There was a small drop toward the the end of last year, but still, revenues from worldwide WLAN sales equipment showed healthy growth in 2005, according to a new Infonetics Research report. Revenues were up 10 percent overall in 2005, though there was a 5 percent quarterly dip in the fourth quarter. Unit shipments were up 39 percent in the same period to more than 25 million. You know that enterprises are buying WLAN equipment because WLAN switch and controller revenues grew 93 percent and shipments jumped 154 percent. Note, though, that WLAN switch and controller sales currently account for only 19 percent of revenues, compared to 81 percent for APs. The report says that the proportion will change, and that WLAN switch and controller revenues will rise to 44 percent by 2009.

Infonetics expects the growth trend to continue, with WLAN equipment revenues reaching $3.8 billion by 2009. Much of the growth will be driven by the enterprise market, which the firm says will expand 120 percent between 2005 and 2009. "The enterprise segment is where the action is," Infonetics Research's Richard Webb said. "Organizations of all sizes are increasingly mobile and data-reliant, so the need for network access while on the move is crucial, driving growth of WLAN switches and controllers in particular, which achieve double-digit annual revenue growth through 2009." The leaders? Cisco was the overall WLAN equipment revenue leader last year, followed by Symbol and 3Com. Cisco also held a comfortable lead in WLAN switch and controller revenues, also ahead of Symbol.

For more on Infonetics study:
- see EETimes report

ALSO: Dublin-based Research and Markets has released a study reporting that the worldwide telecommunications market is set for extraordinary growth, doubling from $123 billion in 2004 to $282 billion by 2010. Release