Bulgaria: Market Opportunity for Media Tablets, 2011–2016

This IDC study provides an analysis of the emergence of media tablets in Bulgaria, which has brought with it considerable discussion both in the public domain and behind closed doors in an ICT industry keen to work out the opportunities involved and the potential impacts. While the early days have been dominated by products that have proven successful in the consumer market and niche sectors of the commercial space, the coming 12 months will be notable for competition between smartphone, IT, and other vendors (and possibly telcos) in an increasingly converged battlefield.

"While the media tablet form factor is still searching for a truly legitimate need to fill, the likelihood that promotional messaging will create significant hype is strong, especially as innovative and more mature usages emerge during 2012 and vendors look to differentiate their offerings to capture share. Contrary to some speculation in the market that media tablets will cannibalize other form factors, IDC does not believe the impact will be great, if evident at all, until late 2012 or early 2013. In short, the media tablet market will constitute an additional opportunity for vendors from all walks of ICT life: We estimate the market will grow 47.4% year on year in 2012, driven primarily by consumer demand and only niche commercial demand." – Senior Research Analyst Evelin Stoev, IDC Bulgaria