There have been a number of satellite operators like the examples given above who eventually went bankrupt due to lower incomes than expectations. The reasons for this hip can be described by the following: the satellite industry has a long wait between design and profitability, i. e. it can make money only after 10 years in orbit and needs to build the entire network before signing up its first customer manufacturers must lock down technology more than 3 years before launches the industry bets on a market up to 15 years. These are the major negative factors most satellite communication providers are encountering nowadays. Some analysts still see good opportunities for this industry, for example, Futron [10], a technology management consulting firm based in Maryland predicts that the satellite transponder business will grow more than 75% within 10 years from now. This would be a good opportunity for satellite operators to turn to focus on video/audio and broadband markets rather than sticking to only the voice market, which forecasted to stay flat for the coming decade. 3. 2. Handheld devices These devices have come a long way in the past few years, growing from little more than electronic organisers into useful business tools like pocket PCs or PC tablets. The devices can be categorised based on their applications and complexity as follows Personal Digital Assistant(PDA). A term for any small mobile handheld device that provides computing and information storage nd retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy ooops The hardware controls are supplied by either Palm OS or Microsoft Pocket PC. The players in the hardware market include Palm (31%), Hewlett Packard (21%), Sony(8%), Toshiba(6%)and Casio(6%). At the end of 2002, the industry shipped 2.6 million units to consumers; a 0.9% increase from the previous year [11 Smart Phone. A wireless phone with text and internet capabilities It can handle wireless phone calls, hold addresses and take voice mail and can also access information on the internet and send and receive e-mail and fax transmissions. It can be viewed as a combination of a mobile phone and a PDa in a single gear PC Tablet. a new generation of slate-style portable computers from Microsoft and its partners promise to combine the flexibility of paper notepads with the best attributes of powerful notebook PCs. Microsoft has added a program called Microsoft Journal which is intended to be a note-taking replacement for the pad of paper you would typically take to a meeting. Everything you write on the pad is stored as graphics- called digital ink- unless you highlight an area and ask the machine to recognise what you wrote PC makers working on Windows XP Tablet PCs include Acer, apag, Fujitsu, Tatung and Toshi74 S. Kumar There have been a number of satellite operators like the examples given above who eventually went bankrupt due to lower incomes than expectations. The reasons for this hardship can be described by the following: • the satellite industry has a long wait between design and profitability, i.e. it can make money only after 10 years in orbit and needs to build the entire network before signing up its first customer • manufacturers must lock down technology more than 3 years before launches • the industry bets on a market up to 15 years. These are the major negative factors most satellite communication providers are encountering nowadays. Some analysts still see good opportunities for this industry, for example, Futron [10], a technology management consulting firm based in Maryland, predicts that the satellite transponder business will grow more than 75% within 10 years from now. This would be a good opportunity for satellite operators to turn to focus on video/audio and broadband markets rather than sticking to only the voice market, which is forecasted to stay flat for the coming decade. 3.2.1 Handheld devices These devices have come a long way in the past few years, growing from little more than electronic organisers into useful business tools like pocket PCs or PC tablets. The devices can be categorised based on their applications and complexity as follows: • Personal Digital Assistant (PDA). A term for any small mobile handheld device that provides computing and information storage and retrieval capabilities for personal or business use, often for keeping schedule calendars and address book information handy. The hardware controls are supplied by either Palm OS or Microsoft Pocket PC. The major players in the hardware market include Palm (31%), Hewlett Packard (21%), Sony (8%), Toshiba (6%) and Casio (6%). At the end of 2002, the industry shipped 2.6 million units to consumers; a 0.9% increase from the previous year. [11]. • Smart Phone. A wireless phone with text and internet capabilities. It can handle wireless phone calls, hold addresses and take voice mail and can also access information on the internet and send and receive e-mail and fax transmissions. It can be viewed as a combination of a mobile phone and a PDA in a single gear. • PC Tablet. A new generation of slate-style portable computers from Microsoft and its partners promise to combine the flexibility of paper notepads with the best attributes of powerful notebook PCs. Microsoft has added a program called Microsoft Journal, which is intended to be a note-taking replacement for the pad of paper you would typically take to a meeting. Everything you write on the pad is stored as graphics – called digital ink – unless you highlight an area and ask the machine to recognise what you wrote. PC makers working on Windows XP Tablet PCs include Acer, Compaq, Fujitsu, Tatung and Toshiba