By
Telecom Lead Team: Subscriber base in the global push-to-talk
(PTT) communication technology market will reach 748 million by 2015, according
to Global Industry Analysts.
The
report suggests that the PTT communication technology is expected to find huge
uptake among the younger mobile subscriber base given their tendency to
maintain closer social communication ties.
The
growth in the global push-to-talk technology market is being led by
increased customer demand for customized, and personalized services, a trend
that is largely influenced by service provider’s push to popularize IP enabled
services, such as, instant messaging, video telephony, file sharing, location
based services and PTT.
The
robust uptake of the technology has occurred because of the change in the
perception of PTT from being just a stay-in-touch communication option for
youngsters and teenagers, to an efficient business tool is also positively benefiting
the market.
The
report says that the enhanced Push-to-Talk (PTT) services, such as,
Push-to-Video, Push-to-Voice Portal, and Push-to-Voicemail (collectively called
PTX), among others, promise to increase the service appeal of PTT
technology, and thereby expand the total addressable market size.
Corporate
Small and Medium Enterprises (SME), and industries such as manufacturing,
transportation, media, healthcare and public safety, are expected to emerge
into major users of the PTT service in future, according to the report.
Despite
such predictions over the PTT technology some industry observers opining that
the technology’s push by mobile carriers is purely a means to differentiate
service offerings. Several industry observers think that the interoperability
and standardization issues are the obstructions in the technology’s
implementation and deployment.
Recently, Sprint Nextel of the US launched its upgraded CDMA push-to-talk (PTT) service,
Direct Connect, as part of its Network Vision network modernization plan.
The
new Direct Connect service is offering improved in-building coverage and is
expected to triple the square-mile reach of its current iDEN-based PTT service.
