The market for the wireless deployment of clinical and administrative information tools in the healthcare field has been perceived as a natural extension of existing wireline systems. While transference technologies vary, the predominant standard for hospitals has been the wireless local area network (WLAN). As these systems provide increased data transference without disturbing sensitive hospital equipment, WLAN is gaining popularity and creating a strong niche for itself within the healthcare environment. This Frost & Sullivan study provides a comprehensive guide to the U.S. markets for hospital WLANs. By examining industry drivers and weighing strategic recommendations, your firm will be able to develop dynamic business plans for successful market competition.

Declining Product Prices Attract Cost-Conscious Consumers

During the past three years, the overall costs of general access point device and personal computer cards have fallen between five and 10 percent annually. Even premium brand hardware is experiencing a steady decline in per unit prices; however, the trend is anticipated to propel sales as hospitals determine that WLAN purchases are finally an affordable option.

"This will clearly provide hospital administrators with the incentive to purchase wireless products. However, industry participants must be mindful that adoption has been overwhelmingly restricted to department-level purchases, primarily due to enterprise-level information technology (IT) budgets that have been significantly reduced to clear resources for needed operating expenses," says the study’s author.

Interoperable Formats Foster New Markets for Multi-Standards Devices

Despite their distinct frequency bands and transmission types, 802.11a and 802.11b standards can operate in reasonably close proximities without interference. This is proving beneficial for purchasing departments, who typically have differing wireless requirements.

"The market is now responding to hospital-specific needs by releasing Next-Generation multi-standards access points, that can simultaneously accept signal feeds from both 802.11a and 802.11b equipped mobile devices. If they haven’t done so already, most vendors will introduce similar products in their 2003 WLAN product offerings," states the author.

This Frost & Sullivan research offers an in-depth analysis of the factors influencing the U.S. hospital WLAN markets, enabling readers to fully evaluate the industry’s potential and make informed business decisions.