The Transforma Insights Blog

The automotive industry is undergoing a fundamental shift where vehicles are evolving from hardware-defined machines into software-driven platforms. In this model, intelligence, functionality, and performance are increasingly determined by software rather than merely hardware innovations. This shift toward software-defined vehicles (SDVs) represents a structural change in how cars are designed, built, and improved over time. This blog discusses how the core of this transformation is made possible by three critical enablers, which are scalable electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture, virtualised ECUs, and innovations in semiconductor chip design.

The automotive industry is no longer defined solely by engines, horsepower, or mechanical engineering. Today's vehicles are software-defined, cloud-connected, and data-driven platforms capable of communicating with drivers, infrastructure, and other vehicles. As a result, policymakers worldwide are rethinking traditional automotive regulations, which have historically focused on vehicle safety and emissions, to address emerging issues around cybersecurity, data governance, software liability, and digital infrastructure. This blog post explores the six regulatory areas consistently emerge as the foundation of connected vehicle governance.

For years, connected refrigerators have been one of the defining illustrations of the Internet of Things (IoT). Alongside visions of smart ovens, connected toasters, and intelligent coffee machines, they helped paint a picture of homes where every appliance would be online and working together seamlessly. While that vision is yet to be fully realised, connected kitchen equipment has quietly become one of the largest segments of the smart home market. In this blog, we explore four key trends shaping the connected kitchen market, including why some connected appliances have become mainstream while others remain niche, the impact of fragmented ecosystems and interoperability, and what the next decade of connectivity means for kitchen equipment.

For years we’ve been predicting that pressure on costs would drive a requirement for greater scale in the provision of cellular-based IoT connectivity. But if anything the pace of consolidation has slowed. Why?

The automotive industry has been investing heavily in the digitisation of vehicles, with software increasingly becoming the foundation for delivering value-added features and capabilities. This marks a significant shift from an earlier era, where hardware was the primary focus. At the same time, customer expectations are also evolving. Drivers now want more personalised in-vehicle experiences, along with features such as autonomous driving, greater comfort, and improved convenience.

In June Transforma Insights published an update on its IoT MVNO market landscape report first published in November 2021 and revised in December 2023. The new report includes profiles of 234 MVNOs (up from 188 previously) around the world. Based on that analysis we draw some conclusions on the current state of the IoT MVNO market landscape.

In June Transforma Insights published an update on its IoT MVNO market landscape report first published in November 2021 and revised in December 2023. The new report includes profiles of 234 MVNOs (up from 188 previously) around the world, and analysis of some of the key trends that come through from the research. One of the data points we collected during the research was number of employees, based on LinkedIn data, with a view that this would provide some pointers on the health of the IoT MVNO space.

The mobile private network (MPN) market has entered a new phase of maturity. A few years ago, the industry conversation was centred on spectrum, coverage, and whether enterprises would adopt private 5G at scale. Today, the debate has shifted. Enterprises are increasingly focused on operational outcomes, vendors are expanding beyond connectivity into enterprise platforms, and competition is no longer limited to traditional telecom suppliers. Our latest Mobile Private Networks Market Landscape 2026 report finds that the private cellular ecosystem remains highly fragmented. The market is evolving into a broader enterprise technology ecosystem where success depends as much on partnerships, integration capabilities, edge computing, and AI as it does on network infrastructure. This blog post covers eight key trends defining the market in 2026.

The future of IoT connectivity is increasingly hybrid, combining the strengths of both cellular and satellite networks. Cellular connectivity offers low latency, high bandwidth, energy efficiency, and cost-effective operation in areas with strong terrestrial coverage, making it ideal for urban and large-scale deployments. Satellite connectivity provides reliable coverage in remote, offshore, and underserved locations where cellular networks are unavailable or unreliable. Hybrid solutions allow devices to switch between networks, ensuring continuous connectivity and greater resilience.

As the Internet of Things (IoT) continues to expand across industries, organisations are increasingly faced with a key challenge: how to keep devices connected wherever they operate. While cellular networks have traditionally been the default choice for IoT deployments, satellite connectivity is becoming an increasingly important complement, particularly for devices operating beyond the reach of terrestrial infrastructure.