Live video broadcasting to be new 'selfie' by 2017, Gartner predicts

The use of live video broadcasting could potentially transition itself to become the new "selfie" by 2017, according to the Gartner research group. Business workers and home users will transition from traditional static photos to video, and live video will become even more popular. It's not uncommon for workers to use Skype, Microsoft Lync, and other services to conduct video calls and conferences - and that trend should only accelerate further.

"The next generation of consumer services and products has one main theme in common and that is video," said Brian Blau, Gartner research director. "This means incorporating live video or other real-time technologies into products to engage users in live events and enable more personalized communications, providing better customer support, and offering best-of-breed video and TV experiences to connected homes."

Live video technology will become more accessible and will become commonly used on smartphones and tablets to desktop applications used for customer support services.