Slowly but Surely: Wireless Networks of All Types, Including WLAN, Bluetooth, UWB and RFID Will Permeate Society, Says Allied Business Intelligence

    OYSTER BAY, N.Y.--Nov. 19, 2002--Wireless networks of varying types, capabilities and ranges are slowly pervading society.
    Advanced 2.5G and 3G cellular networks are only the beginning as other technologies, including wireless local area networks (WLAN), Bluetooth, radio frequency identification (RFID) and even ultra wideband (UWB) networks are deployed. Cumulative revenues garnered through the global adoption of these technologies, excluding cellular, will likely exceed $33 billion by 2007, according to Allied Business Intelligence (ABI).
    Wireless technologies, nearly ubiquitous for voice communications, will begin to penetrate new applications and platforms, including industrial management and transportation. Radio Frequency Identification (RFID), for example, is now poised to revolutionize supply chain management through its ability to remotely identify crates, boxes and even individual items through "smart-labels." ABI research indicates that these applications represent merely 1% of total RFID transponder shipments today, increasing to represent about 46% of all shipments by 2007.
    Even the family car will be wirelessly enabled. "By 2007, Bluetooth and WLAN nodes will be common features for the automotive platform. Initially geared towards telephony applications, Bluetooth nodes will soon serve additional functions, including remote vehicle diagnostics," according to Frank Viquez, Director of Automotive Technologies at ABI. The industry research firm expects 19% of all vehicles to become equipped with Bluetooth by 2007.
    Much of the information collected by these so-called personal area networks (PAN) will still rely upon the widely available cellular networks. "The 2.5G and 3G networks will bridge the gap between the localized PAN and the broader Internet. All of these wireless technologies will be codependent upon each other," says Edward Rerisi, Director of Wireless Research at ABI. "In a sense, these various network configurations will feed demand for the other segments," adds Mr. Rerisi.
    ABI has been publishing comprehensive studies on wireless technologies and markets since 1990. Many of ABI's studies examine how wireless technologies will impact existing markets and applications, a trend set to accelerate over the next decade.

    Allied Business Intelligence Inc. is an Oyster Bay, NY-based technology research think tank that publishes research and technology intelligence on the wireless, broadband, electronics, networking and energy industries. Details can be found at www.alliedworld.com or by calling 516-624-3113.