Growth in industrial Ethernet is still carrying on at a frightening pace. With its ready acceptance in manufacturing and automation applications, it’s clearly attracted the attention of governments as the single best networking standard. According the latest research from ARC Advisory Group, although private sector investment flattened a little during the recession, good growth for industrial Ethernet is being driven by government investment in infrastructure and energy, with projects such as intelligent transportation and renewable energy.
According to ARC, adoption of Etherent in the likes of energy applications has been somewhat different to its rise in manufacturing automation. In manufacturing, industrial Ethernet is a displacement technology, gradually pushing aside the traditional serial networks. And that’s a long term process. In power, on the other hand, there is still a prevalence of analogue technologies that really have had their time. The need for something entirely new in the short term is the key driver behind the growth. Standardising on Ethernet brings all the benefits of fibre optic networking, and, importantly, the move to Ethernet also makes it simple to progress to the next generation of wireless networks.
This will undoubtedly drive further growth in other areas, too. The security and surveillance market can only benefit from investment in energy and transportation, as governments look to protect the investments they have made.
The hardened designs of the best industrial Ethernet switches mean they are equally at home outdoors, where they will be needed in many of these infrastructure and security applications, whether they are power plants, roads, transportation platforms or water utilities.