Final MRD_wifi Enabled Appliances

7/25/2019 Final MRD_wifi Enabled Appliances

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Z R E Y A S T E C H N O L O G Y I N C

M a r y l a n d C e n t e r f o r

E n t r e p r e n e u r s h i p ( M C E ) :

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9 2 5 0 B e n d i x R o a d N o r t h

C o l u m b i a , M D 2 1 0 4 5

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[ T y p e t h e f a x n u m b e r ]

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This study deals with the present scenario of Wi-Fi usage and the

transition that has taken place in the field of home automations. The

study also makes an attempt to analyze the scope of Wi-fi enabled

appliances and how Wi-fi enabled Switches can help in controlling

the house hold appliances. We have tried to suggest various

marketing strategies to gain a decent amount of market share from

the competitors by proper positioning & offering a value proposition

to its end users.

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MRD For Wi-Fi Enabled Appliances Zreyas Technology Inc. Page 2

Executive Summary

In todays world, the use of internet is absolutely indispensable. With the indispensability of internet formultifarious purposes related to work as well as home, the popularity of Wi-Fi has also grown manifold in thelast decade.

Initially the Wi-Fi services were used for access to the internet and the concept of such Wi-Fi access hadpopularized from its accessibility in places like airports, malls, cafes etc. However, the application of Wi-Fi hasgrown from mere access to the internet to home automation devices and found its place not only in publichotspots but also in peoples homes. For our report, we are mainly interested in the Wi-Fi enabled homeappliances & how Wi-Fi enabled switches can play a significant role in home automation control.

Once the Wi-Fi enabled devices which were seen as high end products only to be used by affluent householdsare now seen in a very different light. Such devices, now, are seen as appliances to make ones life moreconvenient without too much of a pocket pinch. This change in peoples perception has opened up avenues formanufacturers of such Wi-Fi enabled appliances.

Wi-Fi enabled appliances like door locks, lighting control, alarm systems are establishing themselves firmly interms of popularity as far as home automation products are concerned. As for certification, the Wi-Fi Alliancecertification is the most widely accepted. However, that does not in any way suggest that the appliances whichdo not bear the Wi-Fi Alliance logo are not trustworthy or recommendable.

Surveys captured in the report have shown steady rise in the launch of the number of Wi-Fi enabled products aswell as in the volume of mobile data traffic over the last decade. The projected figures of the same are also quiteencouraging.

The global Wi-Fi market revenue is forecasted to reach $93.23 billion in 2018 from $40.13 billion in 2013, at anestimated CAGR of 15.08% during this period. This global Wi-Fi market is forecasted by closely watching themarket trends and analyzing market drivers and restraints and their potential effect on the market. This data canbe supported by the fact that Wi-Fi delivers the lowest cost per bit, a factor which gains significance as indoorusage increases in prevalence over outdoor use. The economics are also present in the next key development inthe industryHotspot 2.0, the mechanism that brings Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity together in one box andgives end-users a product which is more than the sum of its parts.

The number of Wi-Fi-enabled devices has already grown exponentially in the last decade or so, as has the

number of places where Wi-Fi is accessible. A recent survey found that free Wi-Fi was the most wanted

amenity among hotel guests, beating out free breakfast and free parking. Today, the number of new devices

connecting to Wi-Fi is growing far beyond the traditional PC. Smartphones, tablet computers, game consoles

and the TV are among the latest to tap into the network. Next up are home appliances like thermostats, washing

machines and refrigerators. The growth is so fast that researchers predict that there will be 5 billion Wi-Fi

connected devices worldwide by 2014.

The onslaught of new ways to use Wi-Fi calls for something thats faster and more reliable, powerful enough to

cover a broader range and robust enough to handle more devices transmitting data-heavy content, including

high-definition video.

With the interest from end consumers and operators top Wi-Fi equipment vendors like Cisco, Ruckus Wireless

Ericsson, Nokia Siemens and Alcatel-Lucent are gearing up to tap the market. Infonetics forecasts the global

carrier Wi-Fi equipment market to grow in the high double-digit percents annually at least through 2016, when

it will cross $2.0 billion. The other companies Cisco, Alca-Lu, Nokia Siemens and Ericsson have similar

plans for Indian market. Interestingly, it has been projected that Asia Pacificespecially China, Indonesia and

Indiawill be the strongest drivers of growth of Wi-Fi services and products through 2017.


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The Marketing Analysis in this report for Wi-Fi enabled appliances is based on the major findings and

observations from the recent internet and Wi-Fi related surveys including those conducted by Wi-Fi Alliance,

Informa Telecom & Media among others.

Opportunity & Issue Analysis

i. Presence & Performance of Wi-Fi networks & Wi-Fi Enabled appliances

Wi-Fi has firmly established itself as the most heavily-used wireless technology ever deployed in terms

of the volume of data traffic transmitted over networks using Wi-Fi, according to Informa Telecoms &

Media. Some of the key issues have been highlighted as below:

Any network company seeking to effi ciently and prof itably manage the follow of data traff ic

across their network should be looking to include Wi-F i as part of an holistic customer-centr ic

network strategy

The ever growing ubiquity of Wi-Fi networks combined with the integration of low-cost Wi-Fi

chipsets into a vast and mature ecosystem built of thousands of devices and the explosion ofapplications has ensured that hundreds of millions of users worldwide now make regular use of Wi-

Fi to access the Internet. This has meant that developing a Wi-Fi strategy has become an imperative

for virtually all operators globally. According to Thomas Wehmeier, principal analyst at Informa

Telecoms & Media, any network director seeking to efficiently and profitably manage the follow of

data traffic across their network should be looking to include Wi-Fi as part of a holistic customer-

centric network strategy.

I n 2010 alone, more than 1,950 device models supporti ng Wi -F i were cer ti fi ed by the Wi-F i

Alliance.

After successfully establishing

itself firmly as a must-have featurein virtually every smartphone and

an increasing number of lower-cost

mass-market feature phones, the

second wave of Wi-Fi has truly

emerged. In 2010 alone, more than

1,950 device models supporting

Wi-Fi were certified by the Wi-Fi

Alliance, including almost 250 Wi-

Fi enabled smartphones (see fig. 1).

Eight of the 10 worlds largest operators by revenue have deployed their own public Wi-F i

networks.

In total, the Wi-Fi Alliance has issued more than 9,000 product certifications. Support for Wi-Fi has

come from executives from the worlds largest operator groups. In fact, Connections to Wi -F

networks have historically been dominated by the laptops of the mobile workforce, but the rise of

smartphones means that they are set to take over as the primary device connecting to public Wi-Fi

networks. Operators around the globe are reporting that the mix of devices connecting to their public

Wi-Fi networks is changing rapidly on an almost daily basis and, according to the joint WBA/


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Informa Telecoms & Media industry survey, connections from smartphones and tablets already

account for almost 51% of the total on average.

There has always been a strong community actively supporti ng the Wi-F i ecosystem through

bodies such as the Wi reless Br oadband Al l iance

As mobile data markets developand as the penetration of smartphones, tablets and other connected

devices increases, there is widespread expectation that almost all operators will be required to enter

the Wi-Fi space in some way to remain competitive.

Operators have chosen a vari ety of different strategies to meet customer demand for Wi -F iThe choices of the operator typically dependent on the existing status of the local Wi-Fi market and

their own market position and network strategy. A large number of operators, such as Thailands

True, South Koreas SK Telekom and Chinas three operators, have chosen to invest heavily in

building out their own extensive networks, while others have preferred to purchase wholesale

capacity from existing players or build partnerships with some of the major Wi-Fi aggregators, such

as iPass or Boingo.

