The 2006 Fast I/O Interface study discusses trends and emerging market opportunities for fast interface devices including Ethernet ICs, Modems, and UARTs. Collectively, fast I/O interface devices support data transmission to and from processors and other devices, and they can be found throughout all major end markets.
The Ethernet IC market is healthy, as many customers are currently involved with networking infrastructure upgrades, having waited through the worst of budget constraints. Demand is especially high in the Asia Pacific region, due to increasing demand for service, as technological advancements and greater production require more resources. Ethernet IC revenue constitutes the majority share of the over $2 billion fast I/O interface market with 67 percent, or $1.3 billion.
The modem market for dial-up access is still growing. Not at the expense of broadband, but due to new application markets such as set-top-boxes, game consoles, POS terminals, and other handheld consumer electronics. Modems constitute 28 percent of the fast I/O interface market with an estimated $569 million in revenue for 2005.
UARTs, are other chip-to-chip connectivity devices that have been around for quite some time, but the market has recently picked up steam as connectivity in electronic devices proliferates throughout the industrial and communications spaces. UART revenue for 2005 was estimated at $111 million, and Databeans estimates a compound annual growth rate of 9 percent over the next five years. Major UART suppliers include Exar, Philips Semiconductors, and Texas Instruments.
Other significant findings available in this report include:
- Growth rates and revenue forecasts for fast I/O interface devices by region
- Growth rates and revenue forecasts for Ethernet ICs, Modem ICs, and UARTs
- Market estimates for PHYs, MAC, and Integrated Ethernet devices
- UART estimates for products by channel density
- Consumption by application market for all devices
- Supplier Market Share analysis for all devices and by region
