Wifi Revolution

In a new report out today, high-tech market research firm In-Stat discussed some of the reasons why WiFi (News - Alert) is catching on slowly in certain sectors of the consumer electronics (CE) industry.

 

As an example, In-Stat (News - Alert) noted that, while WiFi has been welcomed with open arms for gaming consoles, the technology has mostly been shut out from digital video camcorders and standalone personal video recorders (PVRs).

 

Why should that be? Possible causes include user-unfriendly digital rights management for use with wireless devices, lack of understanding among consumers when it comes to multimedia home networking, and competition from other technologies in certain sectors (such as wireless USB for digital cameras and printers).

 

TMCnet asked In-Stat analyst Gemma Tedesco to comment on these factors, in particular the issue of whether WiFi technology is inherently complex.

 

Tedesco told TMCnet in an e-mail correspondence that, while WiFi is a fairly easy way to share Internet access in the home using wireless routers or gateways, over the years vendors like Linksys, D-Link, Netgear, Belkin and SMC have developed products that are increasingly complex to install.

 

“The complexity factor comes in adding Wi-Fi to a device in a way in which the Wi-Fi capability actually adds value to the consumer experience of the device - in this case, the complexity lies in the hands of the device vendor,” Tedesco said.

 

To illustrate this point, Tedesco compared the WiFi module embedded in Microsoft’s (News - Alert) upcoming Zune MP3 player to MusicGremlin’s implementation of WiFi. In the case of Microsoft, she said, many reports have come out explaining the limitations inherent in Zune’s Wifi, including primitive abilities to share music among buddies.

 

MusicGremlin, on the other hand, “allows for the consumer to access the Internet via WiFi, download songs, and the device even senses when it’s close to a WiFi network so it can begin downloadings songs that the consumer has indicated he or she wants, even when the device is not in range of a WiFi network.”

 

Tedesco said that when she spoke to MusicGremlin about its use of WiFi, the company stressed its commitment to developing interesting and valuable software applications that connect seamlessly to networks and other peers.

 

So, in some regards, complexity is created or prevented by the vendor. But Tedesco did note that the pending 802.11n standard is inherently more complex than other 802.11 specifications, because it incorporates multiple input, multiple output (MIMO) functionality.

When it comes to overcoming inherent or introduced WiFi complexities for CE, it appears vendors in the gaming sector have been most successful. In-Stat predicts that, during 2006, shipments of WiFi-enabled handheld games and consoles will reach 28 million and 5 million, respectively.

 

In the latter case, the fourth quarter release of Sony’s PlayStation 3 and Nintendo’s Wii are helping to boost shipments.

 

In-Stat also noted some of the other recent, major vendor moves into the consumer electronics space with WiFi. These include Apple’s planned WiFi media adapter due out in 2007, and Microsoft’s Zune (due to launch Nov. 14). Other vendors eyeing WiFi for CE include Slim Devices, Sonos, Sharp, Philips, and Buffalo.

 

“To really push WiFi into specific CE segments, vendors will have to devote significant marketing resources, and, most importantly, provide a skillful implementation of WiFi that really demonstrates the technology's value-add,” the In-Stat report concludes.

 

 Mae Kowalke previously wrote for Cleveland Magazine in Ohio and The Burlington Free Press in Vermont. To see more of her articles, please visit Mae Kowalke’s columnist page. Also check out her Wireless Mobility blog.

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