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The WAVE Report on Digital Media
3D --- Media Creation --- Shared Space ---Published by 4th Wave, Inc.--- Issue #0415------------------04/23/2004 |
The WAVE Report is Searchable on
http://www.3dlinks.com
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0415.2 Story of the Issue
0415.3 Motherboards
0415.4 Network
0415.5 Internet
D-Link Reveals Ethernet & Fiber to the Home High Bandwidth
Strategy
0415.6 E-Commerce
0415.7 Power Sources
Greater Awareness of Potential Damage From Voltage Fluctuations to Drive Product Uptake
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***VoIP is a Turning Point for US Telecoms, Says Analysys
Washington, DC
April 22, 2004
The rapid growth of voice over IP (VoIP) services in the USA represents a turning point in the development of the US telecoms market, according to a new report, VoIP in the US Market: services, business models and regulation, from Analysys Research, the global advisers on telecoms, IT and media (http://www.analysys.com).
"VoIP will have a fundamental impact on all aspects of US telecoms because it causes fragmentation of supply and services offered," says Michael Kende, co-author of the report and a principal consultant within Analysys' Washington DC office. "The US voice market will finally lose its monolithic character but VoIP is unlikely to replace traditional PSTN voice during this decade."
According to Analysys forecasts, by 2008, VoIP penetration is expected to reach 17% of broadband-enabled households (growing from under 1 million at the end of this year to 11.7 million in 2008), and 23% of broadband-enabled small-business establishments (increasing from less than 100,000 in 2004 to 800,000 in 2008). Together, consumers and small businesses are expected to provide almost 13 million VoIP subscriptions and USD5.7 billion in annual service revenue in 2008. Although this is a significant amount, it represents 2.5% of the 2003 total US telecoms revenue of USD224 billion.
For medium and large businesses VoIP growth is also very strong. Analysys expects the estimated installed base of IP station lines to increase from just over 3 million in 2004 to more than 18 million by the end of 2008. This represents a compound annual growth rate of over 50%.
The report states that during 2003, VoIP broke simultaneously into the market consciousness of the US consumer, major industry telecoms players and regulators with its promise of huge cost savings. Major service providers, such as AT&T, MCI, Time Warner Cable, Verizon and others, made startling announcements to roll out and expand VoIP services and network deployment.
"VoIP has now moved from a behind-the-scenes network-migration strategy to a distinct billable service, separable from the underlying network, controllable by the end user, and with its own pricing schemes, features and terminal equipment," says Michael Kende. "In doing so it has the potential to shift market power to the end user and new service providers, to disrupt the balance of universal service subsidies, and to redefine the geographical and technological basis of the US telecoms industry and its regulatory structure."
The report acknowledges that VoIP providers face a raft of potential regulatory impositions and decisions that will have a major impact on their business models.
"Actions undertaken in 2004 could represent a turning point in the development of the US telecommunications sector as decisions made by the FCC will determine the playing field under which operators can compete with the incumbent," says Michael Kende.
"Unsurprisingly, with the historical US voice business model potentially facing a sudden collapse, the FCC has placed VoIP at the top of its agenda," he adds. "But it is a difficult call for the FCC, caught as it is between its interest in promoting
The report is available to purchase online at http://research.analysys.com/store.
An extended version of this release is available on request or from http://www.analysys.com.
***NAB2004 Convention
Opening Address
NAB President and CEO Edward O. Fritts
Las Vegas, NV
April 19, 2004
Thank you and welcome to the NAB 2004 Convention!
Team NAB will be working hard this week to make this a memorable and productive show for each and every one of you.
I've been fortunate enough to be president of NAB for more than 20 years, and it is still a tremendous honor for me to represent the thousands of hometown radio and television stations all over America. I salute over-the-air broadcasters for their day-in and day-out commitment to community.
Ladies & gentlemen, I want you to imagine for a moment that you lived in a country where you had cable TV, satellite TV, satellite radio...you had the Internet, broadband, wi-fi, and so forth ... but imagine that local radio and television did not exist.
