A report from Berg Insight suggests there will be major growth in industrial IoT devices.
According to a research report from the M2M/IoT analyst firm Berg Insight, the global number of wireless IoT devices being used in industrial automation in 2015 stood at around 14.3 million. The sector is expected to see huge growth int he coming years.
The breadth of wireless technologies used in industrial automation offer different characteristics and use cases. Most popular for factory automation are Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, while cellular connectivity is typically is used for remote monitoring and backhaul communication between plants.
Global number of Industrial IoT devices will quadruple by 2021
According to the report from Berg Insight, the global number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks will see a compound annual growth rate of 27.7 percent, reaching 62 million by 2021.
Read more: Global IIoT Market to Reach $123 billion by 2021
This figure takes into account the rising popularity of Ethernet networks in factory automation, as well as the emerging sphere of Low Power Wide Area Networking (LPWAN), which is a promising alternative for remote monitoring applications.
The wireless IoT device market depends on a number of industry sectors, from global automation solution providers to automation equipment and solution vendors, industrial communication specialists and IoT communication specialists. Eaton, GE and Sierra Wireless are major players in the cellular devices market. The likes of Emerson, Honeywell, GE and Yokogawa are leading the way in 802.15.4 devices for industrial automation. Siemens, Cisco, Belden, Moxa, Schneider Electric and Eaton are important vendors of Wi-Fi devices.
It’s thought that increased levels of automation, delivered via industrial IoT solutions, will enable shorter lead times, lower inventories, and eventually increased throughput. Smarter, more connected devices in an industrial setting will also improve companies’ flexibility and speed when responding to changing customer needs.
Connected and automated solutions give companies competitive edge
“Wireless communication and industrial IoT solutions can provide integration of different automation systems as well as enterprise systems, which enables supply chains to be lean, even with a complex mix of products and output levels,” said Johan Svanberg, Senior Analyst at Berg Insight.
“Connected automation solutions also open up the possibility for entirely new business and service models which can give companies a much needed competitive edge in today’s manufacturing landscape”.
Download report brochure: Industrial Automation and Wireless IoT