This IDC study examines the market conditions and opportunity from 2005 through 2009 for enterprise-class wireless LAN equipment that complies with IEEE 802.11 standards. This analysis covers worldwide enterprise client access devices and network access points and bridges. This analysis also includes market sizing and forecasts for independent and dependent enterprise-class access points as well as the switching and controller hardware designed to streamline management and operation of an enterprise wireless LAN system. Within the dependent access point market, IDC also sizes and forecasts the percentage of dependent access points controlled by appliances and LAN switches.

"The WLAN market is growing quickly. Despite this growth, the market is still young and immature. Security, ease of use, and a clear articulation of the business case for new wireless applications are maturing quickly. Customers of WLAN technologies will have to prepare themselves for a constantly evolving mix of application and performance demands." ? Abner Germanow, program manager, Enterprise Networking and WLAN