Research from ARC Advisory Group suggests that the market for industrial PCs is being driven by technological possibilities hardware and software, such as the Atom processor, increased computing power, and failsafe industrial PCs. But at the same time, the report warns that the market will also remain heavily fragmented throughout 2010.
According to ARCs "Industrial PCs Worldwide Outlook" study, the possibilities for industrial PCs are wide open thanks to new innovations. Intels Atom processor, which will offer up to 2GHz with low thermal design power, could make a significant impact for end users and machine builders.
Analyst Florian Gldner, the principal author of the report, comments: "In 2009, the market dropped by 19%. Even though the recovery will start quickly, the level of the boom year 2008 will not be reached again until 2012. A major factor dampening the recovery is the constant drop in prices that is driven by user demand and a drop in intermediate good prices."
The market for industrial PCs remains fragmented, the report warns, with no dominant force on either a regional or global level. While industrial PC technology has matured, it says, new applications and requirements will enable differentiation through hardware and software.
Demand for industrial PCs is growing heavily in Asia. ARC believes that China and India will not only demand more automation equipment as wages rise, but will also shift towards more sophisticated systems with greater capabilities for achieving international quality standards.