Imagine a country where all households had to pay $75 a month or more for TV entertainment, $10 a month for their radio, and $50 a month for their high-speed Internet service.
Imagine that, other than the morning paper, news of the community was limited and there was no direct connection to the local community.
Now ... imagine that a new wireless technology came along and declared:
We will give you free television.
We will give you free radio.
We will give you free local news, free local weather reports and school closings as they happen.
What's more, we will be a leading contributor to the local community.
We will be as local as the bakery, the car dealership, the church or synagogue.
We will volunteer billions of dollars of public service every year, and help raise hundreds of millions for charity.
We will be the first responders in getting out information on local emergencies, such as tornadoes and terrorist attacks.
We will even bring you emergency alerts -- called Amber Alerts -- that will save the lives of 150 kidnapped children.
We will be the community's local lifeline.
My friends, if this new technology called broadcasting came along today, it would be hailed as a miracle. It would be the darling of legislators and regulators. They would herald it as an amazing addition to public and political discourse. They would declare it a tremendous advance in public safety in this era of concern over homeland security.
I saw a cartoon the other day. A fellow is in a phone store with all these different kinds of phones that take pictures, send text, play music and so forth, and he says to the clerk, "Do you have a phone where you just talk to people?"
Sometimes we lose sight of the fundamentals in the pursuit of the flashy and the fleeting.
I think something similar has happened to broadcasting, at least on the part of some public policymakers.
If broadcasting were a developing technology, the government would enthusiastically encourage its spread. Look how Congress is loath to regulate the Internet or to do anything that might stifle its growth. I think the Internet is terrific, but what has the Internet done for community service? How many kidnapped kids have been saved by a Web site?
Let me tell you about another cartoon I saw. A father, sitting in his easy chair, is talking to his son. The boy has obviously asked the father a question, and the father replies, "Go ask your computer search engine." Going online and asking an Internet search engine for local news is no replacement for the immediate, live and local service that broadcasters provide.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am here to tell you that broadcasting should feel good about its function and its future.
In 2004, broadcasting's biggest issues revolve around how government balances technological forces ... with economic forces ... with the public good. When I say technological forces, I mean digital. When I say economic forces, I mean the clash of broadcast, cable and satellite. And when I say the public good, I mean us.
I mean broadcasting, which is not only free but exceedingly generous, providing more than $9.9 billion a year in public service announcements and funds raised for local charities and disaster relief.
That $9.9 billion is worth more in public service than the top 100 foundations combined!
My friends, broadcasting serves a public purpose, a greater good, but I cannot convey to you the constant vigilance we must keep.
At the NAB, we are constantly on guard to preserve and strengthen this valuable resource called free, over-the-air broadcasting.
Let me review some of our hot-button issues.
First, some good news about television's transition to digital. I'm happy to report that great advances have been made on the DTV front, and it is the broadcast industry leading the way. We were the first to embrace FCC Chairman Powell's voluntary DTV plan two years ago, and we haven't looked back. The FCC has mandated DTV tuners in all digital sets. It has facilitated plug and play. It has promoted the distribution of new content by protecting it with a broadcast flag.
Yet it is mystifying why the FCC continues to delay action on perhaps the biggest decision of all: cable must carry of DTV and multicast signals. Nearly 1,200 local stations are broadcasting digital signals, but only a third of those are carried on cable. Our DTV and high definition signals are all dressed up with no place to go. I call on the FCC to break down the cable industry's digital dam, and let the free broadcast signals flow. Here's our message to Brian Roberts and leaders of the cable cartel: Tear down that wall! ... Stop blocking consumer access to the best TV pictures the world has ever seen.
Another issue ... The Columbia Journalism Review has called DTV multicasting "TV on Steroids," because, using digital spectrum, local TV stations can provide as many as six separate channels simultaneously. This would allow broadcasters to deliver a range of new programs -- local C-Spans, local all-news channels, more kids' educational programming and many other consumer choices.
