Wireless Networking Equipment (WLAN) Global Market

Network equipment (Global Market)

• Network equipment (Global Market)

2023: Global Enterprise Wireless Networking Equipment Market Growth by 7.6% to $10.8 Billion

In 2023, the volume of the global market for enterprise-class equipment for wireless local area networks (WLAN) reached $10.8 billion. This is 7.6% more than the previous year. Several factors contributed to the growth, including the restoration of supply channels and pent-up demand. This is stated in the IDC study, the results of which were released on March 7, 2024.

It is noted that in the first half of 2023, demand for WLAN solutions jumped by 43.3% compared to the same period in 2022. However, in the second half of the year, sales, on the contrary, decreased by 16.6%. This is due to the fact that the number of new orders has declined. Analysts point to the increasing penetration of devices with support for the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which involves the possibility of using the 6 GHz frequency band in addition to the 2.4 and 5 GHz bands.

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IDC

2023 was a dynamic year for the enterprise-class WLAN equipment market. WLAN remains a critical technology for organizations around the world, says IDC Research Manager Brandon Butler.

The consumer segment of the global WLAN market in 2023 decreased by 12.8% compared to 2022. Solutions of the Wi-Fi 6 standard provided approximately 64.1% of all revenue, and Wi-Fi 5 - just over a quarter (26.5%). At the same time, the introduction of Wi-Fi 6E in the consumer segment is at an early stage.

The WLAN enterprise equipment market has shown mixed results geographically. Thus, in the United States, sales in 2023 increased by 20.6% compared to the previous year. In Canada, demand climbed 14.5%. China recorded a 17.5% year-on-year decline in sales. In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan and China), costs rose 6.2% from 2022. In Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA), the market grew by 1.6%, in Latin America - by 25.1%.

The largest player in the global market for enterprise-class WLAN equipment is. Cisco Sales of this company in 2023 rose by 11.2% - to $4.6 billion. As a result, Cisco occupied approximately 42.6% of the segment under consideration. Further in the ranking of leading suppliers is HPE Aruba Networking, whose revenue in 2023 increased by 7%. The company occupied approximately 14.6% of the global market. Closes the top three, Huawei which increased sales on an annualized basis by 13.8%. This Chinese manufacturer took 8% of the market. The fourth line went to, Ubiquiti whose revenue at the end of 2023 decreased by 2.6%: the company's share was 6.1%. Next come and, CommScope Juniper Networks in which sales on an annualized basis rose by 23.3% and 26.6%, respectively. The shares of these companies are 4.4% and 4.1%.

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Unsplash

In the corporate segment, sales of Dependent Access Point Wi-Fi 6E access points between the third and fourth quarters of 2023 increased by 11.7% in monetary terms, the study said. As a result, they accounted for approximately 22.6% in money and about 10% in pieces. Products of the Wi-Fi 6 standard in the Dependent Access Point category accounted for 72.8% of sales in monetary terms and 77.5% in units. The remaining part was made up of solutions of the outdated Wi-Fi 5 standard.

IDC notes that at the end of 2023, many corporate customers, having received WLAN equipment, which was shipped with significant delays due to the COVID-19 pandemic, began to modernize their wireless infrastructures. And so the number of new orders has declined.^[1]

2022

Companies' global spending on 4G and 5G-enabled routers reaches $1.9 billion

At the end of 2022, global spending on the corporate wireless global computing (Wireless WAN) market reached $1.9 billion. This segment continues to develop actively, despite the macroeconomic difficulties and the formed geopolitical situation. This is stated in the IDC study, the results of which were released on May 22, 2023.

We are talking about 4G and 5G communication systems. Analysts take into account the supply of relevant routers and other equipment, in particular, gateways. It is noted that in 2022 the industry showed good dynamics due to the ongoing digital transformation of enterprises. In addition to relatively easy deployment, 4G/LTE and 5G technologies provide a number of other advantages. They play an increasingly important role in the implementation of projects related to peripheral computing, as well as software-defined global networks (SD-WAN).

