IDC: Online gaming market in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region revealed that India's online gaming market is still at a nascent stage, where online gaming service providers are still learning and adjusting to this emerging industry. Numerous components within the online gaming ecosystem are falling into place as the industry develops to meet tremendous market potential that lies in India's vast addressable market.

With a middle class numbering 300 million, or roughly 30% of the population, this number, even when filtered or categorized further . According to gender and age, still offers a significant, albeit potential subscriber base. Furthermore, with only three significant gaming SPs currently in the market, the online gaming market in India is clearly expansive enough to accommodate additional players.

The level of interest in online gaming will continue to increase, as online gaming service providers are able to introduce more varied offerings. From the telco carrier perspective, such varied offerings represent not only an evolution of their respective VAS chains but also a feasible alternative revenue stream.

In 2005, India has not registered any significant commercial value of subscription revenue to contribute to APEJ region's total subscription revenue of US$1.39 billion. The region's market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 21% from 2006 to 2010 reaching US$3.6 billion by 2010. The growth is driven by the rapidly increasing numbers of varied players in the online gamers ecosystem. Telecommunications service providers, online game developers, and even traditional information and communication technology (ICT) vendors are showing growing interest in this fast-emerging market. The region's market is expected to breach the US$2 billion mark by 2007, with the entry of several new countries into the region's online gaming radar, albeit the current lack of commercial values in India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.

Figure 1

Source: IDC, 2006

Size of bubble: subscription revenue in respective country in 2005 in US dollars

online gaming market in Asia/Pacific excluding Japan Publ 20060620

While worldwide Digital Camera Shipments Continue to Grow, Market begins to Shake Out, IDC Finds IDC: While overall digital still camera (DSC) shipments continued to grow in 2005, the market began to consolidate as weaker camera vendors exited the market and new consumer electronic vendors enhanced their global presence. Additionally, IDC predicts that the worldwide DSC market, which entered early maturity last year, will continue to mature across the world as emerging markets experience strong growth curves and older markets begin to decline.

As the digital still camera market heads into the end of its growth curve, certain metrics will become more standardized around the world.

• Global demand will continue to be strong in the short term, with 111 million units shipping in 2008, but a slowdown is on the horizon.

• Asia pacific and the Rest of the world (ROW) will emerge as powerhouses and account for over 40% of the global DSC shipments in 2010.

• More vendor will exit the market in the next 18 months.

IDC's study, Worldwide 2006-2010 Digital Still Camera Forecast Publ 20060619