Parks Associates: Ultra-Wideband (UWB) Market Primed for Strong Growth in Next Five Years.

Finalization of 802.15.3a standards process is critical to driving mass-market adoption of UWB; Parks Associates predicts PC, mobile CE, and fixed CE applications to drive growth

Dallas, Texas September 24, 2003 ? Ultra-wideband (UWB) communications systems, which enable short-range and very robust wireless connectivity between devices, will propagate within the next five years, exceeding 150 million devices by year-end 2008, according to Personal Area Connectivity Solutions: The Next Generation.

This new report from Parks Associates also warns that uncertainties about the finalization of the IEEE 802.15.3a standard may slow this market at the outset. However, once the standard is in place, the PC industry will likely lead the way with large deployments of UWB-enabled PCs and peripheral interconnect solutions, followed by the mobile CE space (digital cameras and music players) and the fixed CE segment (HDTVs, projectors, and A/V receivers).

?The adoption of a widely accepted industry standard such as 802.15.3a is essential in matching UWB?s market reality to its very high expectations,? said Kurt Scherf, vice president of research at Parks Associates. ?A universal standard is particularly critical among larger CE and PC vendors, who are seeking a wireless solution that meets their needs across platforms and requirements. We believe that UWB could very well be that unifying communications technology.?

Parks Associates? report Personal Area Connectivity Solutions: The Next Generation addresses the prospects for UWB commercialization, examining market drivers and inhibitors, profiling leading industry players, and providing chipset and revenue forecasts through 2008. For more information on this or other Parks Associates? research, please contact Parks Associates at 972-490-1113 or at sales@parksassociates.com.

For more information about the UWB market, download the white paper The Market for Ultra-Wideband Solutions at http://www.parksassociates.com.

About Parks Associates: Parks Associates is a market research and consulting firm that provides information and analysis on emerging residential, small office, and light commercial technologies. Founded in 1986, Parks Associates creates research capital for companies ranging from Fortune 500 to small start-ups through market reports, multiclient studies, consumer research, workshops, and custom-tailored client solutions.

Its market expertise encompasses the full range of connected-home solutions, including home networks, digital entertainment, broadband and Internet services, and home systems. Parks Associates also hosts two industry events, Forum and CONNECTIONS? (in partnership with the Consumer Electronics Association), each year. http://www.parksassociates.com.