Wi-F i Enabled Device Shipments Exceeding 1.5 Bi ll ion in 2012

The latest report from ABI Research predicts thatthe number of Wi-Fi enabled devices shipped in2012 is expected to surpass 1.5 billion.This is due to an incredible surge in growth occurring across

the mobile handset, laptop, tablet, printer, automotive and TV markets. Overall, over 9 billion Wi-Fi

enabled devices have been shipped since 2009.

Broadcom, Qualcomm, MediaTek, Marvell, Intel, and Texas Instruments the top six leading

suppliers of Wi-Fi componentsaccounted for over 85-percent of the total market revenues in 2011,

the report said. Over the past few years, many of these suppliers have mainly relied on the

smartphone and laptop markets to drive revenue, but the connected TV market is expected to drive

sales even further going forward.

Wi-F i investments are extremely varied

In the era of explosive mobile data

traffic growth (see fig. 2), data

offloading has rightly been positioned

at the very front and center of industry

thinking, but the business models that

have driven and continue to drive

Wi-Fi investments are extremely

varied (see fig. 3).

In the UK, one of the worlds most

advanced markets for Wi-Fi,

investments are being underpinned by

a range of divergent business models:

BT, the UKs fixed incumbent, is using Wi-Fi as a means to differentiate and add value to itsfixed broadband offerings
http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121011006017/en/Wi-Fi-Enabled-Device-Shipments-Exceed-1.5-Billionhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121011006017/en/Wi-Fi-Enabled-Device-Shipments-Exceed-1.5-Billionhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121011006017/en/Wi-Fi-Enabled-Device-Shipments-Exceed-1.5-Billionhttp://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20121011006017/en/Wi-Fi-Enabled-Device-Shipments-Exceed-1.5-Billion


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Telefonica is using Wi-Fi tobuild a location-based servicesstrategy

BSkyB has acquired The Cloudand moved to build amultiscreen content-deliverystrategy for its core Satellite TV

business that relies on itsextensive public Wi-Fi assets.

The upshot of this widespread

interest in Wi-F i i s that the number

of publi c Hotspots is set to

proli ferate, growing from 0.8 mil li on

at the end of 2010 to 5.8 mil li on by

the end of 2015, according toInforma Telecoms & Media (see fig.

4). This research does not include the4.5 million community Wi-Fi publichotspots provided through FON andits successful partnerships withleading operators, such as BT, SFRSoftbank and MTS.

Much of the growth i n the number of Wi -F i hotspots wil l come fr om emerging markets such as

China, I ndia and Brazil where some of the lar gest-ever mass deployments of publ ic Wi -F i are being

undertaken by incumbent and new entrants to the market.

The worlds largest mobile operator, China Mobile, is planning to deploy a total of one million Wi-FiHotspots throughout China. This spread of public Wi-Fi networks will be a truly global phenomenonand operators in all regions and all types of markets have declared their intention to move into Wi-FiRecent announcements of new rollouts span markets as diverse as Romania, Namibia and Qatar.

Wi-F i i s increasingly moving beyond the traditional pr ime locations to the next generation of

Hotspot locations

The expansion of public Hotspots is not only being led by the land grab for key venues, such ashotels, stadia and airports, being witnessed in new markets, but also by the increasing density of Wi-

Fi networks in established markets. Wi-Fi is increasingly moving beyond the traditional primelocations to the next generation of Hotspot locations, such as retail outlets, local- and wide-areaoutdoor Hotzones, as merchants and Wi-Fi network operators alike begin to understand the variety ofprofitable business models that can be underpinned by deployment of Wi-Fi.

Hundreds of mil li ons of Wi-F i enabled households and off ices are expected to emerge in the

coming years

Whats happening in the public Wi-Fi market is being matched equally by continued penetration ofWi-Fi into private households and businesses. Hundreds of millions of Wi-Fi enabled households and


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offices are expected to emerge in thecoming years, according to InformaTelecoms & Medias forecasts (see

fig. 5).

Although the Wi-Fi experience hasimproved with the deployment of802.11n and the implementation ofauthentication based on 802.1x, thereis unquestionably still much to bedone to grow the adoption and usagefurther and to build a first-class userexperience. Challenges that must stillbe overcome include simplifying theauthentication and sign-on process,establishing a truly global roamingfootprint and addressing concernsaround security and privacy.

Vendor, operators and Wi -F i i ndustry bodies, such as the Wireless Br oadband Al li ance and the Wi-FAlliance, are responding to changing demands from end users to develop new standards and

frameworks to fur ther enhance the Wi -F i user exper ience in terms of authentication, speed, capacity

secur i ty and user experience

Just as fixed and cellular technologies are not standing still, the common standards that underpin Wi-Ftechnology are evolving in parallel, with sometimes interweaving paths. Both operators and users havecome to rely on Wi-Fi, so it has been compelled to grow smarter. Carrier-grade Wi-Fi with telecoms-grade reliability has become almost a must. The focus today is on simplifying the Wi-Fi user experienceand aligning it as closely as possible with the mobile experience in terms of connection management,authentication and sign-on, charging and billing, andimportantlysecurity and privacy.

Despite the global carr ier router and switch industry loss of 4 percent in 2012, experts in technology

feel 2013 wil l br ing positi ve changes.

In fact, world industry leaders located in countries outside of the USA are already posting gains andcautiously expanding into the next generation of cloud technology. This existing growth leads toanalysts like Michael Howard, co-founder of Infonetics, to foresee large investments in next generationnetwork investments and this years initial increase in business investment seems to corroborate thisestimated growth projection

These Projections are based on the following statistics:o Growth in all world regions except for the US. But even the Americans rallied by the

fourth quarter of last year.o While the US was down in 2012, it is up nearly 13 percent now, which is the highest year

gain of any region.o Leading manufacturers of router and switch products remain strong with Cisco leading

the pack, Huawei coming in second, Alcatel-Lucent coming in third, and Juniper infourth.

o Analysts suggest that last years loss is relatively insignificant, as it could have been

worse. Gains from operations in Europe, China and Latin American sustained the overallmarket and final quarter of 2012.


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o The increased US prosperity offers a positive outlook and a forecast of increased sales forthe year.

o Sales activity is also positive for the Middle East and Latin America, and although thisgrowth seems slower in Europe and Africa, system administrators know that at somepoint they will need to upgrade their network or risk having an obsolete anduncompetitive system.

Wi-F i enabled digital shade that instantl y switches windows from opaque to clear in less than a

second.

SONTE Film is the first ever Wi-Fi enabled digital shade that instantly switches windows fromopaque to clear in less than a second. The film pairs with a free smartphone app that allows users toturn SONTE Film on for see-through windows and off for opaque windows. Users can also usethe app to control a rooms privacy and transparency setting. The customizable digital shade is easy

to install and affordable, and doubles as a projection screen.

Support for SIM -based authentication is expected to prol if erate with the strong support of the

operator community.

Although authentication methods have improved in the latest Wi-Fi-enabled devices, evidencesuggests that additional simplification and automation is needed to drive adoption of public Wi-Fiusage outside the home. O2 UK has reported that only 20% of the potential base of users currentlyaccess free public Hotspots provided by its partners. This is despite the fact that O2 has a customerbase that is tech-savvy and has been bundling Wi-Fi for free in smartphone tariffs since June 2008The UK has dense public Wi-Fi and Wi-Fi awareness is very high precisely the conditions onewould expect to drive leading levels of public Wi-Fi usage.

