According to the market research firm iSuppli Corp, Global revenue from sales of Wireless Wide Area Networking (WWAN) modules for Machine-to-Machine (M2M) systems are set to rise nearly sevenfold from 2010 to 2014.
WWAN M2M modules are devices that allow pieces of equipment to communicate with one another wirelessly. Using technologies such as GRPS, EDGE, CDMA 2000 and UMTS/HSPA, M2M WWAN systems employ mobile cellular networks to transmit data and information.
The WWAN M2M module market will generate total revenue of US$1.0 billion in 2010, up by vigorous 26.4% from $813 million in 2009. By the end of 2014, revenue will hit $6.5 billion.
According to Francis Sideco, principal analyst for wireless research for iSuppli, Wireless Internet access for connecting people to each other or for connecting people to machines has exploded over the last decade, driven by the rise of mobile computing and smart phones. However, a new wireless Internet boom is shaping up in the M2M area. WWAN technologies increasingly are being used in M2M modules to enable new communication capabilities, in the process powering innovations and enhancing the efficiency of key markets like utilities and healthcare.
To date, the largest markets using WWAN M2M modules are wireless gateways and remote monitoring. However, healthcare is the fastest-growing vertical, with the market projected to consume 16.5 million units by 2014, up a colossal 155% from 2009. WWAN M2M modules also are used in many other sectors, including vehicle tracking, automotive infotainment, security, payment and ruggedized computers.
Sideco added that when WWAN technology is used in M2M applications, the results can be transformative. Just as the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century upended manual labor and made production more efficient by introducing machinery, present-day WWAN-based M2M modules confer a level of communication capabilities on systems never thought possible.