Companies' global spending on 4G and 5G-enabled routers reaches $1.9 billion

In general, Wireless WAN is no longer considered as just a "supporting technology." Such solutions are in demand in many areas, including [[What is the Internet of Things (Internet of Things, IoT)|[[Internet of Things (IoT)|[[Internet of Things (IoT)|[[Internet of Things (IoT)|[[Internet of Things (IoT)|Internet of Things (IoT)]]]]]]]]]], various industrial facilities, transport, etc. In the case of 5G, the highest data transfer rates are achieved with small delays, which is important when using critical applications.

IDC believes that the corporate Wireless WAN market will continue to expand at a rapid pace. So, in the period from 2023 to 2027, the CAGR indicator (average annual growth rate in complex percentages) is expected at 23.8%. As a result, costs on a global scale could reach $5.5 billion by the end of this time interval. It is said that in many cases services based on 4G and 5G become the main way for corporate users to connect to the Internet.^[2]

WLAN equipment deliveries soared by a third - IDC

In 2022, the volume of the global market for corporate equipment for wireless local area networks (WLAN) reached $10 billion, which is 31.4% more than in the previous year. This is stated in a report published on March 9, 2023 by IDC.

Such a significant increase is due to the improvement of supply channels, the weakening of component shortages and the introduction of the Wi-Fi 6E standard, which provides for the use of three frequency bands - 2.4, 5 and 6 GHz. Analysts are talking about a steadily increasing demand for Wi-Fi 6/Wi-Fi 6E solutions, in particular, for Dependent Access Point (AP) access points. In the corresponding AP segment, by the end of 2022, Wi-Fi 6 devices accounted for 82.8% of total revenue, while Wi-Fi 6E models accounted for approximately 7.2%.

WLAN equipment market size reached $10 billion

WLAN's corporate market segment showed rapid growth, helped by continued easing of component shortages and addressing supply chain disruptions, as well as businesses investing in the latest Wi-Fi standards. The industry's strong performance demonstrates the importance of wireless technology to achieve the digital transformation goals of organizations around the world, "said Brandon Butler, IDC Research Manager

The enterprise wireless LAN equipment market has generally performed well worldwide. In the United States, sales in 2022 jumped 31.4% from the previous year. In Canada, year-on-year growth was recorded at 17.5%, in Latin America - at 45.6%. Companies' costs for WLAN equipment in Western Europe increased by 52.8% compared to 2021. In the Middle East and Africa, supplies in monetary terms rose by 42% in 2022. In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan and China), the market grew by 34.2% compared to 2021. In China, there was an increase in costs by 16%, in Japan - by 1.9%. At the same time, in Central and Eastern Europe, including Russia, the supply of WLAN corporate equipment in 2022 in monetary terms decreased by 4.9%. This is due to the current geopolitical situation. In the Russian Federation, the situation is further aggravated by the fact that large suppliers of network solutions decided to curtail business in the country.

Cisco holds a leading position in the global corporate WLAN market. At the end of 2022, it increased revenue by 33.8%, and the share was approximately 41.2%. In second place is the HPE-A ruba, in which sales rose by 50.9%: the company controls 14.6% of the global industry. Huawei closes the top three, showing sales growth of 33.6%: this company, which is under harsh American sanctions, holds 7.6% of the global WLAN market. Next comes Ubiquiti: the company's revenue on an annualized basis increased by 11.4%, and the share was 6.8%. The fifth position went to H3C: its sales rose by 14.4%. This company took 4.2% of the global market. Thus, the five named suppliers collectively receive 74.4% of the total cash flow in the corporate WLAN equipment segment. All other players share the remaining quarter of the revenue.

