AI, blockchain, servers, smartphones and more: Research round-up

Let's start the round-up with advanced technology. Marketing company Blueshift has released a report detailing the current use of AI and future plans for its use across businesses. Respondents reported a 1.4-times uplift in revenue goals when using 75 percent or more of customer data compared to companies that used 75 percent or less.

For more see: Survey shows that three-quarters of businesses improve revenue with AI

Mary Meeker, leading technology analyst and partner at venture firm KIeiner Perkins Caufield & Byers (KPCB), released her annual internet trends report at the end of May. As internet leaders like Amazon and Google enable easier data processing and collection, AI service platforms will become increasingly relevant in business. AI is a small but rapidly rising spending priority for the enterprise, Meeker notes.

For more see: Mary Meeker's 2018 Internet Trends report: Key takeaways

AI, of course, isn't the only area of advanced technology investment. ZDNet's sister site, Tech Pro Research, wanted to find out how companies are taking advantage of IoT capabilities. In a survey of 104 professionals, 85 percent said their company was using, or considering using, the technology in some way.

For more see: Survey shows that most businesses are taking steps to secure IoT data

Blockchain is still an emerging technology, so it wasn't a surprise that in another recent survey by ZDNet's sister site, Tech Pro Research, 70 percent of professionals who responded said they hadn't used it. However, 64 percent said that they expect blockchain to affect their industry in some way, with most of that group predicting a positive impact.

For more see: Most professionals don't have experience using blockchain, but many see its potential

There's a similar story in Gartner's 2018 CIO Survey, where just 1 percent of CIOs reported any blockchain adoption and only 8 percent were in short-term planning or active experimentation. Emphasising the immaturity of the blockchain ecosystem, 77 percent of CIOs surveyed said their organisation had no interest in and/or had no action planned to investigate or develop the technology.

For more see: Blockchain and business: Looking beyond the hype

Yet CIOs could reap the benefits of blockchain adoption, according to legal firm Gowling WLG. Gowling's expert panel identified a wide range of sectors, headed by banking and finance, that could profit from blockchain.

For more see: Blockchain and business: Looking beyond the hype

While advanced technology dominates the news, businesses still spend big money on traditional hardware. According to IDC, server makers generated record first quarter revenue gains as hyperscale cloud providers ramped and enterprises upgraded their infrastructure. Dell and HPE were in a statistical tie for market share with 19.1 percent and 18.6 percent, respectively.

Fore more see: Server sales boom in Q1 as Dell and HPE are tied for No. 1, but whitebox dominates for cloud providers

There's also significant growth in terms of server units shipped. Our analysis suggests it's worth paying attention to the gains at Super Micro and Inspur.

For more see: Server sales boom in Q1 as Dell and HPE are tied for No. 1, but whitebox dominates for cloud providers

In a rocky PC market, meanwhile, HP continues to fare well, as it grabs share and posts double-digit growth. CEO Dion Weisler said the company is focused on innovation and operational efficiencies. The company generated $937 million of free cash flow in the second quarter. The company is the top PC maker, according to IDC data.

For more see: HP reports strong Q2 as sales up 13 percent

The smartphone market is also showing the first signs of hitting a rocky road. Mary Meeker's annual internet trends report shows that 2017 was the first year in which global smartphone shipments did not grow. Meanwhile, the global average selling price of smartphones continues to decline, helping to drive adoption in less-developed markets.

For more see: Mary Meeker's 2018 Internet Trends report: Key takeaways

In the Middle East, nations such as Saudi Arabia and UAE are among the world's leading nations in terms of social-media growth and use. Instagram usage has grown from seven percent of the region's internet users in 2013 to 42 percent by 2017; an uptake that shows no signs of slowing, with daily usage up 20 percent year over year according to the annual Arab Youth Survey.

For more see: What's driving Middle East's rush to social media?

Finally, the General Data Protection Regulation was launched at the end of May. It should help iron out some information management issues, yet security remains a key challenges for firms. The UK's Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has created a bar chart of the most common data security failures reported in the final quarter of 2017 -- and simple human errors remain a problem.

See more: Companies may think they are ready for GDPR, but their employees are not