As a result, support for SIM-based authentication is expected to proliferate with the strong support ofthe operator community. Standards such as EAP-SIM and EAP-AKA are set to be included in agreater variety of smartphones and tablets and as more OEMs include Wi-Fi in their devices.

I n spite of the spread of sponsored Hotspots that of fer access for f ree on a national basis to the

end user , users wil l continue to show wil li ngness to pay for Wi-F i where no alternative form of

connectivi ty exi sts or where Wi-F i is perceived as the best available form of connectivi ty.

The willingness to pay and the amount paid is likely will be proportional to the perceived quality ofthe network performance on offer, as well as perceptions of usability, security and privacy, and willalso be focused on obtaining access in key venues with high traffic demand, such as airports, hotelsand urban Hotzones.

The Wi-F i Al li ance announced the cer tif ication program f or 802.11ac Wi-F i (also known as 5G

Wi-Fi).

Mobile devices, tablets, laptops, networking gear and other hardware will be available in the last half

of 2013 with a Wi-Fi Certified label, ensuring that the devices have been tested to interoperate with

other 802.11ac products and older Wi-Fi products.

"The certification program ensures that users can purchase the latest device and not worry if it will

work with a device of two years or even 10 years ago," said Kevin Robinson, senior marketing

manager for the Wi-Fi Alliance in an interview.


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The faster Wi-Fi allows two-to-three times faster speeds than existing 802.11n technology, Robinson

said. It will enhance the speed of movie downloads and other user needs in a home or work place.

The Wi -F i i ndustry has come together to develop better standards to meet user expectations.

The need to meet these user expectations will be a strong driver towards additional investment intoWi-Fi networks and a move towards Next Generation Hotspot deployments based on common

standards. The good news is that the industry has come together to develop these standards. The Wi-Fi Alliance developed the Hotspot 2.0 specification that is being used to certify products, and theWireless Broadband Alliance is using Hotspot 2.0 certified products to run its Next GenerationHotspot trials to demonstrate interoperability between operators, roaming partners, and CPE anddevice vendors. The results of the trials will be published to the Wi-Fi Alliance and the GSMA tocontinue to inform and improve standards and specifications.

The combined effort of the Wi-Fi ecosystem to build the next generation of Hotspots and a variety ofnew business models that exploit the enhanced capabilities of Wi-Fi networks and devices willensure that Wi-Fi continues to dominate as the most important wireless technology

ii. Wi-Fi Product Certification

The I EEE does not test equipment for compliance with their standards. Thenon-profit Wi-Fi

Al li ance was formed in 1999 to fi ll this void

To establish and enforce standards for interoperability andbackward compatibility, and to

promotewireless local-area-network technology. Wi-Fi Alliance is atrade association that promotes

Wi-Fi technology and certifies Wi-Fi products if they conform to certain standards

ofinteroperability.

Not every IEEE 802.11-compli ant device is submi tted for cer tif ication to the Wi -F i All iance,sometimes because of costs associated wi th the cer ti f icati on process.

The lack of the Wi-F i logo does not necessari ly imply a device is incompatible with Wi-F i devices.

The Wi-Fi Alliance owns the Wi-Fitrademark.Manufacturers may use the trademark to brand certified

products that have been tested for interoperability.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-profithttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_compatibilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirelesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_associationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trademarkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interoperabilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trade_associationhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wirelesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Backward_compatibilityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non-profit


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As of 2010, the Wi-F i A ll iance consisted of more than 375 companies fr om around the wor ld.

The Wi-Fi Alliance enforces the use of the Wi-Fi brand to technologies based on the IEEE

802.11 standards from theInstitute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers. This includeswireless

local area network (WLAN) connections, device to device connectivity (such as Wi-Fi Peer to Peer

aka Wi-Fi Direct),Personal area network (PAN),local area network (LAN) and even some

limitedwide area network (WAN) connections.

Manuf acturers with membership in the Wi-F i All iance, whose products pass the certi fi cation

process, gain the right to mark those products with the Wi-F i l ogo.

Specifically, the certification process requires conformance to the IEEE 802.11 radio standards,

the WPA and WPA2 security standards, and theEAP authentication standard. Certification may

optionally include tests of IEEE 802.11 draft standards, interaction with cellular-phone technology in

converged devices, and features relating to security set-up, multimedia, and power-saving.

Not every Wi-Fi device is submitted for certification. The lack of Wi-Fi certification does not

necessarily imply that a device is incompatible with other Wi-Fi devices. If it is compliant or partly

compatible, the Wi-Fi Alliance may not object to its description as a Wi-Fi device though technically

only certified devices are approved.

Derivative terms, such asSuper Wi-F i, coined by the US Federal Communications

Commission (FCC) to describe proposed networking in the UH F TV band in the US, may or may

not be sanctioned.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is an independent agency of the United States

government, created byCongressional statute and with the majority of its commissioners appointed

by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition

the spectrum, themedia,public safety and homeland security.

The FCC regulates broadcast stations amateur radio operators, and repeater stations as welas commercial broadcasting operators who operate and repair certain radiotelephone

television, radar, andMorse code radio stations. In recent years it has also licensed people who

maintain or operate GMDSS stations. Broadcast licenses are to be renewed if the station meets the

"public interest, convenience, or necessity"

Wi-F i CERTI F I ED is a program for testing products to the 802.11 industry standards for

in teroperabil ity, secur ity, easy install ation, and reliabili ty.

The Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo is an assurance that the Wi-Fi Alliance has tested a product in

numerous configurations and with a diverse sampling of other devices to ensure compatibility withother Wi-Fi CERTIFIED equipment that operates in the same frequency band. The Wi-Fi Alliance

network of independent test labs conducts interoperability testing programs to ensure that wireless

devices work together and support secure connections.

Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices carry the Wi-Fi CERTIFIED logo and are available through major

electronics retailers. Choosing Wi-Fi CERTIFIED products allows one to mix and match devices

from different manufacturers, makes setting up onesnetwork quick and easy, and lets one choose

the latest and greatest features and applications.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_LANhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_LANhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Accesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Authentication_Protocolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_(communication)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morse_codehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amateur_radiohttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Media_(communication)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congresshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Super_Wi-Fihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extensible_Authentication_Protocolhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wi-Fi_Protected_Accesshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wide_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Local_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Personal_area_networkhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_LANhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_LANhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Institute_of_Electrical_and_Electronics_Engineershttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11


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Wi-F i CERTI F IED products have to demonstrate that they can perform well in networks with

other Wi-F i CERTI F IED products, runni ng common appli cations, in situations simi lar to those

encountered in everyday use.

A focus on user experience has shaped the overall approach of the Wi-Fi Alliance certification

program: This pragmatic approach stems from three tenets, around which certification is centered:

Interoperability is the primary target of certification. Rigorous test cases are used to ensure that

products from different equipment vendors can interoperate in a wide variety of configurations.

Backward compatibility has to be preserved to allow for new equipment to work with existing

gear. Backward compatibility protects investments in legacy Wi-Fi products and enables users to

gradually upgrade and expand their networks.

Innovation is supported through the introduction of new certification programs as the latest

technology and specifications come into the marketplace. These certification programs may be

mandatory (e.g.WPA2) or optional (e.g.WMM). Equipment vendor differentiation and

inventiveness are preserved in areas that are not covered by certification testing.

The Wi-F i Al li ance certi fi cation process includes three types of tests to ensure interoperabil ity.

Wi-F i CERTI F IED products are tested for :

Compatibility:Certified equipment has been tested for connectivity with other certified

equipment. Compatibility testing has always been, and still is, the predominant

component of interoperability testing, and it is the element that most people associate

with "interoperability". It involves tests with multiple devices from different equipment

vendors. Compatibility testing is the program component that helps to ensure devices

purchased today will work with Wi-Fi CERTIFIED devices already owned or purchased

in the future.

