Meanwhile......

Apparently, In-Stat corroborates IDATE's numbers (can YOU say conspiracy theory?) by tagging APAC's WiMAX value at $2B in 2009 and 45% of the world WiMAX market. So let me get this straight....each and every one of the 4 million users in 2009 will spend an average of $500 on WiMAX in 2009?

Hmmmm.......

Hype-R-bolic WiMAX

IDATE has released a new report suggesting WiMAX revenues will exceed $3.5B in 2010. They also suggest WiMAX will represent 4% of broadband wireless revenues at the end of the decade, making wireless broadband is a $100B business in 2010 (which I find to be the more exciting and probably, more accurate number).

I remain perplexed at those that continue to suggest that WiMAX is the next WiFi. It cannot be simply due to its longer range. And, while we're at it, end users are going to have to share the available bandwidth, just like you share cellular basestations with every other Joe with a cellphone. Sometimes, your call gets dropped (or you can't get on in the first place).

At $3700 for this report, I think I've found where all the money is to be made in WiMAX. Excuse me while I write myself a WiMAX success story...........

Whose USB?

Cypress announced their next generation WirelessUSB™ device today. The new device does a lot of things right (IMO, of course), especially offering ease of use (with their KISSBind feature), reasonable datarates (up to 1Mb/s), and distance (up to 50m, presumably NOT while at maximum datarate), but most of all, in PRICE ($1.20 quoted at high volumes early next year!)

Meanwhile, the REST of the world is working on Wireless USB a la Intel and the WirelessUSB Forum. THIS Wireless USB version uses OFDM and has datarates up to 480Mb/s at short range.

Frankly, I can't think of many uses for the latter, but the former certainly could give Bluetooth and Zigbee a run for the money in many applications that consumers will actually pay for. Maybe Cypress' trademark counsel has run amok (WirelessUSB, AutoRate Receiver, KISSBind, and TouchWake are all Cypress trademarks), but their marketers and engineers are certainly focusing.

Which Wireless USB will win in the long run? If I knew for sure, I'd be a rich man indeed, but my bet is on the part that solves customer's problems economically and easily and the one that's available TODAY!

Then again, that's just me.......

INTEL-igent RF

Intel has announced that it has purchased Zarlink's RF business for $60M. This is just the most recent in a continuous stream of investments by the computing giant and worlds largest semiconductor company into communications companies.

Intel has bought numerous communications companies in the past, including their initial investment in Level One, followed by purchases of Giga, Mobilian, Xircom, DSP Communications, VTG, Ziatech, Lightlogic, nSerial, Cognet and others. Intel Capital may be the major investor in this sector!

Interestingly enough, Intel bought Zarlink's RF products for roughly 1x sales ($60M for $53M in revenue), indicating either a motivated seller and/or small profit margins. Zarlink, in turn, purchased a large portion of their RF business from GEC Plessey. Is this just the newest high-tech version of musical chairs.

It's clear that Intel is thinking "out of the box" and has been for some time. Is it just a matter of time before every cellphone has a sticker saying Intel Inside?