The IDC report also states that the consumer segment of the WLAN global market in 2022 grew by only 0.2% compared to 2021. This situation is explained by the difficult economic situation and high inflation rate, as well as reduced purchasing power. By the end of 2022, Wi-Fi 6 devices accounted for 49.3% of the total cost in the consumer sector.^[3]

2021: Sales of WLAN equipment to companies soared 20.4% - IDC

In 2021, global sales of equipment intended for the deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN) reached $17.2 billion, an increase of 6.5% compared to the previous year. This is evidenced by the data of the analytical company IDC, released on March 9, 2022.

The market in question grew due to the corporate segment: here the sale of WLAN equipment at the end of 2021 soared by 20.4% and amounted to $7.6 billion. Sales of consumer solutions, on the contrary, decreased - by 2.5% to 9.6 billion.

WLAN Market Leaders, IDC Data

The corporate segment of the WLAN market continued to recover steadily in the last quarter, which led to a significant market rise in all of 2021, says Brandon Butler, network infrastructure research manager at IDC. - Positive developments show that companies around the world are reinvesting in their network strategy and prioritizing wireless LAN access as a key part of their digital transformation goals.

One of the main catalysts for the growth of sales of WLAN equipment, analysts consider the Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) standard. It accounted for 75.1% of revenue from sales of independent access points in the segment, and the share in physical terms amounted to 61.3%. Almost all the rest of the equipment was occupied by solutions with support for Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac).

As for the decline in the consumer sector in 2021, researchers associate it with high results in 2020, when users actively updated their network equipment in the context of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, which led to a massive transition to a remote learning and work format. In the consumer segment, Wi-Fi 6 products accounted for 28.2% of access point sales (in money) in 2021 and 13.1% of quantitative supplies. The shares of the system with Wi-Fi 5 support were 61.4% and 63.6%, respectively.

Cisco remains the market leader in WLAN enterprise-class products, whose share in 2021 reached 40.5% against 42.7% in 2020. Revenues of the American company in this segment increased by 14.2%. HPE is in second place (the main products are accounted for by the subsidiary brand Aruba) with a 12.8 percent share and sales growth of 14%. Ubiquiti closes the top 3 manufacturers of equipment for local wireless networks in companies, which accounted for 8% of revenue. Sales at Ubiquiti increased 14.7% year-on-year.

Next is Huawei, which took about 7.4% of the WLAN business products market in terms of revenue. The fifth place went to H3C Technologies, which recorded 4.8% of the segment under consideration. Huawei showed the highest sales growth rate (+ 48%) of corporate WLAN solutions in 2021, according to an IDC study.

As for the regions, sales of corporate WLAN solutions are growing around the world. The rise is especially strong in the Asia-Pacific region largely due to the Chinese market, the volume of which increased by 47.2% in 2021 compared to 2020. If we do not take into account the PRC and Japan, then in the Asia-Pacific region there was a 16 percent rise.

Cisco in 2021 retained leadership in the WLAN business equipment market

In the United States, the implementation of hardware intended for the deployment of wireless local networks in 2021 increased by 14.6%, in Latin America - by 33%, in Western Europe - by 22.9%, in Central and Eastern Europe (this includes Russia) - by 10.6%, in the countries of the Middle East and Africa - by 6.6%.^[4]

2020: WLAN Equipment Market Growth by 10.3% Thanks to Transition to Wi-Fi 6 - IDC

The volume of the global market for equipment intended for the deployment of wireless local area networks (WLAN) in 2020 increased by 10.3% compared to 2019. This is evidenced by the data of IDC analysts, who at the same time did not specify the revenue in the entire market and only named it in the corporate segment.

Deliveries of WLAN solutions to companies in 2020 in monetary terms reached $6.35 billion, which is 1.9% higher than a year ago. The consumer segment registered even more rapid growth - by 16.4%.

The market for corporate WLAN solutions showed strong results in the fourth quarter and growth of slightly less than 2% at the end of 2020, says Brandon Butler, senior analyst for research on the network infrastructure market at IDC. - Given the challenges facing companies due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the year-end rise in the entire WLAN market is an example of how businesses continue to prioritize wireless as a means of networking.

