Wireless, CE Drive Semiconductor Biz

An semiconductor industry report from Research and Markets finds wireless and consumer products are driving the industry, while the PDA is beginning to fade away.

A new report from Ireland’s Research and Markets finds that consumer electronics and wireless technology are pushing the semiconductor market forward worldwide. Surprisingly, Research and Markets finds that video game console sales bottomed out in 2005, the PC is far from moribund, while the PDA will be gently fading into oblivion.

Overall, the report finds the semiconductor industry will continue to grow quickly after a slump experienced in 2001 and 2002. The fastest growing categories include cellular modems (estimated to reach 14.6 million units by 2009), wireless LAN products (estimated to reach 390 million chipsets in 2009), and digital television sets (estimated to reach 93.8 million units in 2009). The report touts cell phones as potentially the most successful consumer product of all time, with a worldwide subscriber base expected to reach one of every three people on the planet (some 2.6 billion individuals) by 2009.

The report also finds that sales of video game consoles bottomed out at 16.5 million units in 2005, but the sector should double in size by 2008 as new products enter the market. Despite many pundits’ predictions over many years, the computer does not seem to be dying as a standalone product: 100 million PCs were sold in 2002, and estimates indicate over 187 million will be sold in 2005. In contrast, the PDA market is rapidly ceding ground to the rise of smartphones: by 2009, Research and Markets estimates shipments will be at one third the levels seen in 2005.

“Show Me the Money! Sixty Applications to Fill Your Semiconductor Fab” is an overview aimed at investment and product development firms, offering a summary of different semiconductor applications with market and revenue forecasts across several product categories: wired networking (short haul, wired and optical networking), wireless (cell and satellite communications) long haul, broadband, voice, computer and computer-related products and consumer electronics.