Communications continued as the strongest market for “merchant” embedded computer boards in 2003, according to market analysis firm VDC. Total embedded computer board shipments totalled $2.2 billion, divided primarily between communications (38%), industrial (21%), military (15%), and medical (12%), according to VDC's 2002/2003 Embedded Merchant Computer Board Market Intelligence Program.

Source: VDC © 2004
Note: Above chart does not include Expansion Slot Cards or COM Carriers

The strong showing of the communications sector applies to the overall board market (including all types covered in VDC's report), and in particular the following products:

• Standards-based Embedded Blades — Over 84 percent of standards-based embedded blade shipments went into communication applications in 2003.
• Single-board computers (SBCs) — The communications industry consumed nearly 43 percent of single-board computer shipments in 2003. For 2004, demand for SBCs in communications is expected to increase, with a greater number of boards going toward edge applications such as wireless infrastructure.
• Mezzanine Cards — More than 42 percent of mezzanine card shipments went to the communications sector in 2003. Use of mezzanines in communications applications is expected to increase by about 15 percent, while use in many other markets (with the notable exception of Military/Aerospace) is expected to decline.

VDC believes that the rebound of the communications industry, coupled with a growing trend toward the use of standards-based rather than proprietary architectures, promises healthy growth for merchant computer board consumption.

To help companies take advantage of these market opportunities, VDC is preparing to launch this year's research program, “Merchant Computer Boards for Embedded/Real-Time Applications Market Intelligence Program, 2004 — 13th Edition.”

 
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