A TECHNOLOGY developed more than 100 years ago could inspire the high-tech sector in the UK this year.

The Technology, Media and Telecommunications (TMT) practice at Deloitte, which includes members at the financial advisor’s Newcastle office, has predicted that one of the big growth areas for the year will be DVDs distributed by the humble vending machine.

In its predictions of top trends for 2010, TMT said the volume of DVDs distributed in this way is expected to double in the next 12 months.

It comes as the concept arrives in Britain after a successful year in the US, with supermarkets in the UK trialling the service.

TMT director Paul Lee said: “If you look at different technology, the one that has been growing fast in the United States in the last year has been the use of vending machines to distribute DVDs.

“The company driving this was McDonald’s as it looked for ways of enticing people into premises and the one machine that grew in popularity was the DVD vending machine.

“Using a credit card, it has been about one dollar per usage.

“They work because of the price. One dollar is a lot lower than buying the DVD or borrowing it from a store or postal rental service.”

Since its introduction, about 350 million DVDs have been distributed and usage is expected to grow by another 50 per cent this year.

Mr Lee said: “Supermarkets in the UK are starting to trial the service as it encourages footfall, and is another reason for people to go into a shop, and go back again.”

The first coin-operated vending machines were introduced in London in the early 1880s, dispensing postcards.

Another area expected to grow was converged web and television use, with production companies increasingly offering web-based sites where viewers could react to what they were watching.

David Wilkinson, TMT lead partner for Deloitte’s Newcastle office, said: “The concurrent use of the web and TV will take off in 2010.

“But internet-connected televisions or set-top boxes won’t be driving this.

“Rather it will be users combining their existing televisions and laptops, MP3 players or other browser-enabled devices that will drive the convergence.

“Websites specifically designed to feed off viewers’ eagerness to react to what they are watching should entertain the public, please advertisers and improve broadcasters’ revenues.”