Worldwide WLAN revenue, including enterprise access points, WLAN controllers and WiFi phones, grew 4% in 4Q12 from 3Q12, to $1.1 billion, according to a new report from Infonetics. The study found that the demand for WLAN solutions expanded in all major geographic regions, even beleaguered EMEA, which grew by double digits in 2012. Some highlights:
- 88% of access points shipping today are based on 802.11n; next-gen 802.11ac products will start shipping in April 2013, ushering in the next technology transition
- After years of languishing, outdoor access point shipments jumped 88% in 2012, propelled by service provider WiFi deployments
- WLAN market leader Cisco added over 1.5 points of revenue market share in 2012, a remarkable feat for a vendor this size
- Aruba, the only other WLAN vendor with double-digit revenue share, added almost a point of share in 2012
- As the economy continues to rebound, Infonetics anticipates that companies will upgrade their core communication infrastructure, sparking growth of WiFi phones.
“The wireless LAN market racked up another year of 20-plus percent growth, topping $4 billion in annual revenue in 2012, a new high,” reports Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for enterprise networks and video at Infonetics Research. “WLAN continues to shine as enterprises build out their wireless capabilities to take advantage of new devices and ubiquitous connectivity.”
http://www.infonetics.com