Predictably, the cable industry is fighting multicasting. The cable monopoly is frightened of potential competition that would be created by hundreds of new channels offered free by broadcasters.
I can understand cable not wanting competition. What is baffling is why the FCC has not yet embraced the notion of more competition to cable and more public service programming for consumers - all free of charge. To the cable companies, we say, "Pick up our signals and pick up the pace of progress." To the FCC, we ask respectfully: "Please make a decision on cable DTV carriage, and let's get on with it."
Another item on our TV must-do list is renewal of the Satellite Home Viewer Improvement Act. Mischief is afoot in Washington on this one, with bogus claims of "digital white areas," "two-dish schemes," and other such nonsense. The bottom line is that NAB won't be satisfied until every TV station in all 21O markets is carried on satellite "local-to-local." Once that is in place, there is no reason for any consumer to receive an out-of-market distance network signal on satellite.
We want to advance localism for television, and we also want to advance it for radio. Digital radio is an exciting and necessary advance. For radio not to go digital would be like commercial airliners in the 196O's not going from propeller to jet engines. Local radio stations are embracing digital, just as television has done. Radio doesn't need new spectrum to make the change ... only a belief in itself and an investment in its future.
What concerns our radio colleagues, of course, is satellite radio's obvious violation of FCC rules. You've read that XM and Sirius are now cream skimming certain broadcast markets by providing local weather and traffic reports. We believe this directly contradicts FCC rules, under which satellite was licensed as a national service. Clearly, XM and Sirius face serious financial problems, plus other pressures. A quarter of their customers are switching off the service every year. Also, the life expectancy of XM satellites has fallen from 17 to less than 7 years.
That's why every morning when I get up, I look out the window to make sure an XM satellite is not plummeting toward my roof.
So you can see why XM and Sirius are skirting the FCC rules. That must not happen. I urge all radio broadcasters to contact their Members of Congress in support of HR 4O26, the bill that orders the FCC to investigate the XM and Sirius violations.
Let me now turn from the indefensible to the indecent ... and say a few words about a topic that just won't go away. To be sure, this year's Super Bowl halftime show was an unfortunate event. But if a similar incident had happened on any of the hundreds of cable or satellite channels, it would have been greeted with a collective shrug by the American public and by public policymakers.
Why? ... Because "wardrobe malfunctions" are part of the cable and satellite landscape Monday through Friday, 24/7.
Some would say that what happened at the Super Bowl was: cable television standards being foist on an American public expecting broadcast standards. Others would say that what is malfunctioning now in Washington is a regulatory framework that treats broadcast programming different than that of cable and satellite. I'm not suggesting that broadcasters do not continue to have a special compact with the government. The government licenses spectrum to broadcasters, and broadcasters in turn serve the community. And it's my belief that the vast majority of Americans believe that social compact is alive and flourishing.
Two weeks ago, the NAB held a summit on responsible programming. As an industry, we are working through this difficult issue, mindful that voluntary initiatives are preferable to government-imposed mandates. In that regard, NAB is forming an Advisory Committee on Responsible Programming. I'm pleased to announce that two distinguished former NAB Joint board chairmen have agreed to co-chair this committee. Gary Chapman of LIN Television and David Kennedy of Susquehannah Radio have agreed to provide industry leadership on this advisory committee. You'll be hearing more on this in the near future. Self-regulation can be flexible, adaptable, and can be tailored to each station's unique circumstance ... everything that government regulation is not.
Let me close with a final point ...
When Democratic senate Leader Tom Daschle spoke at an NAB event last month, he drew an interesting analogy. He said that when Pierre L'Enfant was designing Washington, D.C., he didn't make the Capitol or the White House the center of the city, but rather the National Mall. L'Enfant believed that democratic fellowship arises when citizens are able to come together in a shared public space. Senator Daschle called broadcasting our nation's public space. I could not agree more.
