Report: WLAN infrastructure sales sputter as 802.11ac takes hold
Aruba Networks, Cisco Systems and Meru Networks lead enterprise shipments of 802.11ac access points in the first quarter of 2014, reports Dell'Oro Group.
A recently published report by networking and telecommunications industry analyst Dell’Oro Group reveals that the wireless LAN (WLAN) market grew six percent in the first quarter 2014 versus the year-ago period.
“We expect that as the 802.11n, 3G offload and smartphone and tablet-driven cycles that drove growth in previous years fade, new drivers will emerge such as 802.11ac, the Internet of Things (IoT) and new service provider initiatives,” explains Chris DePuy, vice president of wireless LAN research at Dell’Oro Group.
Related: Analyst says WLAN growth stalling in 802.11ac transition
“While 802.11ac-based devices are experiencing significant growth, these represent too small a percent of total units to drive the industry faster than in prior quarters,” he adds.
In the first quarter 2014, the top three vendors in the report's combined Enterprise-Class and Outdoor Mesh Nodes category were Cisco Systems, Aruba Networks and Ruckus Wireless.
“The expectation that so-called ‘wave 2’ 802.11ac radio systems will ship next year, with added features and throughput versus systems currently shipping, is likely influencing purchasing trends on campus Ethernet switch networks as well as in wireless,” concludes Dell'Oro's DePuy.
Learn more about the report.
See also: Analyzing the network impact of 802.11ac Wi-Fi
