The market for microcontroller units (MCUs) used in Internet of things (IoT) applications is on the rise, leading to a positive effect on the overall MCU market growth. In fact, without the IoT, the MCU market would likely stagnate by the end of the decade, according to research firm IHS.
The market for MCUs used in connected cars, wearable electronics, building automation and other IoT applications is expected to grow at an overall compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 11 percent, from $1.7 billion in 2014 to $2.8 billion in 2019.
Given that IoT connectivity demands a new consideration of semiconductor features, many semiconductor companies have begun developing IoT platform solutions while others have reorganized with an IoT division to address the opportunity. IHS says that's especially true in the MCU market. Among the semiconductor suppliers adopting loT-focused strategies are: Atmel Corporation, Broadcom, Cisco Systems, Freescale Semiconductor, Infineon Technologies, Intel, Microchip Technologies, NXP, Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM), Renesas Electronics Corporation and Texas Instruments. Release