Low Power Wireless

IMS Research looks ahead to the good, the bad and the ugly within the wireless industry for 2012.

In the next five years, around 400 million ‘smart home energy management’ devices will be shipped globally, according to a recent study from IMS Research, a leading analyst firm recently acquired by IHS Inc. (NYSE: IHS). This includes devices such as smart meters, smart thermostats, in-home displays, ‘smart appliances’, and load control switches [see figure below]. This represents a major opportunity for IC suppliers, driving connectivity technologies into a wide range of typically ‘un-connected’ devices. Yet the type of connectivity technologies selected varies by both country and the type of company deploying the energy management solution.

A decision has finally been made by the Bluetooth SIG to discontinue developments ( "at the present time" ) with the collaboration between WiMedia's UWB technology and Bluetooth for the second version of Bluetooth high speed.

After a rigorous ten months, the decision regarding the chosen technologies for version 2 of Continua's design guidelines have finally been announced. Bluetooth Low Energy has been chosen to enable low powered portable medical devices in a PAN setting. This usage includes portable devices, such as activity monitors and heart rate sensors, which are used to monitor a users health and fitness levels.

Integration of DECT and CAT-iq into residential gateways will grow rapidly over the next four years, from 3 million units in 2011 to 25.6 million in 2015, according to the latest market data from IMS Research. This market is being driven by the changing use of communications technology in consumers’ homes and the uptake of VoIP services.

A unique report from InMedica analysing the market for sports-performance monitors has highlighted the increasing role of digital training aids in modern fitness. With an increasing proportion of society recognising the importance of regular exercise, sports-performance monitors are gaining popularity as a convenient way to monitor health and measure progress. Traditionally a market reserved for elite sports men and women, the market is now more mainstream, with user-friendly, low-cost monitors readily available through consumer retail stores.

IMS Research today announced the launch of its new Strategic Market Assessment (SMA) service, which will form the cornerstone of the company’s continued expansion into strategic consulting. SMA will provide clients with objective, detailed and clear recommendations for the best markets to focus on to achieve profitable business growth.

A recent report from IMS Research (‘The World Market for Low-Power Wireless – 2011 Edition’) forecasts that over 250 million RF4CE ICs (first launched in 2009) will be shipped in 2015. This growth will be driven by a strong transition in remote controls from infra-red (IR) to radio-frequency (RF), which can operate outside the line of sight and can offer bi-directional communication. There is also strong industry support for RF4CE in future remote-control products.

The landscape for low-power wireless technologies is forecast to alter dramatically over the coming years, driven by a combination of emerging application areas and new low-power RF solutions. In 2009, proprietary solutions accounted for over 85% of the low-power RF market; predominantly for application areas such as automotive devices and wireless PC peripherals. Proprietary low-power wireless IC shipments are forecast to increase at a CAGR of over 20% for the period 2009-2015; yet by 2015, they are projected to account for less than half of low-power RF IC shipments, as momentum grows behind key standardised solutions.

A recent consumer survey from IMS Research found that over half of respondents consider displaying current electricity usage information in their homes ‘very useful’. Over 90% considered it ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ useful.

A new study from IMS Research projects that just 10 per cent of the smart home nodes that will be deployed during the period 2010 to 2017 will include proprietary wireless technologies. Yet annual shipments of these technologies are projected to grow from less than 3 million nodes in 2012 to 6 million in 2017, as some high-end automation suppliers maintain closed systems, and some other smart home start-ups deploy with proprietary systems to keep certification costs down.

This is a question that everybody wants to know the answer to - and everyone seems to have a different opinion! Many companies are waiting for a single communications technology to be universally selected before adding 'smart' functionality to their products. In contrast, other companies have adopted a more modular approach to their products, enabling easier transition if alternative technologies become predominant.

IMS Research forecasts that the uptake of smart lighting systems will increase considerably over the next five years, with more than 13.6 million smart street lighting components being shipped between 2010 to 2017.