The corporate segment is on the rise thanks in part to strong demand for network infrastructure upgrades, digital transformation projects and the introduction of a new Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) wireless standard. By the end of 2020, the latter accounted for 32.2% and 43.7% of deliveries of independent access points in pieces and money, respectively. The share of 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) products was 62.7% in physical terms and 55.2% in monetary terms. Quantitative shipments of corporate WLAN solutions increased by 14% on an annualized basis.

In 2020, the WLAN equipment market grew by 10.3% due to the transition to Wi-Fi 6

In the consumer segment, devices with 802.11ac support occupied 60.5% of unit deliveries of consumer devices, and the share in revenue reached 68.7%. Access points 802.11n with standard support accounted for 32.9% of shipments in quantitative terms and 15.1% in dollar terms.

According to Petr Jirovsky, Research Director of IDC Worldwide Networking Trackers, the WLAN consumer equipment market grew rapidly due to the fact that people in many corners of the world were forced to work and study from home.

Meanwhile, the corporate segment showed some stability in 2020, despite the unfavorable macroeconomic conditions caused by the pandemic, he added.

Cisco remains the market leader in WLAN enterprise-class products, whose share in 2020 reached 42.7%. In second place is HPE (the main products fall on the subsidiary brand Aruba) with a 13.5 percent result. Ubiquiti closes the top 3 manufacturers of equipment for local wireless networks, which accounted for 8.4% of sales at the end of 2020.

WLAN Market Leaders

Sales of enterprise-level WLAN equipment at Cisco in 2020 decreased by 2.5%, at HPE - by 1%. Ubiquiti, on the contrary, managed to increase the sale of such products by 22.3%.

Huawei ended 2020 with 14 percent growth in sales of equipment designed to deploy wireless LANs to companies and a 6.2 percent share in that market. The closed five leading vendors CommScope recorded about 4.8% of the market as an asset.

Sales of corporate WLAN devices in the United States in 2020 increased by 4.9%. In Central and Eastern Europe, the market added about 1.5%, in Western Europe - about 8.7%. In the countries of the Middle East and Africa, the sale of such products in 2020 increased by 7% compared to the previous year.

In the Asia-Pacific region (excluding the Chinese market), sales of corporate WLAN solutions in 2020 decreased by 7.7%. China had a 3.1% increase and Latin America had an 8.1% decline^[5]

2019: 3.9% drop - IDC

The volume of the global wireless LAN deployment equipment (WLAN) market in 2019 decreased by 3.9% compared to 2018, IDC analysts said without specifying revenue. Experts only led the turnover in the corporate sector - $6.2 billion, which is 1.8% higher than a year ago.

If the supply of WLAN solutions to companies grows, then the consumer sector will continue to decline - in 2019 it was measured at 7.7%. Products with support for the 802.11ac standard dominate here: they accounted for 59.5% of annual shipments of equipment in pieces and 78.3% in money. Wi-Fi 6 technology by the end of 2019 has not yet appeared in the consumer segment, hence the high share of devices compatible only with 802.11n (not higher than this technology) (shares amounted to 40.1% in physical terms and 19.4% in monetary terms).

Enterprise WLAN Market Leaders, IDC Data

The study notes that the adoption rate of 802.11ac is noticeably higher compared to those observed during the transition from 802.11a/b/g to 802.11n several years ago. By the end of 2019, the 802.11ac standard accounted for 78.4% of independent access points in pieces in the corporate market. In money, the share was 78.3%. In 2019, the corporate segment began switching to 802.11ax (aka Wi-Fi 6).

Independent access points with Wi-Fi support accounted for 10% of the supply of corporate WLAN equipment, and the share in money was 16.7%. These numbers have increased rapidly throughout 2019, which analysts say indicates a "solid" adoption of the technology among businesses.

Analysts believe that the corporate WLAN market is on the verge of a large hardware upgrade cycle by early 2020 that will drive sales in subsequent years.

