Austin, TX – March 7, 2011 – With the release of the Windows 8 Consumer Preview, Microsoft has shown its continued commitment to advances in user interfaces, including a deeper embrace of the gesture and voice control technologies it introduced with the Kinect for Xbox 360. IMS Research expects Windows 8 to be the main driver of next generation user interface technologies into popular acceptance and usage in the years to come.
Microsoft’s tile-based Metro UI that has debuted in various forms across Windows 8, Xbox 360, and Windows Phone is gesture- and touch-friendly by design. Much like the experience provided by Kinect for Xbox 360, Windows 8 is expected to support gesture as well as voice control on all platforms, with the addition of touchscreen support on suitable devices. Microsoft has been explicit about its objectives to make Windows 8 an evolutionary step forward in the user interface and experience for desktop, laptop, and tablet computing.
According to the IMS Research report, “Next Gen User Interfaces: Touch, Gesture, Motion, and Voice – 2012 Edition,” yearly worldwide shipments of devices with next generation user interface technologies are forecast to grow to nearly 3.8 billion units in 2015. There will be no shortage of devices utilizing these technologies, with Windows 8 and its successors expected to be the primary drivers of their use in mainstream computing.
According to Paul Erickson, senior analyst at IMS Research, “Windows 8 is expected to be a major driver of next generation UI technologies into the popular psyche. Consumers are already familiar with touch interfaces and some rudimentary examples of voice control thanks to smartphones and tablets. However, Microsoft’s cross-platform vision for making touch, gesture, and voice control integral to Windows 8 and future operating systems will have a significant impact in changing mainstream consumer thought of how humans and machines interact, larger in worldwide scale than any related efforts from Apple and Google.”
For more information please contact:
IMS Research
Paul Erickson – Senior Analyst
T: +1 512 302 1977
[email protected]
Alternative Contacts:
Europe
Ann Ruff
[email protected]
Tel: +44 1933 402 255
US
Jack Mayo
[email protected]
Tel: +1 512 302 1977
Asia Pacific
Yvonne Zhang
[email protected]
Tel: +86 21 6720 1823
About the Next Gen User Interfaces: Touch, Gesture, Motion, and Voice report
The study “Next Gen User Interfaces: Touch, Gesture, Motion, and Voice – 2012 Edition” offers a current analysis of the technologies transforming the human-machine-computer interface. It provides a concise explanation of touch, gesture, motion and voice control advances as well as a concise cost/benefit analysis and tradeoffs of each. Key markets such as factory automation, automotive, security, mobile tech, education, digital signage and consumer electronics are discussed, along with barriers to entry for each technology. Estimates for opportunity in terms of total device shipments, as well as shipments and revenues for next gen UI technologies, are provided through 2015.
About IMS Research
IMS Research is a leading independent supplier of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry, offering syndicated market studies, bespoke research and consultancy services. Clients include most of the household names in the industry. IMS Research has offices in Europe, the US, China, Taiwan and South Korea. To find out more, contact IMS Research: [email protected]; T: +44 (0) 1933 402255; http://imsresearch.com
