VDC recently completed an extensive primary research effort that included a global demand analysis of embedded developers at OEMs, system integrators, distributors and other embedded customers. The objectives were to obtain for the industry a better understanding of customer requirements and to provide a set of reasonable expectations for future growth, and technology adoption.
In one of the largest surveys of its kind, we reached nearly 500 total qualified respondents, representing multiple vertical industries, and from multiple geographic regions. After analyzing all of the collected data and publishing the research findings, VDC found that what embedded technology customers really want from their suppliers often varies greatly depending on a variety of factors (e.g., organization size, vertical industry, global geography, etc.). What these respondents told us - and what they didn't tell us - was quite revealing.
For instance, the majority of communications and networking OEMs, system integrators, and distributors, and end users that we surveyed, responded that their transition to outsourced embedded computer platforms is accelerating and the merchant embedded supplier community is succeeding in converting these customers due, in part, to cost advantages and related efficiencies.
According to our global survey, a full 42% of the communications infrastructure respondents and 44% of the networking respondents indicated their firm was outsourcing 50% or more of their embedded computer platforms today. The industry should continue to evolve in a similar direction, as these percentages are predicted to grow to 48% and 45%, respectively, by 2015.
From the perspective of board architectures in 2010 vs. 2015, our survey revealed respondents are shifting interest toward ATCA-based platforms and away from PCI, and CompactPCI. Clearly, embedded customers see the flexibility of ATCA — and microTCA — enabling telecommunication service providers to reduce network cost and complexity, while simultaneously deploying new multi-media subscriber services (i.e., increasing ARPU). The attached slide depicts the board architecture migration through 2015.
The results from this 2010 demand analysis survey of communications and networking customers also offer industry observers greater visibility and insights into future requirements and expectations. For more information on this research, please contact Cyril Bernard ([email protected]).
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