ABI Research predicts that total network-enabled consumer electronics and media device shipments will grow from 92 million this year to 460 million by 2012.

IDC reports that the worldwide mobile phone market grew at a healthy pace during the third quarter of this year, with vendors shipping a total of 289.1 million units. This was up 9% from the previous quarter and 13.8% from the same quarter a year ago.

2006 was the year of the `megadeal`, says IDC. The research firm says last year`s top 100 outsourcing deals were worth a total of $97.4 billion.

The Semiconductor Industry Association reports that global microchip sales rose 5.9% in September to $22.6 billion, compared with $21.3 billion in the same period last year.

IDC reports that Green IT is a lot more than just a passing fad, with a survey in the US finding that 80% of executives feel Green IT is growing in importance for their organisation, and 43% say they consider a vendor`s "greenness" when selecting their suppliers.