LAN/WAN Tester Demand Rising

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- As companies in a range of businesses demand higher bandwidth and faster connectivity for e-commerce, videoconferencing, multimedia, and other applications, the need for equipment that can test and monitor the local area networks (LANs) and wide area networks (WANs) will rise. The multiplication of enterprise networks should further boost demand for test equipment. New analysis from Frost & Sullivan (www.testandmeasurement.frost.com), World LAN/WAN Test Equipment Markets, reveals that this industry generated revenues of $854 million in 2001 and is expected to offer significant opportunities. Growth in demand for LAN/WAN test equipment used for network installation and maintenance, research and development, and manufacturing should push total revenues to $1.45 billionby 2008. Despite the promise this market presents vendors, LAN/WAN test equipment markets will have to fine-tune their business strategies to overcome the serious effects of the recent economic downturn. Reducing the time to market must be a key part of these revised plans. "Manufacturers of LAN/WAN test equipment face the challenge of developing state-of-the-art test equipment fast enough to meet end-user demand," says Frost & Sullivan Research Analyst Sailaja Vepa. "Network technologies evolve rapidly; hence equipment that test those technologies must develop just as quickly." Frost & Sullivan