Technology Drives Growth and Conserves Market Structure
This study analyzes the industrial PC market for industrial PCs in manufacturing. The study analyzes complete industrial PCs sold to machine builders and end users. ARC also looks at technological developments, especially at the differences between embedded (no rotating parts and pre-configured hardware and software) and standard industrial PCs.
Different end user industries have different usage of industrial PCs. The semiconductor industry, for example, that is characterized by short product lifecycles, fast changing demand and price fluctuations, and rapid technology development, has strongly adopted PC technology. PCs are used as a platform to integrate third-party I/O, motion control, and networking.
Leading industrial PC suppliers monitor the markets for semiconductors and consumer electronics well, since these markets are responsible for the availability of components like panels and also show future trends in user interfaces like multi touch.
The market for industrial PCs is changing constantly, with the Atom processor as one of the latest developments. The Atom is adopted quickly, since it offers high computing power and low thermal design power. This offers various possibilities, especially more size-independent computing power, that enables new form factors.
The ongoing technical changes not only enable the industrial PC to grow constantly while exploring new applications in manufacturing, it also enables small companies to survive. These small companies do often address specific problems and offer a high degree of customization and are thereby increasing the rate of technological change and the competitiveness of the industrial PC market.
Strategic Issues
The competitive market and technological changes have created a situation where industrial PC suppliers are forced to have a clear business model and strategy towards their customers, technological development, and price.
- Industrial PCs have to be positioned clearly within the portfolio and have to be available as industry and application-specific solutions
- Use a flexible approach to your value chain and re-think the build vs. buy decision regularly
- Concentrate on emerging economies with rising wages and increasing automation needs
- Search out new markets like military, marine, telecom, and infrastructure.
- Standardize hardware and differentiate through software
- Monitor consumer electronic markets
