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Combination IC Shipments Aim High, Thanks To Wi-Fi

Wireless combination IC shipments are forecast to grow by almost 24% in 2011, according to IMS Research's latest report The World Market for Wireless Combination ICs - 2011.

The vast majority of the growth is due to just two applications, smartphones and tablet PCs; and one particular combination IC, Bluetooth/FM/WLAN.

Historically, the vast majority of combination ICs shipped has featured Bluetooth and FM technologies, with this specific combination being incredibly successful in cellular handsets. However, with the rapid growth of the smartphone sector in recent years, thanks largely to Apple's iPhone and handsets using Google's Android OS, inclusion of Wi-Fi technology has become almost essential. This is evidenced by the WLAN attach rate in smartphones rocketing from 56% in 2009, to a projected 93% in 2011.

"The success of the smartphone and tablet PC sectors is really pushing forward the market for combination ICs, which are now found in a wide range of consumer devices, from the Motorola Atrix to the Apple iPad2, and Sony PS3," commented Heath Lockett, Connectivity market analyst at IMS Research. "The number of devices shipping with a Bluetooth/FM/WLAN combination is forecast to increase by 62% in 2011, and by 2012 Bluetooth/FM/WLAN ICs will overtake shipments of Bluetooth/FM chips, highlighting just how important a part of our lives Wi-Fi has become."

The continued growth of IC shipments will see total combination IC revenues rise from $2.5B in 2010 to almost $7B in 2016; an aggregate growth rate of 18%.

As the combination IC market has matured, price and product size has reduced, while an increasing array of wireless technologies is now offered. "Short of any future mass integration of Bluetooth or WLAN into the baseband, combination ICs are here to stay", says Lockett. "With Blackberry's Playbook now being the first consumer electronics device to use a Bluetooth/FM/WLAN/GPS combination, the technology is really moving on. The next step will be to squeeze NFC on board as well."

About IMS Research
IMS Research is the leading independent provider of market research and consultancy to the global electronics industry. The company's headquarters is in the UK, with offices in the US, China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan. IMS Research regularly publishes detailed research on the connectivity markets, among others.

Police aim to track Blackberry messenger users |

It has emerged that Scotland yard has started talks with research in motion, manufacturer of Blackberry mobile phones, in an attempt to track the individuals responsible for organising the riots across the country over the past few days.

The level of encryption available to Blackberry users through the messenger service has long been a strong selling point, but as the locations for proposed hotspots of trouble were passed between contacts, intelligence within the police found it difficult to determine where the riots would likely flare up next.

The news that research in motion are prepared to offer their full cooperation in assisting the on-going investigations being carried out by Scotland Yard will appease the fear of local residents and business owners from areas targeted for riots and looting.

Having used social networking methods to such affect in designating the areas to target, it begs the question as to why the same methods could not have been used to outline the concerns which are being cited in terms of provoking the social unrest.

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