Conformance: The equipment conforms to specific critical elements of

theIEEE802.11 standard.Conformance testing usually involves standalone analysis of

individual products and establishes whether the equipment responds to inputs as expected

and specified. For example, conformance testing is used to ensure that Wi-Fi equipment

protects itself and the network when the equipment detects evidence of network attacks.

Performance: The equipment meets the performance levels required to meet end-user

expectations in support of key applications. Performance tests are not designed to

measure and compare performance among products, but simply to verify that the product

meets the minimum performance requirements for a good user experience as establishedby the Wi-Fi Alliance. Specific performance tests results are not released by the Wi-F

Alliance.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPA2http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Multimedia_Extensionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEEhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformance_testinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conformance_testinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/802.11http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEEhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wireless_Multimedia_Extensionshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WPA2


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Wi-Fi CERTIFI ED Wi-Fi Direct

o Wi-Fi CERTIFIED Wi-Fi Direct is a certification mark for devices supporting a game-changingnew technology enabling Wi-Fi devices to connect directly, making it simple and convenient todo things like print, share, synch and display. Products bearing the Wi-Fi Direct certificationmark can connect to one another without joining a traditional home, office or hotspot network.

o Mobile phones, cameras, printers, PCs, and gaming devices can now connect to each otherdirectly to transfer content and share applications quickly and easily. Devices can make a one-to-one connection, or a group of several devices can connect simultaneously.

o Connecting Wi-Fi Direct-certified devices is easy and simple, in many cases only requiring thepush of a button. Moreover, all Wi-Fi Direct connections are protected by WPA2 the latest Wi-Fsecurity technology. With Wi-Fi Direct, one does not need an access point or internet connectiononespersonal Wi-Fi network goes with you wherever you go.

iii. Wi-Fi in Automation

MobElectronic and electricalequipment in the home orcommercial buildings havelargely been discrete andindependent systems controland management of lighting,temperature, access as well asvarious alarms have been carried

out by separate controlmechanisms. The field ofdomotics deals with theautomation of these systems andrecently has been receivingincreasing attention:

HVAC control is used to manage temperature and humidity in various parts of a building atvarious times through, for example, a thermostat accessible over the Internet

Lighting control systems automatically turn on or off lights in a room, or control brightness andcolor to create various ambiences

The operation of appliances such as washers, dryers, and sprinklers can be controlled to takeadvantage of variations in the cost of utilities

Data read from sensors monitoring for gas leaks, breakage of glass, intrusion, movement, andsmoke can be used to quickly meet required safety measures while raising an appropriate level ofalarm.


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Overall, domotics provides not only greater degrees of comfort and safety but also savings in energycost. Core to domotics is connectivity, which has evolved to encompass various different methods.

Today, the most prevalent are mostly hard-wired with proprietary signaling, including dedicated cablescarrying discrete digital data, standardized RS-232 or RS-422 serial cable, Ethernet, and powerlineEmerging wireless methods include Wi-Fi, Zigbee, and Bluetooth.

Connectivity in Automation

The installation of a means of connectivity is only part of the solution to the problem of automationThe profusion of devices and appliances in the home has resulted in a large number of individualremote control units that are hand-held, wall-mounted, free of user intervention, or linked to otherappliances. The greater goal of universal automation is the ability to control devices from a commonunit. This is not just a centralized controller but rather the ability to control the system from amultitude of devices, as shown in Figure 1.For example, a smartphone may run applications that control lighting and heating while displayingany security alerts. A TV remote may be used to turn on sprinklers. The home computer may be thenodal point for the collection and display of energy consumption information.

For all this to be possible, a measure of standardization is required in many tasks related toconnectivity. For example, while individual data formats that are used by an appliance maybe different from those used by other appliances, it is desirable that the method oftransferring that data across a network be commonly implemented.

One of the most prevalent means of providing for a common data transport method isthrough the use of the IP protocol. IP is natively available on networks based on manyphysical mechanismsEthernet, DSL, wireless, and optical fiber.

The connection-less, packet-switching nature of the TCP/IP protocol makes it ideal for use inheterogeneous networks spanning multiple hops from source to destination. TCP/IP basedtransport is the basis of emerging home networks that service high speed data transfer needslike file transfers, video streaming, and wireless audio as well as low-speed data forapplications such as sensor monitoring and control.


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These networks are comprised of individual segments of multiple types, including powerline(HomePlug), Ethernet, coaxial(MoCA), and wireless (Wi-Fi). Along with meeting the needs of datanetworking, these networks will also provide the backbone for automation traffic, resulting in a near-universal network. The increasing number of controllable devices in homes and the adoption of smartenergy have in part been fuelling the rapid growth of home automation.

Wi-Fi Remote Control turns a Wi-Fi enabled mobile phone or tablet into a universal PC remotecontrol. Android, Blackberry, Java and Windows Phone 8 mobile phones or tablets are usually

compatible with the Remote Control.

iv. Different types of Wi-Fi enabled appliances

1) Door Locks

Lockitron is a keyless lock which can be unlocked using a Smartphones Wi-Fi, Bluetooth or NFC

capabilities. It doesnt replace the conventional lock, but fits over the existing one on the inside of

the door while retaining the smartphone communication.

The product is expected to ship

in March 2013. It is priced at

$149 on pre-order. A mobile

website / cloud backend ensures

that any smartphone can control

the unit, and it actually doesn't

need to be connected to the

local Wi-Fi network. The

consumer doesnt really need to

be tied down to an iOS orAndroid device. Even older

phones can access the unit using

text messages. Importantly, the unit is based on the Atmel ATMega microcontroller, which is

compatible with Arduino. Simple API endpoints are available, and users can also decide to program

the unit themselves.

The LockState Connect LS-DB500i Wi-Fi deadbolt lock is another device slated to appear in the

market soon. The company has avideo of the unit in operation. Even though the device uses Wi-Fi

it seems to require only 4 AA batteries to operate (like other ZigBee / Z-Wave based devices)

Battery life comparison will be quite interesting.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzQLQ4uk1_khttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uzQLQ4uk1_k


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2)Lighting Control

Simple control of

lighting equipment can

be achieved through

Wi-Fi power switches.

However, some

applications require

dimming / brightness

adjustment capabilities.

National Control

Devices offers aWi-Fi

light dimmer which

provides up to 255

different brightness

levels controllable over a Wi-Fi connection. However, with a total cost of around $380, it is targetedmore towards industrial users rather than home automation. The ZigBee version costs around $320

Wi-Fi may not appear to be cost effective right now, but this doesnt consider the external ZigBee

router / controller needed for operation.

LIFX is one of the recent Kick starter hits. The product is a Wi-Fi enabled LED light bulb. An

interesting aspect to note is that only the master light bulb is Wi-Fi enabled to connect to the wireless

network. The other bulbs communicate with each other and the master light bulb itself using a

ZigBee 802.15.4 mesh network (which consumes much less power compared to Wi-Fi right now).

However, the unit is quite costly, coming in at $69. As this market area garners more manufacturer

interest, pricing will become better.