Senior Corporate Networking Market Research Analyst at IDC Brandon Butler says corporate WLAN equipment sales in the second half of 2019 are largely due to macroeconomic difficulties affecting company spending. The coronavirus has not affected market performance, but in the first half of 2020, the impact should manifest itself, the expert is sure.

Despite these short-term challenges, companies will continue to invest in technologies for wireless networks given their critical importance in communications and the digital transformation driver, he added.

The volume of the global wireless LAN deployment equipment (WLAN) market in 2019 decreased by 3.9% compared to 2018, IDC analysts said without specifying revenue

According to the results of 2019, experts named the following companies as the largest manufacturers of equipment for deploying wireless local networks:

• Cisco (44,6%);
• HPE along with absorbed Aruba Networks (13.9%);
• Ubiquiti (7%);
• Huawei (5,5%);
• CommScope (formerly Arris and Ruckus; 5.3%).

In 2019, Cisco increased revenues in the corporate WLAN products market by 1.7%, according to IDC. HPE-Aruba and Ubiquiti also registered growth - by 1.4% and 0.3%, respectively. Huawei's dynamics were even higher, it amounted to 9.9%, but CommScope ended 2019 with a 17.2 percent decline.

According to IDC estimates, sales of WLAN solutions in Central and Eastern Europe (this includes the Russian market) in 2019 practically did not change, having increased by only 0.1%. In Western Europe, the market volume sank by 0.5%, in Latin America - by 8.6%.

In the Asia-Pacific region, revenue from the sale of WLAN equipment in 2019 increased by 2.4%, in China - by 6.4%. In Japan, sales declined 11.2%. In the Middle East and Africa, the market volume increased by 13.6% over the year, largely due to Saudi Arabia. As for the American market, here the total revenue of the vendor rose by 3.9% in 2019 compared to 2018.^[6]

2017: Growth due to corporate segment

In early March 2018, the analytical company International Data Corporation (IDC) presented the results of a study of the global market for equipment for deploying wireless local area networks (WLAN). Experts pay attention to the growth of the corporate segment, thanks to which the entire market does not fall.

IDC estimates that sales of WLAN solutions increased by 0.2% in 2017, reaching about $9.35 billion. The volume of equipment supplies to the company amounted to $5.7 billion. This is 5.7% more than in 2016.

Major manufacturers of WLAN equipment, IDC data

At the same time, the consumer segment fell by 7.3% to $3.65 billion, which the researchers attributed to falling prices and the slow spread of 802.11ac technology. 802.11ac enabled devices accounted for 40% of shipments and 69% of revenue in the consumer equipment sector for wireless LAN deployment.

The growth of the corporate segment of the WLAN market continues, although the dynamics are stabilizing. At the same time, difficult times have come in the consumer segment, - comments Brandon Butler, senior analyst for research on the network infrastructure market at IDC. - Companies continue to recognize the benefits and new business opportunities that can be gained by updating and improving their WLAN networks, opening up great prospects for manufacturers and providers of network solutions around the world.

The largest market for WLAN products remains the United States, which accounted for 37.6% of sales in 2017. The volume of the American market grew by 2%. Latin America showed the greatest pace, where revenue increased by 18.4%. In Central and Eastern Europe, to which Russia belongs, a rise of 12.4% was recorded.

According to the results of 2017, the following companies were named the largest manufacturers of corporate WLAN equipment in the world:

• Cisco (43,6%);
• HPE (14,9%);
• Arris (5,9%);
• Ubiquiti (5,6%);
• Huawei (5%).^[7] 

2016

2014: Slowdown. Cisco dominates

On March 3, 2015, the results of a survey of the wireless LAN equipment (WLAN) market from analysts at International Data Corporation (IDC) appeared in the public domain. They reported a slowdown in demand for these solutions in the corporate segment.

