The global market for WLAN equipment passed the US$1 billion mark for the first time in Q3 2012, according to new report from Infonetics Research, reflecting continued growth in all major regions.
“Coming on the heels of a 16% jump the previous quarter, WLAN equipment revenue grew another 6% quarter-over-quarter, passing the $1-billion mark for the first time,” notes Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research. “The usual demand drivers—wireless devices, BYOD, mobility—were in play, but there was also an acceleration of carrier WiFi deployments, with sales of outdoor access points doubling over the past year.”
Some highlight of the report:
- Global demand for WLAN gear is well balanced, with 3 major regions (North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific) seeing ~20% year-over-year revenue growth
- Interactive access point revenue grew strongly in 3Q12, as businesses move to centrally managed WLAN architectures
- The transition to 802.11n is coming to an end, with 84% of access points shipments now based on the standard; next-generation 802.11ac products will start shipping in the summer of 2013
- In 3Q12, Cisco added to its strong 2Q12 performance, growing another 2% sequentially to hold on to 1st place for WLAN equipment; Ruckus grew 78% year-over-year and moved into the #4 spot
- Vocera stayed in the lead for WiFi phone market share in 3Q12, thanks to its success in the health care market.