3)Alarms / Remote Monitori ng with Wi -F i : I P Cameras with M otion Detection

This is one of the classic use cases where

Wi-Fi based home automation trumps

any other low power alternative. Over

the last few years, we have seen a

number of Wi-Fi enabled IP camerasmeant for surveillance purposes. At

AnandTech, we have even reviewed

some of them such as the DropcamEcho,

Compro IP70 andIP540. Technology

advancements have reached a point

where even 720p HD is available in IP

cameras such as the Dropcam HD. Ease

of use and control over Wi-Fi are some
http://www.controlanything.com/Relay/Device/P02C1-200HS_WIFI&Category_Code=DIMMERShttp://www.controlanything.com/Relay/Device/P02C1-200HS_WIFI&Category_Code=DIMMERShttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/lifx-the-light-bulb-reinventedhttp://www.anandtech.com/show/3935/compro-technologies-ip540-ptz-camerahttp://www.anandtech.com/show/3935/compro-technologies-ip540-ptz-camerahttp://www.kickstarter.com/projects/limemouse/lifx-the-light-bulb-reinventedhttp://www.controlanything.com/Relay/Device/P02C1-200HS_WIFI&Category_Code=DIMMERShttp://www.controlanything.com/Relay/Device/P02C1-200HS_WIFI&Category_Code=DIMMERS


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of the aspects that the manufacturers hope to get right in this market area. Almost all IP cameras can

be configured to provide feedback based on motion detection (without an explicit motion sensor)

Many of these devices can be controlled (Pan / Tilt / Zoom) using a computer or mobile app too.

Low power mesh networking technologies such as ZigBee and Z-Wave are simply incapable of the

bandwidth required for video streaming over IP. In this situation, Wi-Fi (or wired Ethernet) is an

option. As the control signals can easily piggy-back on the Wi-Fi / Ethernet connection, it really

makes no sense to add ZigBee or Z-Wave capabilities to IP cameras. The only reason could beintegration with an already existing home automation server, but, as we have taken effort to point

out, the whole HA industry is slowly shifting towards a Wi-Fi centric model.

4)Belk in WeMo

Power switching is a simple home automation application in which a device can be powered up or

down at the socket level remotely. Simple Wi-Fi switches such as theNetRC1 have been around

sinceearly 2010.One of the first mainstream companies to enter into this space was Belkin. In this

section, we will take a look at two interesting Wi-Fi based power switches, the Belkin WeMo kitsand Visible Energys offerings.

BelkinsWeMo lineup consists of two offerings, the plain WeMo Wi-Fi controlled switch ($50) and

the WeMo switch combined with a motion sensor ($100). Currently, only an iOS app is available for

controlling the switch.

A web-service calledIf This Then Thatworks with these switches and allows bidirectional reaction

to events. For example, a event triggering the motion sensor on a particular unit could be used to

generate an email message. Similarly, an event happening on a website (say, a weather channel

website indicating that the sun has set at a particular location) can trigger a particular switch on.
http://www.mynetrc.com/https://twitter.com/MyNetRC/status/11372005511http://www.ifttt.com/http://www.ifttt.com/http://www.ifttt.com/http://www.ifttt.com/https://twitter.com/MyNetRC/status/11372005511http://www.mynetrc.com/


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Currently, the device seems to be recommendable only to consumers in the Apple ecosystem

because of the absence of an Android app. It is not clear whether the unit is accessible from a

browser on the local network in the case that there is no access to the Internet and an iOS device is

not available. Similar to the walled garden being created by Nest, Belkin also refuses to document

the APIs officially. However, this has not prevented the communication methods fromgetting

exposed.The concerns that I voiced in the earlier section regarding Nest warrant a repetition here

too. Belkin does plan to add more Wi-Fi enabled home automation devices such as door locks and

light bulbs to this lineup. That is a positive compared to having a dedicated app with a different UIfor the thermostat alone. In any case, home automation system adopters should try to ensure that the

components being put in have well-documented control interfaces.

Advantages of using Wi-Fi for remote control instead of Bluetooth include faster response

time and greater range.Typically one will be able to remotely control ones PC from a distanceof up to 45 meters indoors.

The Belkin WeMo line is designed to bring Wi-Fi-connected, remote home

automation to the masses without expensive, whole home system upgrades. The

existing WeMo outlet is a little bulky, but it makes it possible to remotely power on

and off any device with a two or three-prong cord. Now, the company is debuting an

in-wall switch to make controlling your lighting from an app or the web (via IFTTT)

easier.

The WeMo Light Switch is here at CES, and we got a chance to go hands on (well,

really, single-finger on). The switch looks like a switch, and should work with

essentially any existing light switch in most modern homes. It can be managed from

the existing WeMo iOS app thats available for iPhone and iPad devices, which mean

youll be able to easily add them to your existing WeMo setup.

In practice, the WeMo was a step up and a step forward for Belkins line of homeautomation product, beating out the WeMo outlet and motion detector products in

terms of their ability to mesh into your existing home decor. And the switch also

works as a physical switch, so that you can still turn it on and off manually. But while

it looks at first glance like a rocker-type switch, meaning my first inclination was to

tap the top, only hitting the bottom will actually activate the line or turn it off.

Theoretically, it could undergo a slight design tweak between now and then to

address that minor user experience issue, and even if the design doesnt change, its

an attractive, inexpensive way to add a little remote control to a house with otherwise

legacy lighting.

Belkin also says theyre finally addressing customer requests for an Android control

app for WeMo systems, with a beta launching soon for devices like the Galaxy S III,

and a wide launch planned for sometime around summer as well.
http://www.issackelly.com/blog/2012/07/30/wemo-hacking/http://www.issackelly.com/blog/2012/07/30/wemo-hacking/http://www.issackelly.com/blog/2012/07/30/wemo-hacking/http://www.issackelly.com/blog/2012/07/30/wemo-hacking/


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5)Visibl e Energy

The search for an economical and

open Wi-Fi power switch ends

with Visible Energys UFO Power

Center and Monostrip. In addition to

the ability to power the outlets up and

down over Wi-Fi, they also provide

real time power usage feedback. Like

the WeMo, only an iOS app is

available right now. However, web

access is also provided using

the Visible Energy Web Dashboard.

The four-outlet UFO Power Center

comes in at $130, while the two-

socket Monostrip comes in at $49.Visible Energy also sells a version of

the Monostrip with temperature and

humidity sensors at $130.

The UFO power center has a strange

industrial design, while the

Monostrip is a little more

conventional in nature. While we are

looking at the two units from a Home

Automation perspective, the

company stresses the fact that the

products are more about conserving

electricity and creating a user friendly

energy management system.

The energy management goals make

it necessary for the product to have

real time power monitoring. This is a very useful feature (actually, the primary feature) present in

Visible Energys products when compared to other Wi-Fi enabled power switches. Power

consumption is calculated and refreshed every second. Energy usage is calculated 50 times a second

and the data is recorded at 5 minute intervals.

The real clincher is the availability ofextensive developer documentation for accessing the energy /

power data and controlling the units. This makes it easy for third parties to create custom interfaces

in a home automation setting.
http://portal.visiblenergy.com/index.php/page/app_description.html#webhttp://portal.visiblenergy.com/index.php/page/articles.html/_/developers/local-http-apihttp://portal.visiblenergy.com/index.php/page/articles.html/_/developers/local-http-apihttp://portal.visiblenergy.com/index.php/page/app_description.html#web


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6)Wi-F i I nternet radio

Wi-Fi Internet radio is such a wonderful device which is also called wireless music player. Internet

radio can obtain signals automatically and then play it via home Wi-Fi network. Now internet many

areas in the world and it has almost 1300 stations.

7)Wi-Fi SDIO

Through SDIO Wi-Fi move to a PDA market instead PC market. It is used to alternate PDA

capabilities into wireless enabled devices SDIO. Because of SDIO Wi-Fi has move to new era.

8)Wi-F i Antenna

Antenna is used to optimize your connection. Many business companies, industries are getting

benefits from internet access with Wi-Fi hotspot, office and homes. Antenna provides signa

strength, safety and quick access via routers, access points etc.

