In the Growing VoWi-Fi Market, Partnerships Play a Vital Role for All Vendors

Voice over Wi-Fi (VoWi-Fi) market trends are “moving the goalposts” for Wi-Fi equipment makers, which will result in winners and losers across the industry.  Because no one vendor owns all the intellectual property required for a complete solution, the winners will be those vendors able to forge effective partnerships, rather than employing mere joint marketing announcements.

ABI Research has found that key ecosystem partnerships include close working relationships with PBX manufacturers, fixed mobile convergence players such as DiVitas Networks and Agito Networks, and handset manufacturers such as Nokia and Motorola.  

A partner’s product must have some degree of integration with VoWi-Fi equipment to be a part of the VoWi-Fi ecosystem.  The strength of a VoWi-Fi equipment vendor’s overall solution is directly proportional to the strength of its VoWi-Fi ecosystem partners.

Stan Schatt, ABI Research vice president and research director, says, “In some cases, vendors who sell their own IP PBXs and VoWi-Fi equipment are going to be limited to their own installed bases; competitors are not willing to cooperate to extend interoperability.”

The overall VoWi-Fi market will grow significantly through 2012.  ABI Research forecasts that the number of access points used to handle voice traffic will experience a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 93% during this period, reaching nearly 56,000 access points by 2012.  North America is the market leader at this time, but European sales are growing rapidly.  By 2012, revenue associated with access points used for VoWi-Fi traffic will exceed $12 million.

ABI Research’s recent study, The Voice Over Wi-Fi Ecosystem, provides in-depth analysis of all market partnerships required for success, and evaluates vendors who are positioned to lead the market.  The report highlights key early adopter verticals such as healthcare, retail, and education, and forecasts in detail how quickly these specific markets will grow.

It is supplemented by the firm’s Voice Over Wi-Fi Ecosystems Vendor Matrix, which charts vendors’ performance on the twin axes of “Innovation” and “Implementation.”

Both products form part the Wi-Fi Research Service, while the Vendor Matrix is a component of Mobile Devices.

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets.  Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives.  For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.