Study: Embedded WLAN devices to surpass 1B in 2011

Shipments of electronic products with embedded WLAN will exceed one billion units for the first time this year, says new research from IHS iSuppli.

The firm said that number of connected devices will continue to grow exponentially--surpassing 2 billion in 2015--as wide local area network (WLAN) connectivity increasingly becomes a standard feature in devices. IHS iSuppli said consumer electronics, computer, communications and automotive products with built-in WLAN connectivity such as Wi-Fi will reach 1.2 billion units in 2011, a figure that represents a 35.8 percent increase from 880.4 billion in 2010.

"In today's world of connected electronics, consumers expect seamless access to Internet communications, services and content in any place and at any time," said Dr. Jagdish Rebello, senior director and principal analyst for communications and consumer electronics at IHS in a press release. "From sharing Facebook news on their iPads, to viewing Hulu programs on their flat-panel TVs, to streaming audio and video in cars with their automotive infotainment systems, consumers depend on built-in WLAN technology to get the most out of their electronic products. Because of this, embedded WLAN is becoming the norm for all kinds of devices."

For more:
- see this Cellular-News article

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