According to experts, in 2014 the market for network WLAN equipment used in organizations and enterprises grew by 8.5% compared to 2013. This indicator of positive dynamics turned out to be noticeably lower compared to those that took place during previous years, according to the summary IDC of Worldwide Quarterly WLAN Tracker.^[8]

In October-December 2014, the corporate WLAN market grew by 7.4% on an annualized basis, while a quarter earlier there was a 9.4% rise. The entire market for local area network deployment solutions Wi-Fi (including consumer) increased by 7%. Absolute values ​ ​ are not given by experts.

Analysts note the rapid penetration of the 802.11ac standard in the business environment. By the end of 2014, this technology, which at that time was present in the market for six full quarters, took more than 30% of the supply of access points in pieces and 44% in money. This growth rate was faster than at one time the transition rate from 802.11a/b/g to 802.11n.

Companies are willing to deploy 802.11ac equipment, as it is characterized by competitive prices compared to 802.11n access points, a wide variety and higher bandwidth, which helps businesses actively implement mobile, cloud and social technologies, as well as Big Data solutions, the IDC notes.

For many years, Cisco has remained the largest manufacturer of solutions designed to organize corporate wireless networks. In the fourth quarter of 2014, the company recorded a market share of 48.4% against 48.3% a quarter and a year earlier. Cisco's key growth driver in the market is Cisco Meraki cloud network management system.

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The five largest manufacturers of WLAN solutions in dynamics from the fourth quarter of 2013 to the fourth quarter of 2014

The second place among the participants in the WLAN market was retained by Aruba Networks, acquired in early March 2015 by HP. The latter controls 4.3% of the global market for enterprise-class WLAN solutions, Aruba - 11.8%, according to IDC data for the last quarter of 2014. Between HP and Aruba is Ruckus, with a 6.2 percent market share.

2012: Cisco leads with 52% share

The global WLAN market (both user and corporate in total) grew in annual terms by 12.7% in the second quarter of 2012 to $950.8 million, according to IDC. At the same time, the industrial WLAN solutions sector developed at an even faster pace - it increased by 24.8% compared to the same period in 2011. The second quarter of 2012 was the seventh consecutive quarter and the ninth of the last ten, when growth in this segment exceeded 20%.

Geographically, in the WLAN corporate market, the most prominent regions are Japan and Latin America, with annual growth rates of 64.2% and 58.7%, respectively. In the EMEA region, annual growth in the second quarter of 2012 was 30.2%. Moreover, in EMEA, positive results were achieved even despite the result of minus 0.5% in the markets of Italy, Spain, Portugal and Greece in the aggregate.

In North America, growth in the same reporting period was 25.4%, and in the Asia-Pacific region (excluding Japan) - only 3.1%. The negative result was achieved in the markets of Korea, India, Singapore, Thailand and Malaysia, while in China the growth in sales of industrial WLAN solutions was only 2.2%.

According to the results of the second quarter of 2012, Cisco was the leader among vendors with a share of 52.37% of the world WLAN market, in annual terms in this period the company's revenue increased by 36.7% to $498 million. Further in descending order of market share - Aruba (11.14%), HP (5.87), Ruckus (4.52%), Motorola (4.08%), another 22.02% falls on others

2011

Q1: Up 20%

The corporate wireless market grew by more than 20% in the first quarter of 2011. HP cut quarterly numbers, Aruba strengthened, and Cisco lagged behind in the consumer market.

The corporate wireless market grew to almost $600 million in the first quarter of 2011 with 20.3% dynamics compared to the first quarter of 2010, the IDC report said.

Revenue growth in the global wireless network market (WLAN) in the first quarter of 2011 (1Q11) amounted to 20.7%, in absolute terms - $1.35 billion (excluding wireless network adapters), while profitability decreased by 5.5% after a strong season of the fourth quarter (4Q10).

The WLAN corporate market shows an increase, although with some reduction in income growth to 20.3% compared to the same period last year (APPG), the corresponding market reduction is 8.8%.

"The strengthening of the WLAN market in the first quarter of 2011 was encouraging in all regions, and both sectors of the market - corporate and retail, contributed," said Rohit Mehra (Rohit Mehra), the company's director of corporate communications infrastructure. "The IDC amazing driving force behind mobile devices and their continued integration into enterprise business applications is guiding companies forward to upgrade, expand, and replace wireless infrastructures."

