The market for hardened industrial Ethernet switches and other types of industrial Ethernet network infrastructure will grow to nearly a $1 billion market during the next five years, according to a new ARC Advisory Group study entitled, “Industrial Ethernet Infrastructure Worldwide Outlook.”
The industrial Ethernet infrastructure market was measured in a previous ARC report at $124 million in 2004. The latest study finds that the market grew to more than $260 million in 2006, and it forecasts that the market will continue to grow at a 29% annual clip, reaching $955 million in 2011. The report notes the strong recent growth and predicts that there is no barrier in sight that will bring the market growth to a halt.
Ethernet has captured a growing share of the global automation networking market, but ARC’s market research has shown that many other types of industrial networks have also been expanding during the past three years. Growing markets for many manufactured products and the huge expansion of new manufacturing capacity in China and other parts of Asia have resulted in growth among manufacturing automation companies.
Some, and perhaps many, of the applications now served by the various industrial device networks and motion control networks will eventually migrate to industrial Ethernet. As machine automation system designs evolve to use more Ethernet-based devices, the market for industrial Ethernet switching will grow as well.
For more on the study, click here .

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