The consumer electronics (CE) market is a bright spot for 1394, a high-speed serial bus specification, also called Firewire or i.Link, that is battling with competing technologies in several markets, reports In-Stat. 1394a has increasing penetration in digital television, set top box, and portable digital audio player markets. The CE segment is forecast to be roughly equal to the PC segment in 2005 unit shipments, and will move well past it in 2006. The prospects for the technology in the computer market will be mixed. "PCs will be driven by the notebook category," says Brian O'Rourke, In-Stat analyst. "1394 will also grow in consumer desktops, but remain nearly non-existent in commercial desktops. Overall, PC peripheral growth will be negative, as high-speed USB dominates the segment." Report highlights include: The 1394c specification is close to completion. It is an attempt to jump-start 1394 as a networking technology, where it has had trouble gaining acceptance. Devices with Wireless 1394, a specification to transmit 1394 wirelessly over Ultra Wideband, should begin to hit the market in 2006.
The industrial sector is on the eve of a wireless transformation, driven by an urgent demand for greater network capacity, reliability, and deterministic performance. Historically, manufacturers and mission-critical operations have relied on wired networks — favoring their predictability — because spectrum congestion in legacy 2.4GHz and 5GHz bands limited confidence in wireless for operational technology (OT) environments. However, with the introduction and rapid adoption of the 6GHz spectrum, compounded by significant advances in Wi-Fi standards, industrial facilities are now poised to embrace wireless LANs as the backbone for automation and digital innovation. Industrial WLAN Market Development Recent research from ABI Research forecasts that over 70 percent of industrial-grade wireless LAN access points (WLAN APs) shipped in 2030 will support the 6GHz band. This is a leap from 2 percent in 2023, highlighting a rapid and profound technological shift. The market for ruggedized indust...