The prospects for WSN technology are most promising. The market for wireless sensor systems should grow rapidly over the next 5-10 years. Depending on the outcome of standardization efforts and developments in affiliated markets, sales of wireless sensor systems could reach 5 to 7 billion dollars in future. The WSN market must grow rapidly to reach such levels so quickly, however. As the market takes off from its current small base, sales will multiply year-to-year. Annual growth rates will fall through a still substantial 40 or 50%.

Wireless sensor networks represent an emerging set of technologies that will have profound effects across a range of industrial, scientific and governmental applications. A wireless sensor net is made up of a group of sensor nodes. Each sensor node possesses the ability to monitor some aspect of its environment, and each is able to communicate its observations through other nodes to a destination where data from the network is gathered and processed. Recent developments in wireless technologies and the semiconductor fabrication of miniature sensors are making WSNs smaller and more cost-effective for a growing number of uses.

First chapter's glimpse at WSN technology introduced the basic concepts of the wireless sensor market. The concepts presented here will frame the discussion in later chapters on the nature of the WSN market.

Chapter 2 of this report presents case studies of wireless sensor applications. Each case study analysis includes a discussion of the location of the case study along the WSN technology dimensions introduced in this chapter.

Chapter 3 of the report provides an analysis of vendor strategies for wireless sensor markets. The strategic analysis focuses on leading firms across various segments of the WSN industry.

Scenarios for the development of the WSN market are presented in Chapter 4. The market analysis includes a deeper exploration of the WSN value chain models introduced above. Among the features that distinguish between the scenarios discussed in Chapter 4 are the outcomes of the WSN technology standardization efforts that are discussed in Chapter 5.

Finally, Chapter 6 recaps the findings of the report and suggests strategies for engaging in the WSN market.

WSN markets represent one aspect of a revolution occurring in data communication: the declining volume of people-to-people compared to machine-to-machine communication. The New York Times has quoted Intel's associate director of research, Hans Mulder, who predicts that wireless coordination between sensors and machines ``will be pervasive in 20 years.`` This report sheds light on what the path to pervasive sensor-machine communication may look like.

The prospects for WSN technology are most promising. The market for wireless sensor systems should grow rapidly over the next 5-10 years. Depending on the outcome of standardization efforts and developments in affiliated markets, sales of wireless sensor systems could reach 5 to 7 billion dollars in future. The WSN market must grow rapidly to reach such levels so quickly, however. As the market takes off from its current small base, sales will multiply year-to-year. Annual growth rates will fall through a still substantial 40 or 50%.

Wireless sensor networks represent an emerging set of technologies that will have profound effects across a range of industrial, scientific and governmental applications. A wireless sensor net is made up of a group of sensor nodes. Each sensor node possesses the ability to monitor some aspect of its environment, and each is able to communicate its observations through other nodes to a destination where data from the network is gathered and processed. Recent developments in wireless technologies and the semiconductor fabrication of miniature sensors are making WSNs smaller and more cost-effective for a growing number of uses.

First chapter's glimpse at WSN technology introduced the basic concepts of the wireless sensor market. The concepts presented here will frame the discussion in later chapters on the nature of the WSN market.

Chapter 2 of this report presents case studies of wireless sensor applications. Each case study analysis includes a discussion of the location of the case study along the WSN technology dimensions introduced in this chapter.

Chapter 3 of the report provides an analysis of vendor strategies for wireless sensor markets. The strategic analysis focuses on leading firms across various segments of the WSN industry.

Scenarios for the development of the WSN market are presented in Chapter 4. The market analysis includes a deeper exploration of the WSN value chain models introduced above. Among the features that distinguish between the scenarios discussed in Chapter 4 are the outcomes of the WSN technology standardization efforts that are discussed in Chapter 5.

Finally, Chapter 6 recaps the findings of the report and suggests strategies for engaging in the WSN market.

WSN markets represent one aspect of a revolution occurring in data communication: the declining volume of people-to-people compared to machine-to-machine communication. The New York Times has quoted Intel's associate director of research, Hans Mulder, who predicts that wireless coordination between sensors and machines ``will be pervasive in 20 years.`` This report sheds light on what the path to pervasive sensor-machine communication may look like.