Mobile device craze fuels WLAN boom

Enterprise WLAN revenue powers up 43 per cent in Q2, according to IDC

The enterprise wireless LAN (WLAN) market surged by 43 per cent in the second quarter of 2011, as end users scrabbled to keep pace with the smart mobile device craze.

According to IDC, global WLAN revenue rose by 30 per cent year on year to $1.52bn (£0.93bn) in the three months to 30 June.

Enterprise WLAN revenue powered up 43.4 per cent to $725m on an annual comparison, while retail-class revenue increased by a more muted 19.4 per cent to $800m.

Enterprise WLAN kingpin Cisco's market share fell to just over 50 per cent following 36.2 per cent annual growth during the quarter. Aruba grew 52.2 per cent year on year, HP by 65.8 per cent and Motorola by 52.7 per cent.

Even on a quarter-on-quarter comparison, enterprise WLAN revenue rose by a handsome 21.9 per cent, with the retail side up 6.6 per cent sequentially.

Rohit Mehra, IDC's director of enterprise communications infrastructure, said enterprise mobility has emerged as one of the key priorities for IT managers in the second quarter.

"The tremendous momentum behind smart mobile devices and their continued uptake in the enterprise for business and vertical-specific applications are driving enterprises to move forward with upgrades and extensions of their wireless networks," he said.