WiFi chipset shipments to double in 2011?

But despite the success of the WLAN chipsets, which are based on a WiFi standard known as 802, IHS warned of other emerging connectivity technologies such as Bluetooth and near field communications that could potentially make significant inroads in the consumer market. In both technologies, radio waves transmit and exchange data over short distances between devices, enhancing their mobility and ease of use. Another connectivity technology trying to gain momentum is ZigBee, which is designed for use in home automation and smart utility monitoring applications for residential and commercial building environments. Hopes are being pinned on ZigBee to achieve traction in applications like the heating, cooling and lighting of living spaces, as well as the monitoring of gas, water and electrical utilities. IHS believes that as WiFi increasingly develops into a standard wireless networking interface for innumerable devices, the easy interconnection capabilities inherent in the technology will open the door for an even greater range of consumer electronic devices to be seamlessly connected and networked. In turn, significant new business opportunities are expected to emerge for the silicon suppliers, consumer electronics manufacturers and communication service providers operating in the WLAN space.