MARCH 4--Global Sources Ltd. (Hong Kong; www.globalsources.com) and Dataquest Inc., a unit of Gartner Inc. (www.gartner.com), have announced the results of a joint study, "Embedded Systems Development Trends: Asia." The survey was conducted by Electronic Engineering Times-Asia (EE Times-Asia; www.eetasia.com), the biweekly design engineering publication of Global Sources and Gartner Dataquest, a market-research firm. Commenting on the survey, EE Times-Asia publisher Mark Saunderson said, "New levels of design complexity in the Asia-Pacific region are driving demand for more sophisticated embedded development tools in the region and in turn leading growth in the worldwide market for embedded tools. Our survey findings highlight this trend."
The survey is based on responses from more than 900 design engineers involved in the development of embedded systems from mainland China, Taiwan, and other regional design hubs, including India, Singapore, and South Korea. Survey results indicate that demand for embedded systems in the Asia-Pacific region remains strongest in the communications sector, with 30% of respondents citing it as the primary area of application. However, in Taiwan, the computer and consumer-electronics segments are driving demand, while application in embedded systems in mainland China centers on industrial controls and instrumentation systems.
Gartner Dataquest principal analyst, design & engineering, Daya Nadamuni said, "In 2001, the global market for embedded software development tools was valued at US$775.8 million. Six% of that sales revenue came from the Asia-Pacific region. This region is developing increasingly sophisticated designs that require more complex microcomponents and application software. While we expect the worldwide market for embedded software tools and real-time operating systems to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 7.2% through 2006, the highest growth rates will be seen in the Asia-Pacific region."
The survey results also indicate a shift from 8- and 16-bit microcomponent use toward 32-bit, a trend that is expected to continue in the long term. In 2003, 45% of respondents will either purchase or upgrade to 32-bit microcomponents, while 40% plan to purchase or upgrade their central processing unit/digital signal-processing hybrid chips. Due to lower price points and the availability of new technologies, 48% plan to upgrade their LCDs. Flash memory is also high on the purchasing lists of design engineers in the Asia-Pacific region.