Indeed, broadcasting is also our local town square. From FDR's fireside chats to Neil Armstrong landing on the moon, from ethnic language TV to community-based talk radio, broadcasters provide a connection to listeners and viewers that is invaluable to local communities. The NAB is committed to our industry's tradition of leading-edge localism. Leading-edge localism means that broadcasting will remain technologically strong. It means that we will remain economically vibrant. And it means that we will remain committed to the community. Leading-edge localism is how broadcasting will keep our advantage over the flashy and the fleeting.
My fellow broadcasters, I urge you to embrace our digital future with confidence. And never, EVER forget that localism is our franchise, and ours alone. Thanks again for being here ... and now, let's all have a great Convention!
***One Year Later, the AMD Opteron Processor Transforms The Enterprise
New York, NY
April 22, 2004
AMD celebrated the one-year anniversary of the AMD Opteron(TM) processor, which transformed the enterprise with groundbreaking architecture, world-class 32-bit performance and an ecosystem committed to the development of an industry-standard 64-bit solution.
One year ago, AMD introduced the AMD Opteron(TM) processor, the world's first 32-bit and 64-bit processor compatible with the x86 architecture. As a result of overwhelming customer demand, leading OEMs -- Fujitsu-Siemens Computer, HP, IBM and Sun -- are currently shipping AMD Opteron processor-based systems. More than 250 OS and ISV partners support AMD64 technology including Computer Associates, IBM, Microsoft, Oracle, RedHat, Sun, SUSE LINUX and VMware. Enterprise customers in diverse industries such as computer-aided engineering, digital content creation, entertainment, automobile manufacturing, petrochemical, pharmaceutical and financial services have installed AMD Opteron processor-based systems. Additionally, the AMD Opteron processor has garnered 14 industry awards, including the InfoWorld Readers' Choice Award for Best Processor/Component and PC Magazine's Technical Excellence Award.
With Direct Connect Architecture, AMD64 offers the enterprise more than just 64-bit extensions. AMD removed the bottleneck of a front-side bus and directly connected the processors, the memory controller and the I/O, resulting in improved overall system performance and efficiency. AMD is now positioned to target the key four-way server market for the data center that withered over the years. The flexibility of AMD64 with Direct Connect Architecture uniquely addresses the complexity and costs of bringing four-way solutions to market.
Also targeting low-power solutions for the data center, the AMD Opteron processors HE (55 watt) and EE (30 watt) for servers and workstations offer the most performance per watt of any processor in their class.
Going forward, AMD plans to continue to drive widespread adoption of AMD Opteron processor-based systems at all levels of enterprise environments -- from high-performance clusters to blade servers. By working with OEM partners to deliver reliable, secure solutions with industry-leading performance, AMD will continue its tradition of customer-centric innovation.
http://www.amd.com/us-en/Processors/ProductInformation/
***IBM Helps Eliminate Virus and Spam Headaches for Small and Medium Sized Businesses; New IBM Express Service Simplifies Growing Complexity of Managing PC Networks
Armonk, NY
April 21, 2004
IBM announced new services designed to help small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) manage the growing complexity of maintaining their employees' personal technology devices.
IBM Desktop Management Services, a new suite of 'price-per-seat' services delivered remotely by IBM via the Internet, offer SMBs a simple, affordable way to reduce the complexity of managing personal computers (PCs), and printers as a monthly, per-seat service. Starting at $40 per user, the new service specifically designed for SMBs can cut the costs of managing personal technology by up to 30 percent (1), and can support a variety of personal computing systems, not just IBM hardware. The new IBM Express service automates the management of personal computers including critical software updates which help reduce the spread of viruses.
The offerings take advantage of tools and technologies developed by IBM Research that help transform networks into remotely managed, self-healing, self-updating systems. By remotely managing many of IT chores previously handled manually by uncoordinated systems, SMBs can achieve quantifiable cost savings, while focusing on their core business. Since they pay a fixed, predictable price per user, SMBs can gain access to IBM expertise, global IT resources, and the latest technology at a fraction of the cost of managing their own PC networks.