9)Wi-F i Access point

Access point is used to adjacent wireless network .It is just like a hub which transmitting data

between connected devices and make them a single device .Access point consent to wireless devices

to make possible conversation with other wired devices.

10)Wi-F i Analyzer

Analyzer is a de facto tool used for troubleshooting and auditing wireless network. It helps the user

by detecting threats and other bugs from network and solved them quickly .It is one and only

diagnostic tool which enable a network to test and diagnose wireless performance issues such as

throughput, connectivity, device conflict and single multipath.Wi-Fi analyzer has a full compliance

reporting engine. It collects information required by user with policy and regulation.

11)Wi-F i Analyzer Express

Wi-Fi Analyzer Express used to secure your system with the core and have ability to see devices and

detect problem automatically. Wi-Fi Analyzer Express identifies physical and generally problems

from specific devices. Troubleshooting and auditing made possible by Wi-Fi Analyzer Express. It

may perform a variety of functions such as detection, stop attacks to keep safe .It has also decoding

and filtering ability.

12)Wi-F i Clearswift

Wi-Fi clearswift always view on messaging and all other web satisfied safety. Wi-Fi clearswift

conventionally proposes dissimilar appliance depend on the solutions for each. It is an interesting

and latest product used for mail product and small web transport the two things and together them

for the purpose to entry level application.

13)Wi-Fi Air Magnet

Wi-Fi airmagnet is the industry WLAN design for development solution .Is is used to ensure best

performance. Wi-Fi air magnet also handles security and compliance. To get most accurate most

organization use Wi-Fi airmagnet survey to gather real worlds signal, most expected performance

and to get data range especially when you are doing a survey of any site. Wi-Fi airmagnet use to help

to measure performance and RF coverage in the most scientific way.
http://freewimaxinfo.com/wifi-products-types.htmlhttp://freewimaxinfo.com/wifi-products-types.html


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14)Wi-F i AUTOdoc

AUTOdoc is foremost software to generate a comprehensive report from firewall configuration files

The report created by AUTOdoc can easily printable by printer when display on screen. Autodoc

perform multiple function such as table of contents with links, handling multiple boxes, export

HTML etc.

15)Wi-F i Adapters

Adapters permit various devices to connect with cable less media to perform various type of externalor internal interconnects as PC cards, USB, PCI etc. New upcoming Laptop have internal adapters

because installation of internal card is really tough.

16)Wi-F i Gateway

Wireless routers specifically configured by Wi-Fi gateway. You can easily purchase it because it is a

low cost router. You can purchase it from any near shop. Firmware control the unit is differing from

it because firmware forces the router for connection. so when you are going to purchase a Wi-F

router not exactly purchase firmware , you are make configuration hotspot Wi-Fi

17)Wi-F i Routers

Switch and Ethernet used to join access point .Same as internal router provide DNS, NAT, and IP

application onward an incorporated Wi-Fi interface. Through these devices you can join more than

wireless connection into single WAN connection. There are different WAN devices such as modem.

DSL used for internet A Router allow these devices. Mostly access point and Router used to

configure as a central utility which is web server easy to go near wired or wireless LAN client.

18)Wi-F i Br idge

Bridge is used to attach a wired network to wireless network. it is entirely different from access point

because bridge connect two or more than two wired network to wireless network infect access point

join only same network as wired with wired and wireless with wireless.

19)Wi-F i F5 Networks

F5 was a load balancer but now offering lots of functions such as access controller, and safety to

your network. F5 Networks facilitate you with mail filtering and intelligent compression which make

possible fast downloading with lower bandwidth. It also keeps balance and management of loca

traffic.

20)Wi-F i AP manager

Wi-Fi AP manager is a great product of today which not only detect major threats, rough attack

interruption and susceptibility but also providing various functionality such as checking, systemconfiguration with mouse click, assessment to firmware and strong security . Wi-Fi AP manager also

provide report about intricacy of Wi-Fi network.

21)Wi-F i power supply

Wi-Fi power supply run your Wi-Fi system and always in a better physical condition to perform full

and complete attestation. Each unit of power supply is ready to go for drive every time.


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22)Wi-F i bar code scanner

Wi-Fi bar code scanner continues their workflow in retail and intended to read stock keeping unit

The use of bar code scanner in municipal application, industries and health care center is increasing

day by day with more benefits and items. The best quality of Wi-Fi bar code scanner is efficiency

and simplicity.

23)Wi-F i Camera

Do you want to take picture of your beautiful moments and print them then Wi-Fi Camera is yourbet suite because Wi-Fi Camera exposes the electromagnetic space. The use of Wi-Fi Camera

increasing because now all business, offices, restaurant, caf and any other small or large business

used camera for security purposes or any other almost all progressed or progressive countries.

24)Wi-F i Compact fl ash

Wi-Ficompact flash is a removable storage device. Its size is very small therefore you can easily

keep in pocket. Wi-Fi compact flash facilitate with PCMCIA_ATA usefully and companionably.

25)Wi-Fi Fi lter

Filter used for all channels of Wi-Fi. It can be used at position where other services are located. It

has the range of 2.4GHz band. Channel filter in use when other services are in process. Wi-Fi is

providing standard program for ETSI channels.

26)Wi-F i I ntrusion prevention system

An Intrusion prevention system is a security device used for a network to control network and

activities. It provides full support to unwanted behavior and blocks it in real time to prevent harmful

activities. When intrusion prevention system detects an attack it will drop the aberrant packets.

27)Wi-F i Biometri c

Biometrics contains process for exclusively be familiar with humans based upon one or more

inherent physical or behavioral individuality. Biometer is a finger print reader .There is no need have

enter PIN and it support 50times. Biometric always operate stand alone.

28)Wi-F i H andhelds and PDAs

Almost all handsets and PDAs manufactures install Wireless network card to their products. PDAs

and other mobile devices scans Wi-Fi network around, if found can connect to network for Surfing

and file sharing.

In short there are many other products available forWi-Fi such as Netapp, watch guard, proxy client

and so on .These all products which are available in market make Wi-Fi more efficient Capable,

safe, and reliable. Audio-Visual signal are for receiving & refusal of suitable and unacceptable

fingerprints.
http://freewimaxinfo.com/wifi-technology.htmlhttp://freewimaxinfo.com/wifi-technology.html


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v. Market Overview & Major Players

The global Wi -F i market revenue is forecasted to reach $93.23 bil li on in 2018 from $40.13

bil li on in 2013, at an estimated CAGR of 15.08% dur ing this per iod.

This global Wi-Fi market is forecasted by closely watching the market trends and analyzingmarket drivers and restraints and their potential effect on the market.

The need for ubiqui tous data connectivi ty has been ever growing i n the current business

world and this demand would never dimin ish in future.

Among all the new technologies and standards that are built to meet this enormous demand,Wi-Fi is the most mainstream technology to address this demand. The technology hasundergone a variety of transitions and is still growing across the globe.

The Wi-F i market also has been dr iven by the shi ft in to 5GHz and 60GHz bands enabli ng

mul tiple user conf igurations.

The massive growth in the number of Wi-Fi enabled devices such as smartphones, tablets,

laptops, game consoles and digital cameras has made the network service providers and Wi-Fi product manufacturers to continuously innovate to meet customer demands.

