Research Overview
Emerging Standardization Expected to Spur Uptake of Wireless Sensor
Networks
The market is transitioning from wireless sensor networks based on
proprietary platforms toward a standards-based environment with the emergence of
the IEEE 802.15.4 standard and the recently ratified ZigBee standard.
Standardization is expected to improve interfacing capabilities and allow end
users to migrate to a new service provider without reworking the entire solution
and incurring significantly high costs. "With the growing standardization
of wireless technology, the market is likely to become more streamlined allowing
developers to operate on a common platform and improve interoperability,"
explains the analyst of this research.
In addition, the introduction of standards enables original equipment
manufacturers (OEMs) to increase profitability by producing certified devices in
high capacities thereby taking advantage of economies of scale. Device providers
and system integrators can also work with certified documented protocols giving
them more flexibility and freedom for increasing functionality as and when
required and with additional scalability options.
Industrial and Building Automation Presents Numerous Opportunities for
Wireless Sensor Networks
Given its numerous advantages over a wired network, wireless sensor network
technology is expected to grow exponentially and gain a stronghold across
industry verticals such as building automation and industrial applications. The
benefits of wireless sensor networks in these two sectors are enormous and will
serve the purpose of demonstrating their capabilities. "Participants in
this market need to educate end users regarding the obvious cost benefits, ease
of deployment, retrofitting applications, and scalability to increase the uptake
of wireless sensor networks," says the analyst.
For instance, building automation applications such as lighting and occupancy
sensors demonstrate high energy efficiency levels, quicker return on investment,
and ease of deployment and removal. Such devices are expected to find increasing
acceptance among major retailers such as Wal-Mart and Home Depot where optimal
energy consumption and reduced energy costs are a primary concern. In the
industrial automation space, the largest opportunity for wireless sensor
networks lies in sensing devices in remote or inaccessible areas such as nuclear
plants, oil and gas fields, and high temperature furnaces.
Scaling Network Size Remains a Significant Challenge
Although wireless sensor networks are easy to deploy at exceptionally low
costs in comparison to a wired network, there are several technical challenges
such as network management, monitoring tools, optimal gateway design, and
several other hardware considerations that need to be addressed. However, the
biggest challenge to date is increasing the average deployable network size from
the existing few hundred nodes to a thousand nodes or more. Most companies in
this field are working toward systems that can perform robustly and efficiently
when scaled up to a size of around 500 nodes. Test demonstrations of 800 node
networks are have already been completed successfully but more concerted efforts
are required for gaining a competitive advantage in the mainstream market.
This Frost & Sullivan research analyzes emerging developments that will
enable wireless sensor networks to make an impact across various industry
verticals. In addition to identifying major technology drivers and challenges,
the research provides in-depth application analysis. Participants can also
easily identify potential collaborators to stay ahead of the competition and
remain shoulder-to-shoulder with critical developments.
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