Worldwide customers such as Ros Casares, an iron and steel distributor and Ranstad, an employment agency, have turned to IBM to manage the complexity of their desktop systems, protect against network attacks, and provide significant cost reductions through consolidation and standardization of IT systems.
An overlooked expense of the management of a personal computer is the cost of the help desk support, countless fixes and maintenance. One recent infection, MyDoom, cost businesses $26.1 billion in lost productivity, bandwidth clogging and software recovery, according to security firm mi2g.
One of the key features of IBM Desktop Management Services is the ability to alleviate the growing headache of viruses and spam. While many SMBs manually install and run anti-virus software on users' desktops and gateway servers, the fast-moving nature of viruses today requires a more rapid response than these solutions can deliver. IBM's worldwide coverage enables it to react much more quickly to virus outbreaks, whenever and wherever they occur.
IBM proactively deploys protection from new viruses hours before new signatures are publicly released. Additionally, IBM is able to provide immediate protection prior to the release of anti-virus engine updates by using its powerful policy and attribute blocking capability to block specific kinds of attachments or filter email based on the particular characteristics of a message. In addition to securing inbound email and ensuring viruses do not enter the network, IBM can also scan outbound email to protect the companies with whom an organization communicates.
IBM delivers Desktop Management services by installing a central, remotely-managed server at the customer site which distributes the necessary tools and software for managing the desktop environment. Remote management functions include: 24-hour network monitoring, software image loading, virus scanning and detection, patch updates, software updates distribution and virtual help-desk services.
The services also allow customers to control and monitor the inventory of employee desktops and printers, which helps guard against fraud and inventory loss. Hardware and application protection features guard against unauthorized access and loss of valuable information, while ensuring that operating systems and related software are compliant with industry standards -- a significant and frequently overlooked cost for organizations.
"Viruses are not the only thing that are exploding, so are the personal technology devices they infect," said Beth Feeney, director of small and medium business offerings, IBM Global Services. "Due to the growing number of PCs, PDAs, printers and faxes proliferating in companies today, rapid business growth can be inhibited by the complexities and cost of technology infrastructure support. SMBs who have limited access to skilled resources for network, application, Internet and security technology can now tap into IBM's extensive, global resources to free themselves to focus on their business, not IT support."
Leveraging technology and expertise from IBM Research, IBM Global Services, IBM Global Financing and IBM Personal Computing, IBM is able to remotely deliver desktop management services on demand. For example, new ThinkVantage Technologies that reduce PC management costs can now be deployed throughout an SMB's network -- regardless of the PC or printer brand.
Starting at $40 per month, per user, IBM Desktop Management Services includes:
Dedicated IBM servers loaded with autonomic desktop management services
Automated backup of end users' desktops
Virus scanning, help desk support and asset reporting
Remote desktop monitoring, with automatic software distribution and updates
Platform management support and desktop administration, which helps manage information assets, and maintain confidentiality and data integrity
Maintenance of a security-enabled IT environment
Ability to control costs of desktop maintenance, installation, configuration, support, and security
Operational scalability -- ability to complement existing desktop operations, management and support processes that may already be in place
Support for complex, multi-vendor environments
Ability to purchase a larger services package to include IBM and non-IBM hardware, beginning at $80 per user, per month
IBM estimates that it currently oversees and manages maintenance and operations for more than 4.5 million PCs and printers. Companies worldwide turn to IBM to deploy and manage various aspects of their personal technology, including hardware, software imaging, financing and help desk support.
http://www-1.ibm.com/services/us/index.wss/of/its/
***D-Link Reveals Ethernet & Fiber to the Home High Bandwidth Strategy
Fountain Valley, Calif.