The global Wi-Fi market report discusses the Wi-Fi market based on implementation models such asindoor Wi-Fi, outdoor Wi-Fi and transportation Wi-Fi and their business models, globaadvancements and adoption trends. It also analyzes the market forces and its impact on the marketand forecasts the revenue in each segment for the period 2013-2018.This research report categorizes the global market for Wi-Fi by forecasting the revenues andanalyzing the trends in each of the following sub-markets:

Based on business models the Wi-Fi market is segmented into three categories which are

further classified based on deployment types.

Indoor Wi-Fi

Household

Enterprise

Commercial buildings

Outdoor Wi-Fi

Municipality networks (City-wide deployments)

Outdoor hotspots

Private networks


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Transportation Wi-Fi

Rail networks

In-Flight Wi-Fi and maritime Wi-Fi

Roadways

Based on products the Wi-Fi market is segmented into the following four categories.

Access points

Controllers

Wireless hotspot gateways

Others (Repeaters, relays)

Based on services the Wi-Fi market is segmented into four categories

Network planning and design

Installation

Support

Survey and analysis

Based on industry verticals the Wi-Fi market is segmented into seven categories.

Education

Healthcare Hospitality

Infrastructure

Logistics and transportation

Public Sector

Others

Reports suggest that wireless carriers are exploring options to offload additional

coverage and capacityto alternatives such as strategically deployed small cells and Wi-Fiaccess points, which have so far been deployed by more than 150 global wireless carriers.

Adding further to the heterogeneity are alternative deployment models such as

Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) and the emerging Cloud Radio Access Networks

(RAN) architecture which concentrates the processing of the RAN segment of a mobile

network in one or more centralized data centers.


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Driven by the thriving ecosystem, one can expect small cells and carrier Wi-Fi

deployments to account for nearly $352 Billion in mobile data service revenues by the

end of 2020, while overall spending on HetNet infrastructure is expected to reach $42

Billion annually during the same period.

This report presents an in-depth assessment of the global small cells and carrier Wi-Fi

market, together with an evaluation of the DAS and Cloud RAN technology. In addition to

covering the technology, business case, the challenges, standardization initiatives, the

industry's roadmap, value chain analysis, deployment case studies, vendor service/product

strategies and strategic recommendations.

On the first day of the Wi-Fi Global Congress, 2013 Richard Webb, Directing Analyst

at Infonetics Research spoke to delegates about some industry trends and what stakeholders

can expect from the Wi-Fi space moving forward.

The Wi-Fi market has been enjoying steady growth year on year for around the past six

yearssaid Webb, thanks in part to the fact that providers have ceased considering Wi-Fi as a

dirty word. The technology has now very much been embraced by all industry players, with

the consistently increasing number of hotspots offered lending evidence to this. The

proliferation of Wi-Fi as a hotspot service is now very real.

The market has been driven along primarily by mobile operators, thanks to the

exponential growth in data demand creating a need for them to offload network traffic

over Wi-Fi. Another likely market driver coming soon according to Webb will be the

upgrading of Wi-Fi access points to the new Wi-Fi802.11acprotocol.

The latest Infonetics predictions on the long-term growth of the sector; the analysts forecast

that Wi-Fi revenues will hit $3.9 billion in calendar year 2017 , while the number of access

points will grow to 9.9 million revenues will hit $3.9 billion in calendar year 2017, while the

number of access points will grow to 9.9 million.

More and more carriers are turning to Wi-Fi

Wi-Fi is key to one of the industry buzzwords currently cited as vital in mobile operator

business strategies; densification. Bringing blanket coverage and capacity to end-users

wherever they want it requires a blend of solutions and technologies to deliver it. As Richard

Webb, Directing Analyst atInfonetics Researchpointed out; small cells are only a part of the

solution. Wi-Fi has to be complementary element of deployments strategies.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11achttp://www.infonetics.com/http://www.infonetics.com/http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IEEE_802.11ac


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Operators are even employing the term onload now, so keen are they to get traffic onto the

network by any means necessary, to continue meeting customer expectations and delivering a

high Quality of Experience (QoE). To help them achieve this, they are increasingly

realizing the value inherent to a collaborative cellular small cells and public Wi-Fi solution.

The end-user experience runs through the core of operators Wi-Fi deployment mentality too

now. Users have become adept at searching for Wi-Fi the moment they enter a venue todaywith taking their smartphones out of their pocket and checking for a Wi-Fi network signal the

moment they enter a mall, airport, stadium or similar is now simply second nature.

The economics of offload are also important to mobile operators Wi-Fi delivers them

lowest cost per bit, a factor which gains significance as indoor usage increases in

prevalence over outdoor use.

The economics are also present in the next key development in the industry Hotspot 2.0

the mechanism that brings Wi-Fi and cellular connectivity together in one box and gives end-

users a product which is more than the sum of its parts.

The Market Leaders

Cisco continues to lead the global carrier Wi-Fi equipment market in 2012.

Cisco said its wireless revenue increased marginally to $523 million in Q3 FY 2013 from $520 million.

Cisco Chairman and CEO John Chambers said that cloud, mobility and video are coming together to

deliver the Internet of Everything.

The second largest player is Ruckus Wireless in the global carrier Wi-Fi equipment market in

2012.

Ericsson is in the third position.

Interestingly, all the three top carrier Wi-Fi equipment vendors achieved significant year-over-

year growth in the market.

Infonetics Research says carrier Wi-Fi

equipment revenue, including carrier Wi-Fi

access points and Wi-Fi hotspot controllers,

increased 53 percent worldwide in 2012 from

2011.


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The carrier Wi-Fi space is red hot right now, driven by the explosion in demand from mobile operators

using Wi-Fi to augment their 3G/4G deployments and offload a portion of mobile data traffic to

unlicensed spectrum, said Richard Webb, directing analyst for microwave and carrier Wi-Fi at

Infonetics Research.

Telecom operators are embracing Wi-Fi to offload excess data and enhance the broadband

experience for users.For the long-term success of carrier Wi-Fi, though, integration with the mobile

network is key.

Dual mode cellular/Wi-Fi access points began shipping in 2012 and are expected to undergo significant

growth as more and more mobile operators build out carrier Wi-Fi networks

Mobile operators are in the midst of a land-grab, rapidly claiming prime small cell locations by

deploying carrier Wi-Fi and then later replacing the Wi-Fi access points with dual mode 3G/Wi-Fi and

LTE/Wi-Fi small cells.

The global carr ier Wi -F i equipment market is forecast by Infonetics to top $3.9 bil li on by 2017

primari ly dri ven by mobile operators deploying carr ier Wi -F i f or data offl oad.

Entry of new players

In a May 10, 2012 note, Infonetics said it anticipates new players will enter the carrier Wi-Fi equipment

market, disrupting early market sharestandings, and, with growing demand

for Wi-Fi integrated base stations

from mobile operators, carrier Wi-Fi

market share could shift toward the

mobile infrastructure vendors

While all world regions are

experiencing robust demand forcarrier Wi-Fi, Asia Pacific

especiall y China, I ndonesia and

Indiawi ll be the strongest drivers

of growth th rough 2017.


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Carrier Wi-Fi equipment revenue, including

carrier Wi-Fi access points and Wi-Fi hotspot

controllers,jumped 53 per cent wor ldwide in

2012 from 2011, finds market research firm

Infonetics Research.

With a surge in interest from nearly the entire

mobile industry (save a few established 3G/LTE

giants) in seamless Wi-Fi offload, the time has

come for India too. In many ways India is nothing

less than the textbook case for Wi-Fi: Very high

subscriber density in the cities, a presumed pent-

up demand for data connectivity, and very little 3G spectrum to work with.

