MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.-Short-range wireless technology ZigBee will be a key player in the home automation market, according to market research firm West Technology Research Solutions L.L.C. (WTRS). Annual shipments of ZigBee chipsets could exceed 339 million units by 2008 in the home automation segment alone, the research firm estimates.
“In the not-too-distant future, it will be common to find as many as 100 ZigBee chips around the house,” said Kirsten West, one of the principals of WTRS. “These will be found in light switches, fire and smoke detectors, thermostats, appliances in the kitchen, video and audio remote controls, landscaping and security systems. The same principles and models apply to networks in industrial, building automation and medical markets.”
Companies likely to play in the space, including Agere Systems, AMI Semiconductor, Invensys, Mitsubishi Electronic Industrial, Motorola, and Philips Semiconductors, are profiled in WTRS’ report.