In particular, the deployment of 802.11n networks has now become the de facto standard in 77.4% of enterprise deliveries. Some large businesses and regions, such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, have areas where old protocols are still deployed, although IDC expects migration to "n" technology to intensify in 2011.

The retail sector of the WLAN market continues to recover from previous quarterly downturns and intensified in the first quarter of 2011 by 21% on an annualized basis, to $751 million. Following a seasonally strong fourth quarter, the retail segment declined 2.8%.

Falling prices and increasing consumer interest in online home entertainment applications will continue to support this segment.

Cisco's revenue from Cisco corporate market rose 20.7% year-over-year (APPG), but declined 14.4% after a strong fourth quarter. Cisco's Linksys division lagged in the WLAN consumer market with revenue growth of 7.2% compared to the APPG, and showed a quarterly decline of 5.9%.

Aruba had a strong first quarter with 85.9% revenue growth vs. APPG, including from OEM revenue.

HP's revenue in WLAN's corporate market was up less than 14.4% from APPG and down 14.0% from the previous quarter.

Q2: Up 43% MSI takes the lead

The corporate wireless network market showed growth of 43.4% and reached $725 million in the second quarter. Cisco lost half of the market, and MSI (Emesai Computer) became the leader in the second quarter of 2011.

According to the IDC report on the global Wireless LAN Tracker market, in the second quarter of this year, vendor revenue growth amounted to 29.7% in annual terms, which in absolute terms reaches $1.52 billion. The WLAN market is experiencing strong consistent growth, with a 13.4% increase in total revenue compared to the first quarter of 2011. The WLAN corporate market segment showed one of its best quarterly results in annual terms: revenues grew by 43.4% to almost $725 million, while an increase of 21.9% in quarterly terms.

Rohit Mehra, director of corporate communications infrastructure research at IDC, noted that corporate user mobility is becoming one of the key priorities for Chief information officers and IT managers in the world, and revenue growth in the WLAN market in the second quarter indicates that the market is developing dynamically.

momentum generated by smart mobile devices, businesses' use of them for business and vertical applications, is a guiding force for companies to further advance towards upgrading and expanding their wireless networks," he said.

In particular, the deployment of 802.11n networks in companies reached 79.1% in revenue and 66.6% in supply, showing the continuation of surprisingly high consumption in some regions and other market segments for 802.11 devices. However, the trend for 802.11n remains de facto stationary.

The retail segment of the WLAN market, after a strong previous quarter in the second, also showed good growth: it reached 19.4% on an annualized basis. In figures - $800 million, quarterly growth was 6.6%. Netgear is doing well in this segment: it doubled its revenue, and on an annualized basis it reached almost $200 million, while D-Link was able to provide year-on-year growth of only 18.6%. Linksys performed poorly in this segment. Compared to the same period last year, the fall in sales of this company amounted to 21.4%.

Revenue Cisco from corporate sales in the wireless networking sector in the second quarter showed year-on-year growth of 36.2% and sequential 11.9%, but the company's market share shrank by more than 50%.

Aruba (including its OEMs) rose 8.6% consistently after a very well-completed first quarter, and year-on-year growth was more powerful at 52.2%. For HP, the second quarter delivered revenue with 65.8% year-on-year growth and 35.9% sequential after a frankly weak first quarter.

MSI (Emesai Computer) (Motorola Solutions) after several expressionless quarters in a row in the second quarter of 2011 increased revenues by 52.7% on an annualized basis and leads the market with a quarterly growth of 112.8%.

See also

• WLAN - Wireless LAN
• SCS Solutions and Projects Catalog
• GPON Gigabit-capable passive optical network technology
• Passive Optical LAN (POL)
• SCS: Standards
• Active Equipment - Active Equipment
• Fiber OpticTwisted Pair

Notes