Apr 20, 2004 09:01 ET
D-Link announced the successful unveiling of its High Speed Digital Home Connected Consumer Strategy with product rollouts of Ethernet to the Home (ETTH) and Fiber to the Home (FTTH) technology solution installations throughout Japan, China and now testing in the United States. Developing a wide array of delivery tools and products for network infrastructure, D-Link components and devices support high-speed converged IP and electronic media for telecommunications and broadband service providers.
With connectivity products based on Ethernet To The Home (ETTH) and Fiber To The Home (FTTH) technologies that deliver data and information at speeds up to 50Megabits per second or even up to 1 gigabit, this technology clearly represents the next generation of networking.
D-Link connectivity solutions drive digital home technology, new Internet capabilities, faster streaming applications and an explosion in home networking together to give consumers a dramatically larger choice of content possibilities through one converged IP network.
Japan and China Forging Ahead
Analysts have reported that Asia has taken a leadership role in deployment of Ethernet and Fiber to the home high bandwidth networking. Currently, Japan is providing up to 30Mbps of bandwidth to 22% of its broadband subscribers for data streaming and other bandwidth intensive applications. D-Link's OEM/ODM company (Alpha Networks) has been delivering in-market connectivity solutions in conjunction with Broadband providers for some time now.
Most analysts are focusing on China as the next major emerging market for this new high-speed Ethernet and Fiber technology, which has a growing base of users through the large telecommunications company giants such as China Telecom, the world's largest wire-line service provider.
D-Link's extensive Ethernet networking connectivity solutions successes combined with field tests and market acceptance plus strong alliances with major Telecommunications companies and cable service providers have paved the way for D-Link's ETTH and FTTH connectivity technology introduction here in the United States and the company's strategic participation in the planning and rollout of increased bandwidth to the home.
Currently, the United States is starting to deploy trials in technologies ranging from 1-3Mbps to 30Mbps. D-Link continues to provide Metro-Ethernet networking equipment to the telecommunications and service provider arena.
"Ethernet and Fiber to the Home with a Metro-Ethernet backbone will drive new levels of bandwidth to the home, empowering new communication platforms and more engaging entertainment options and improved content value to consumers," said Josh Johnson, Industry Analyst, Synergy Research Group.
Commonly referred to as the "last mile", which denotes the network technology and type for local connections to a house or business, it is where the potential exists to increase the scale of the bandwidth and ultimately the speed. In most locations, ETTH and FTTH infrastructure is currently in place up to a point in the architecture, however, it needs backend support for ISPs and the "last mile" connection installed. D-Link has been designing, developing and manufacturing key technology components, devices and solutions that create seamless communications within the infrastructure access and connectivity between the multiple broadband protocols as well as "last mile" solutions for the realization of increased bandwidth to the digital home.
http://www.dlink.com/corporate/profile/future.asp
***DT to Deploy America's First Commercial WiFi Phone Service; Ironbound Section of Newark, New Jersey To Be First Area Covered
Newark, NJ
April 22, 2004
IDT Corporation announced plans to deploy the first commercial WiFi phone service in the US. IDT's WiFi phone service will allow users to bypass local phone companies and make domestic and international phone calls via a wireless connection to the internet. IDT plans to initially roll out the WiFi service in select areas of the Ironbound section of Newark, New Jersey. This initial deployment will provide research to help IDT develop the new service as it is rolled out in other areas. The new phone service will utilize Net2Phone's innovative Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) platform. IDT Corporation (NYSE:IDT)(NYSE:IDT.C), is a multinational carrier, telephone and technology company. In its April 5th issue, Fortune magazine placed IDT 746th in its ranking of America's top 1000 companies. Based upon results from last quarter IDT has an annualized revenue rate of more than $2 billion.
WiFi phone customers will not need their own expensive broadband connection to access the service. IDT will provide wide area WiFi coverage in the targeted neighborhoods. Calls will be routed via Net2Phone's VoIP platform, and terminated by IDT's worldwide telecommunications network and infrastructure. IDT Business Services' (Winstar) fixed wireless network will provide backhaul services for the traffic. IDT is currently deploying its initial network and expects to begin service in Newark within 30-60 days.
