Wi-Fi chipset sales jump 25%

Sales of Wi-Fi chipsets, which keep laptops wirelessly connected, have jumped 25 percent this year, according to a new study.

Wi-Fi chipset sales are expected to exceed 200 million units in 2006, according to a report released by the Wi-Fi Alliance trade association and market researcher In-Stat. The report also noted that holiday sales for cool wireless gadgets such as Nintento Wii and Sony PlayStation 3 are helping to drive these numbers.

"Wi-Fi has continued to be a networking technology of choice, both in the home and at work," said Gemma Tedesco, a senior analyst at In-Stat, in a statement. "The 25 percent annual growth rate seen in 2006 reflects the technology's expanding usefulness for a wide variety of applications and devices, as well as ongoing user enthusiasm for the technology."

Strong laptop sales also are pushing the numbers up. Laptop sales jumped 51.6 percent year over year in retail's critical selling time right after Thanksgiving, according to Current Analysis. That's especially noteworthy since notebook sales were up 49 percent in 2005 compared with 2004.

"People love Wi-Fi, and there is a lot ahead in 2007 to continue to delight them," said Frank Hanzlik, managing director of the Wi-Fi Alliance, in a statement. "Next year will bring new ease-of-use enhancements, continued momentum on converged mobile phones, and Wi-Fi certified pre-standard 802.11n gear."

- Sharon Gaudin
InformationWeek