OYSTER BAY, N.Y.-A move toward a software-driven architecture model coupled with surging subscriber demand have pushed the wireless infrastructure sector back into the black, according to a new report from ABI Research.
Prior to the increasing shift from hardware-only wireless base stations to software-configurable stations, many analysts had predicted a flat market for wireless infrastructure, ABI said. But that trend and the growing demand for service-particularly in Asia-have led to the rapid expansion of EDGE and the continued growth of GSM and UMTS technologies.
“Because companies such as Nokia, Ericsson and Alcatel now see greater profit in network deployment, management and service activities than they do in hardware, they are anxious to assemble the best possible teams of software designers and field technical personnel,” said Ray Jodoin, principal analyst of ABI’s wireless infrastructure research. “Ericsson is noteworthy for a spate of recent acquisitions, purchasing a number of software firms to round out their portfolio of skills in this area.”