There are many case studies of successful Wi-Fi offload deployments around the world. But, the

most relevant for Indian operators is that of China Mobile China Mobile has industrialized Wi-Fi

offload with deployment of over 3.8 million hotspots. Close to 50% of all the data traffic generated

through mobile handsets is routed on Wi-Fi, thus significantly reducing the congestion on its licensed,

cellular spectrum. One of the primary reasons for wide-scale Wi-Fi deployment in China is the slow

uptake of TD-SCDMA (Chinas version of 3G) and lack of adequate TD-SCDMA devices available for

the consumers. This has significantly improved the adoption of data services by the consumers and thequality of service offered by the operator.

As far as the performance is concerned, Carrier-grade Wi-Fi is a far cry from buying a simple Wi-Fi

router from the corner electronics shop. Modern IEEE 802.11n systems support multiple bands and

can bond channels together to reach throughput rates of more than 100 Mbps per access point.

Compared to 3G at 5 MHz, this is pretty much a no-brainer. Typical carrier-grade Wi-Fi deployments

far exceed the capacity delivered by typical LTE networks and approach similar levels to LTE in end-

user data rates.


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Suggested Marketing Strategies

a. Market Scope

The market for Wi-Fi enabled switches is growing and still untapped with consumers being more

and more inclined towards Wi-Fi enabled appliances. It is majorly the big players like Belkin &

Ruckus who have ventured into the market. Under such circumstances, a Multi Market Strategy

could be adopted where the product would serve several distinct markets. This would require a

careful selection of the segments to serve and avoidance of confrontation with the companies

which are serving the entire market.

b. Market Entry

Since the entry is aimed at the tail end of the growth phase with the established leaders already

serving the market, theLaggard Entry Strategycould be adopted. The two modes of such entry

are 1. As anInitiatoror 2. As an imitator.As an initiator, the entry into the market would be by

way of an unconventional market strategy. This would require the ability to generate creative

marketing strategies and market research ability. As an imitator, the entry into the market would

be by way of a me-too product. This would require market research ability and strong

production capability.

c. Marketing Mix

Product Design & Product Positioning Strategy

It is advisable to place the brand in that part of the market where it will have a favorable

reception compared with competing brands. Right positioning is very important so that it can

stand competition from the toughest rival & maintain it by creating aura of distinctiveproducts.

Suggested Product Design

The product design strategy deals with the degree of standardization of the product. The

company can opt for standard product with modifications. Since the focus is on Wi-F


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enabled switches, keeping the focus on the product, to meet the requirements of a greater

number of consumers, slight modifications in the basic product can be suggested.

The product should be compatible with all avail able home routers :Cisco being the

leader in home routers has gone for a forward integration & come up with similar

products. So it is very likely that a customer of Cisco Home Router would obviously

go for Cisco smart switches instead of any other brands

Apart from targeting fresh customer we should come up with a lighter version so that

the existing users can be tapped. So may be we can go for a different version of a

product aimed at converting the traditional switches to smart switches

The Wi-Fi smart switch could come in two versions- a multi touch version and

another with a traditional rocker. Both versions will have a built-in motion sensor. As

most of the Wi-Fi enabled switches like Belkin WeMo are compatible with the Apple

I-phone, this product could be made compatible not only with the I-phone but also

with Android OSand other popular Operating Systems.

The product is suggested to primarily focus on the DIY crowd for home automation. It may

be suggested that even though the main focus of the product is on home automation, the

marketing of the product should not only be restricted to that. It can also be aimed at

businesses say for example at the hotel market or even schools and other businesses where

the demand for discreet but widespread Wi-Fi points is growing rapidly. There is a huge

demand for tools that can expand Wi-Fi networks while removing the issue of affecting

building infrastructures. The switches aimed at businesses would need modifications as has

been mentioned in the suggested product design. The product should be able to allow the

integration of high-speed 802.11n Wi-Fi technology with wired Ethernet ports into a wallsocket that can fit into any standard US or European Union electrical junction box.

Pricing Strategy

The suggested pricing strategy would bePenetration Pricing Strategy. The major player forWi-Fi enabled switches for home have prices fixed somewhere around $50 per unit and forthe ones with motion sensor the price ranges to around $100 per unit. In order to derive anadvantage over the existing players in the market, the switch should be priced within $30-$40per unit and the one with motion sensors within $70-$75 per unit. As for the Wi-Fi switches

meant for businesses, the major players are launching their product at somewhere around$250 per unit. Therefore, the product should be priced between $180-$200 per unit range toget an advantage over the big players.


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Distribution Strategy

The ideal distribution strategy would be to have a Multiple channel distribution model

Products should be made available to all the online portals that deals with home improvement

products (for eg : lowes.com, homedepot.com, doitbest.com, home-improvement-

superstore.com, amazon.com etc). This would help to target household consumers where as

appointing Wholesale distributors & retailers and engineered system Distributors would helpto get bulk deals. The major volumes will be dictated by the later one. Majority of the sales

volume is in the hands of the construction companies and builders. So in order to tap them

Authorized Distribution channel set up will be the driving factor to ensure sales volume.

Suggestions and recommendations

Home Automation technologies have remained out of reach of the mainstream consumers for a long time. The

high cost and custom installer requirements have restricted them to high end homes. The multitude of

technologies in this space has also been detrimental to the adoption rate. However, from the above findings it

can be concluded that the rise of smartphones and tablets has suddenly brought about a big shift in the

landscape.

Wi-Fi networks have become ubiquitous in almost every home now. Smart device manufacturers have realized

theadvantages of integrating Wi-Fi instead of ZigBee or Z-Wave in their products. Some aspects such as powerconsumption rangeand, to some extent, costs are still not optimal with Wi-Fi. However, with silicon vendors

becoming active in this market segment and work progressing well on the 802.11ah front, these will be

addressed soon.

In home automation terminology, 'scenes' refer to the linking of devices in intelligent ways based on events.

Simple device-based control using a mobile appopens the door. But, one also needs a central devicewhich

can perform the orchestration. This makes it necessary for specialized protocols to have dedicated

controllers. In a pure Wi-Fi based system, one can see this orchestration running as an app on the router.

For example, Netgear allows third-party developers to write apps for their routers using Java and post them in

the Genie marketplace. If the HA devices have open APIs and developer documentation, creation of scenes in apure Wi-Fi based system will probably not require a dedicated controller.

Millions of households are setting up wireless networks not just for PCs, but for otherWi-Fi enabled devices,

too. The ease with which users can connect household devices has been the main reason for the quick uptake of

Wi-Fi and the ease with which the lights, fans etc at home can be managed with the help of Wi-Fi enabled home

automation devices has been the primary reason for the growing demand for such products in the world.
http://e2e.ti.com/support/low_power_rf/f/851/t/159176.aspxhttp://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Wifihttp://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Wifihttp://e2e.ti.com/support/low_power_rf/f/851/t/159176.aspx


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The most important takeaway is that home automation products, particular ly Wi-F i based ones, wil l see an

uptick in adoption.

This will, in turn, fuel the development of more innovative HA devices like Wi-Fi switches. This will be a boon

for consumers who already have a HA system in place. As for the users who are starting afresh, they would

prefer not get tied down with a closed system.

Products such as Nest and BelkinWeMo may boast of excel lent i ndustr ial design and a great feature set

However, unless they open up the API s and access for thir d parties to create a common custom home

automation in terface, they can' t be recommended.

This in turn opens up market for new Wi-F i enabled appliances to be launched in the near future.

A host of Wi-Fi enabled HA products and concepts have already started capturing the attention of the

consumers. Coupled with the rapid rise in Wi-Fi based home automation, the talk of an 'Internet of Things' will

soon become a mainstream reality.

Documents

Final MRD_wifi Enabled Appliances