ABI Research: Global SIM card market hits 5.2B units in 2014 as LTE, NFC, M2M gain momentum

Global SIM card shipments are expected to have reached 5.2 billion units in 2014, marking a 5.32 per cent increase from 2013, according to ABI Research. The company noted that LTE, NFC and M2M have successfully made their way into the industry and are considered as the trends for the next few years. The era of technological advances brings forth renewed competition while the market share battle rages on. In one of the major highlights of 2014, European Union vendors are pushing forward with new product developments in an effort to claim a bigger portion of the market. Two smaller EU vendors (Bluefish and ST Incard) increased their shares significantly in 2014, while the combined market shares of EU companies including the big four vendors (Gemalto, Oberthur Technologies, Morpho, and G&D) were calculated at 70 per cent for 2012, 74 per cent for 2013, and 75 per cent for the first half of 2014. Release