SAN equipment to take leap: Driven by ongoing adoption by enterprises of fiber channel adapters, Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) converged network adapters, and FCoE-capable switches, an Infonetics Research report said that the storage area network (SAN) equipment market is set to grow 50 percent this year. Sam Barnett, directing analyst for data center and cloud at Infonetics, said they "expect eye-popping growth in the nascent 16G Fiber Channel host bus adapters segment." In Q4 2011, global sales of SAN switches and adapters rose 12.5 percent to $1.3 billion, while FCoE-capable switch revenue grew 24 percent. By 2016, the report forecasts, the overall SAN switch and adapter market will grow to just under $10 billion. Release
Online video drives home network adoption: As more consumers add online video to their living room lineup, it's likely they are setting up a home network to support those services. A TDG report said that eight in ten U.S. broadband-enabled households now use a home network. What's interesting about the findings is that the living room has become the spot where consumers are placing the home network router. TDG said that 40 percent of home network routers are now located in the living room, more than twice the number found in home offices. "The migration of home network hardware from the 'home office' to the primary living space offers both functional and figurative insight," notes Michael Greeson, TDG founding partner and director of research. "TDG noted in 2005 that, driven by the incessant desire to optimize their entertainment experiences, consumers would progressively place their network access point adjacent to key net-enabled video entertainment platforms such as game consoles, disc players, and DVRs." Release
Wireless-enabled devices gain presence: As more consumers look to simplify their living room entertainment experience, they are increasingly replacing the nest of wires with wireless-based consumer electronic devices. In-Stat said in its latest report, "Wireless HD Video Technologies: WHDI, WirelessHD, and WiGig Try to Create a Market" that three primary technologies will have a role in the consumer's living room: wireless home digital interface (WHDI), WirelessHD, and Wireless Gigabit (WiGig). However, it believes that WiGig/802.11ad will have the most long-term success. Brian O'Rourke, research director at In-Stat, said that while WHDI and WirelessHD are readily available, WiGig/802.11ad has a greater advantage because it has the backing of both the IEEE and various CE and silicon vendors. "Its advantages include the fact that it is slated to become the 60 GHz WLAN specification-IEEE 802.11ad--and three chip vendors will be coming to market in the next year with WiGig/802.11ad silicon," he said. "In addition, the WiGig Alliance includes in its membership multiple WLAN silicon vendors and a diverse assortment of major technology companies including Intel, Microsoft, Panasonic, Samsung, Nokia, and Broadcom." Release