IDT's network is being designed to be compatible with advances in wireless technology. IDT's WiFi customers will benefit from a seamless transition to WiMax service as that technology matures and becomes more widespread.
***Greater Awareness of Potential Damage From Voltage Fluctuations to Drive Product Uptake
Palo Alto, CA
April 21, 2004
End users tend to view uninterruptible power supply (UPS) systems as a universal remedy for all power-related problems, overlooking the need to protect against invisible voltage fluctuations. To boost voltage regulator uptake, suppliers must conduct consumer awareness campaigns about the voltage fluctuation frequency and the damage they can cause.
New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.powersupplies.frost.com), "World Voltage Regulator Markets," reveals that this market generated revenue of $203.3 million in 2003. Total market revenue is expected to reach $277.7 million in 2010.
Ninety-five percent of power problems can be attributed to voltage fluctuations such as sags, surges and impulses and only 5 percent to blackouts. This revelation is a strong argument in favor of increased adoption of voltage regulators.
"To increase product uptake, suppliers have to call end users' attention to the fact that voltage fluctuations damage the loads connected to the supply," says Frost & Sullivan research analyst G.V.Suryanarayana Raju. "With most applications having several electronic components, it is essential to improve resistance to power fluctuations."
Greater customer awareness about the advantages of each voltage regulating technology and the applications they are suited for can also drive demand. Forceful promotional messages are needed to highlight the features of established voltage regulator technologies such as ferro resonant and buck boost. While ferro resonant has improved isolation and noise attenuation properties, buck boost's stability and efficiency in high power applications are particularly notable.
Tap switching, another traditional technology, is also finding new uses in contemporary high-speed electronic applications. Tap switching products are becoming popular for mining and petroleum exploration activities in Africa and South America.
The voltage regulator market in such developing regions is conducive to global competition since there are few local vendors that can meet domestic demand. Most of the requirement for products is expected to come from these areas since the U.S. and European markets have good main electricity transmission supplies.
Deployment of superior electrical grids in advanced nations compels dependence on the consistent expansion of power infrastructure. Developing nations need to improve power quality and in turn increase voltage regulator product demand. This factor is likely to counterbalance the adverse effects of a stagnant replacement market and incorporation of built-in voltage regulation in original equipment.
"The highly unstable main power supply in Asia and the Rest-of-World necessitates installation of additional external protection in the form of voltage regulators," notes Raju.
While this need is offsetting the challenge from UPS systems with built-in voltage regulators, electronic designs that provide stable output current are creating fresh barriers. However, although these designs can handle the low currents in the electronic devices, they are restricted to these capacities and cannot increase correspondingly with growth in power ratings.
New voltage regulating products are being created using insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) technology for its improved stability and protection properties against voltage fluctuations in high-power electronic devices. Once consumers are convinced of IGBT's ability to shield equipment with isolation and fast response features, it is expected to bring in revenue for the voltage regulator market.
Such innovative technologies that can replace the existing ones to suit contemporary applications, economic recovery and newly developing markets, are expected to sustain global demand for voltage regulators.
The "World Voltage Regulator Markets," a part of the Power Supplies/Power Quality Equipment subscription, discusses various market trends and opportunities for the technologies of ferro resonant, tap switching and buck boost in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Rest-of-World. The study provides drivers, restraints and challenges that affect the market and presents strategic recommendations to overcome growth barriers. Interviews and executive briefings are available to the press.
If you are interested in an analysis overview which provide manufacturers, end-users and other industry participants an overview, summary, challenges and latest coverage of the "World Voltage Regulator Markets," send an e-mail to Julia Paulson, North American Corporate Communications, at jpaulson@frost.com with the following information: Full name, Company Name, Title, Contact Tel Number, Contact Fax Number, E-mail. Upon receipt of the above information, an overview will be e-mailed to you.
http://www.frost.com/prod/servlet/frost-home.pag
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