WLAN Market to Double

In a newly released report, Dell'Oro Group forecasts that enterprise Wireless LAN (WLAN) equipment, both access points as well as switch/appliances, will overwhelm the market for standalone WLAN equipment. According to the report, DSL and Cable customer premises equipment will increasingly come with embedded WLAN, significantly reducing the need for standalone WLAN devices in the SOHO or consumer market. Similarly, as WLAN becomes embedded in more client devices such as notebook computers, PDAs, and telephones, the need for add-on network interface cards will diminish.

"Despite reductions in other areas, standalone gear will continue to thrive in the enterprise," said Greg Collins, Senior Director of Wireless LAN Research at Dell'Oro Group. "Dependent access points and switch/appliance solutions will drive enterprise growth because these devices are more secure and easier to manage than WLAN networks based on independent access points."

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