American technology leads the world

American technology has been leading the world for decades. Giants such as
General Electric (GE), Microsoft, Apple, HP and others have contributed much to the world and represent a huge added value. And spend billions of dollars for R+D and marketing to defy Asian competitors.

General Electric's global businesses are helping to build the healthcare, transportation and technology infrastructure of the new century. Many of GE's fastest growing businesses (Aviation, Healthcare, Satcom, Satellite) are in GE's Technology Infrastructure segment. Some of these businesses are present in Hungary.

One of the latest innovations at GE is the world’s largest and most efficient gas turbine technology. It has been manufactured at the company’s Belfort Gas Turbine Center of Excellence in France. The first 9HA unit will be shipped to Bouchain, France, where Électricité de France (EDF) and GE are developing one of the world’s most flexible and efficient gas-fired power plants. It is scheduled to enter commercial service in mid- to late-2016 in the Nord Pas-de-Calais region.

GE’s R+D activity is gaining more importance in Hungary, too. Last year, GE  industrial businesses spent almost USD 25 million on the research and development of technologies for the world market, about four times the amount they spent five years ago. Over the same period, GE has grown the number of researchers from 150 to 500, and plans to hire additional people.

Founded by Bill Gates and Paul Allen Microsoft is a well known pioneer in providing leading solutions. Its best known software products are the Windows line of operating systems and the Internet Explorer web browser. Its flagship hardware products are the Xbox game consoles and the Surface tablet lineup and it is the world's largest software maker in terms of revenues. It is also one of the world's most valuable companies. Since the 1990s, it has increasingly diversified from the operating system market and has made several corporate acquisitions. With the acquisition of Nokia's devices and services division to form Microsoft Mobile Oy, the company re-entered the smartphone hardware market.

According to a new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC), the number of third-party applications designed to run on smart wearable devices is expected to grow from 2,500 at the end of 2014 to 349,000 in 2019. While most of these applications will be consumer focused, IDC believes a significant opportunity exists for enterprise-oriented applications. Developers capable of delivering clear benefits and a transformative experiences will catalyze demand and accelerate application development on the supply side.

With the Apple Watch expected to capture up to two thirds of the smart wearable device market in 2015, Apple's influence on the wearable applications market will be considerable. The market for wearable applications targeting specific enterprise use  is forecast to develop modestly in absolute numerical terms, representing 10% of the total number of applications in 2015 and growing to 17% in the final years of the forecast period. Most wearable applications will depend on connections to "host" devices, such as a smartphone or, more accurately, app code on a smartphone. However, "standalone" applications, which do not depend on another device, will also have a significant presence throughout the forecast.

Innovation is a must in the automotive industry as well. American car manufacturers and suppliers spend billions of dollars to build the latest technology into their vehicles. Some of these innovations were tested in the first super long automated drive in  North America, carried out by a car from Delphi Automotive in April 2015. The Drive between San Francisco and New York was used by Delphi engineers to research and collect information that will help advance active safety technology – the most rapidly growing technology sector of the automotive industry. The nine-day trip crossed 15 states and the District of Columbia. Along the way, the vehicle encountered complex driving situations such as traffic circles, construction zones, bridges, tunnels, aggressive drivers and a variety of weather conditions. Delphi’s automated driving vehicle is equipped with a full suite of advanced technologies and features, many of which are already on the market today including collision mitigation, integrated radar and camera systems, forward collision and lane departure warning.