revenue opportunity – become the wireless connection for every car, truck, smart meter, pipeline, and yes, even toaster, in the world. Carriers are working hard to pick the verticals they want to focus on (healthcare, transportation, energy, appliances) and developing their value bundles. Expect announcements here.
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Wearables
Starting where the Apple Watch left off, you should expect all the device manufacturers (Nokia, Samsung, HTC, Huawei) to impress with the latest in form-fitting wireless technology. Wearables that read your health vitals and can be used in the workplace as part of BYOD are sure to be announced.
Security/Privacy
The mobile industry is no different than any other on earth – security is a major issue. Add to that all of these wearables and IoT devices that store information about you on a handset or in the cloud. This makes data privacy even more important. Expect lots of discussion about where data is stored, who has access, and how to secure it.
If you want to hear how Radware is solving these issues, specifically in the areas of virtualization and security, visit our team at MWC in the Fira Grand via Hall 2, IMA Pavilion, Booth 2E46.