The COVID-19 pandemic quickened the pace of digital transformation, placing technologies at the very center of how people live and work--and that pace shows no signs of slowing down. In its new whitepaper, 38 Technology Stats You Need to Know for 2022, global technology intelligence firm ABI Research has identified and highlighted the most impactful forecasts that illuminate the direction in which digital transformation is truly heading.

“From among the many millions of data points ABI Research creates each year, we have focused on the most enlightening stats that will matter most in the years ahead. The rise of always-on 5G portable devices, an explosion of edge AI adoption, a proliferation of smart manufacturing platforms, the formation of the metaverse, and a growing concentration on cybersecurity are just some of the many changes on the horizon that are indicative of a more connected, more vulnerable, and ultimately, more technology-driven world,” Stuart Carlaw, Chief Research Officer at ABI Research explains.

Telco Cybersecurity stats highlighted in the whitepaper include:

Global 5G Security revenue will grow from US$2.067 billion in 2021 to US$11.689 billion in 2026 with a CAGR of 41.4%.

According to Michela Menting, Research Director at ABI Research, “Network Security Technologies (i.e., Firewalls, IDS/IPS, SIEM, Anti-DDoS, etc.) will be in strong demand to secure the 5G mobile infrastructure and to provide new security value propositions to enterprise clients, especially as URLLC and mMTC applications emerge. There is a significant opportunity to meet the enterprise market demand for network cybersecurity through various sales models (direct sales as well as through partnerships) with plenty of room for a rich and diverse vendor ecosystem to thrive, from pure-play cybersecurity vendors to communication service and network equipment providers to hyperscalers.”

Worldwide eSIM shipments will grow from 412 million in 2021 to 872 million in 2026.

“Despite the market growing 12% between 2020 and 2021, post chip shortage annual growth was in the 45% range, demonstrating this limiting growth factor. In 2020 the eSIM market experienced a low level of impact from COVID-19. The result was not a market decline but a limiting impact on growth. This limiting growth theme is expected to continue in the early parts of the forecast period, as it relates to the chipset shortage,” explains Phil Sealy, Research Director at ABI Research.

For 2022, the focus remains firmly fixed on the chip set shortage and potential impacts on the eSIM market. Overall, ABI Research’s expectations are that the eSIM market will not be impacted by the chip shortage directly, though it will be indirectly impacted. If OEMs cannot procure other components, then device manu­facturing will be slowed, which will result in an indirect market impact. Although supply of eSIMs may be healthy, the market risk is being presented by other chip component types and their subsequent availability.

“While there are still fundamental challenges ahead–political tumult, an entrenched endemic, and a broken supply chain–these statistics should provide insights and actionable data needed to chart a successful course in 2022 and beyond,” Carlaw concludes.

Download the whitepaper, 38 Technology Stats You Need to Know for 2022, to learn more.