The International Manufacturing Technology Show (IMTS) 2024 marked another milestone in innovation, with exhibitors showcasing advancements across robotics, Artificial Intelligence (AI), data integration, cloud computing, and more. The usual big names were there to show the world what they’ve been up to, but they were accompanied by smaller startups hoping to make a big splash. The technological breakthroughs on display in Chicago this year embody the innovative spirit the manufacturing industry requires to address an aging workforce, increased demand, and supply chain complexities.
Working in a competitive industry demands that you become a data-driven organization. As a technology solution provider, effectively leveraging data can unlock significant advantages, such as driving market expansion and fostering innovation. Unfortunately, all too many companies lack an analytical approach to decision-making.
Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) solutions have historically struggled to gain traction in the industrial markets, with industrial organizations traditionally favoring tried and tested fixed cable over what they view as unreliable wireless. Yet recent technical advances in WLAN, including 802.11be (Wi-Fi 7), 802.11bn (Wi-Fi 8), and Standard Power 6 Gigahertz (6 GHz), are enabling WLAN to handle more complex and more demanding industrial tasks for the first time. Alongside this, industrial organizations are increasingly in need of WLAN to service the new mission-critical applications (e.g., Automated Guided Vehicles (AGVs) and Autonomous Mobile Robots (AMRs)) that depend upon wireless. These developments are helping to expand the addressable market for industrial WLAN, and ABI Research forecasts that annual ruggedized industrial WLAN Access Point (AP) shipments will increase from 3.2 million in 2024 to 4.9 million in 2030.
Acquiring reliable connectivity is a baseline requirement for the modern enterprise campus. However, campus networks are a little trickier to provide quality Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN) services than traditional enterprise networks. This is because campus networks have divergent connectivity requirements and encompass a wide range of industries. Adding to the challenge is the fact that campus networks require scalable indoor and outdoor Wi-Fi solutions that support long-distance building-to-building connectivity. These connectivity challenges have borne a number of technological advancements from WLAN vendors.
Have you ever been in a rush to go somewhere, but heavy traffic slowed you down? If only a private lane was reserved for just you, you’d never have to worry about traffic again. While you’ll never get a lane to just yourself, the next best thing is using the High Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lane when you can. In the world of campus Wireless Local-Area Network (WLAN) solutions, the 6 Gigahertz (GHz) spectrum is your HOV lane. Compared to the more popular 2.4 GHz and 5 GHz spectrums, the 6 GHz spectrum is far less congested. The additional capacity of 6 GHz significantly benefits Campus Area Networks (CANs), notably those enterprise campuses, education, large public venues, and the hospitality sector.
Market research goes hand-in-hand with maximizing profits at a business enterprise. Whether you’re a vendor or an enterprise implementer of a new technology, in-depth, data-backed intelligence can safely guide your organization toward sustained success. Technology research deliverables identify potential roadblocks and lucrative revenue opportunities for organizations, while giving you a reliable partner to consult with when questions about your respective market inevitably arise. Take, for example, the technology market research case studies we recently compiled, showcasing how our forward-looking methodologies help some of our biggest clients with their digitization journeys. In this blog post, let’s review four of these case studies to give you a better idea of what kind of results you can expect from ABI Research as a technology intelligence partner.
In times of economic uncertainty, the main priority of an enterprise is to sustain operations in the most economical and simplified way possible. Network-as-a-Service (NaaS) deployment models are the perfect solution to this challenge for enterprise Wi-Fi connectivity. A virtualized NaaS model means cloud-based software takes precedence over physical on-premises management, with management and maintenance responsibilities outsourced to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) or sometimes the equipment vendor directly. Enterprises typically “pay as they go” for access to NaaS, ensuring that wastage is minimized and expenses align with their business needs. Although they're skeptical now, ABI Research forecasts that more than 9 in 10 enterprises will use this usage-based consumption model for at least a quarter of their network services by 2030. But why are an increasing number of enterprises turning to NaaS, and what do infrastructure vendors stand to gain from this new service model?
