Push comes to shove in wireless sector

Consumers are becoming angry and disenchanted with over-hyped mobile and wireless products that are difficult to operate and do not deliver promised functionality, a newly published study warned today.

According to a report for industry analyst firm WTRS, the era of hyped technology will be pushed aside by a demand for wireless products that plug in simply, network with ease, expand with application development, and do not require equity loans to purchase nor advanced degrees to install.

The study predicted that wireless mesh networking standards will be set by market demand rather than by a standardisation process beset by setbacks due to procrastination and rancour among members.

Wireless mesh deployments in the home are not in effect dependent on standardisation, and therefore this market segment readily adapts and responds to customer need, WTRS noted.

"The discussion, debate, argument and turmoil over standards will become less relevant as products come online from Eaton, for example, and as others surface over the next six months," said Kirsten West, principal analyst at WTRS.

"The companies with the products that solve real customer needs and desires are likely to become the standard in the home market.

"We are seeing companies and OEMs using technologies such as Insteon and Z-Wave as well as creating business alliances to build product eco-systems that solve the problems of safety, lifestyle enhancement and general home control.

"One of the next big trends is electronic home improvement enabled by low cost, easy to use wireless solutions."

West went on to predict that the predominant growth in wireless sensor markets in the coming year will be in home automation. Existing homes will find the installation of specific sensor applications growing in "erratic patterns" as owners add devices incrementally.

"The adoption rate for wireless sensors and control products will follow the very traditional supply-and-demand pattern. In new housing markets wireless home automation technology will be installed by the builder or general contractor as part of the homebuilder's standard offering," said West.

"Overall, the predominant wireless sensor markets that will develop over the next year include home automation, commercial control, and industrial automation applications."

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