According to a new research report from In-Stat/MDR entitled “1Q 2002 WLAN Market Analysis,” the market for wireless networking products saw a 10% growth in total shipments during the first three months of the year. However, as prices continue to drop on Wi-Fi equipment, the revenues see little increase.
In-Stat/MDR analyst Gemma Paulo attributes the growth to the continue fall in cost as more equipment and vendors enter the market, as well as the attraction WLAN have for both businesses and home use.
In fact, the home market was the main leader in WLAN market growth — home WLAN shipments grew 20%.
The business market share for WLANs was helped by the bounce back of Agere Systems after having a poor showing in the second half of 2001, as well as continued low cost on equipment. Netgear, D-Link, Linksys, and Buffalo Technology are all sited as strong in the market, though Cisco continues to dominate the WLAN market for overall revenue.
The advent of 802.11a-based network interface cards and access points also contributed to growth.
Outside of the United States, the UK, Japan, Germany, Belgium, and South Korea are all seen as significant markets for WLAN growth.
The full report from In-Stat will be available for purchase on May 22, 2002.