23m European households will be using wireless home networks to share rich media content by 2009

Europe

Datamonitor: Within 18 months, consumers will be able to buy consumer electronics (CE) devices and PCs which will permit them to share rich media content between devices in their digital home networks. Now, with arrival of interoperable digital rights management (DRM) technology, the consumer will also be able to share content with friends, legally. Digital rights management: selecting the key influencers of a nascent market. DRM in its most complete form will manage the rights of a piece of rich media content throughout its lifetime thus enabling "super-distribution" in which a consumer is an end-user as well as a node of distribution. Furthermore the availability of such technology to spur the deployment of home wireless networks. Whilst the majorityare used to share broadband connections or wirelessly access the Internet, by 2009, 23m of them in the Europe will be used to exchange audio/video content - boosted by the lower prices of networkable CE devices and improvements in DRM. Digital rights management: selecting the key influencers of a nascent market Publ 20050609