In the decade since wireless standards emerged into the market, over three billion standards-based wireless chips have been sold and incorporated into products. Despite this huge growth, very many of them remain unused, and where they are deployed, only a few specific applications have emerged.

Intriguingly, the position is different if we look outside the field of wireless standards. If we compare the market for proprietary wireless, then the uses are very many and varied. Proprietary wireless competes directly with standards-based wireless in many areas and dominates in others. Amongst these are wireless mice and keyboards, stereo headsets and remote controls. There are a number of reasons for this and before looking in detail at the market potential for wireless standards, it is instructive to consider why they have not had the expected widespread success.

As an aside, proprietary wireless should not be dismissed as an option for wireless designs. It comes in many forms, is often optimised for a particular application and, as a result, can offer benefits in terms of power consumption and price. It achieves this because it does not come with the baggage that often encumbers a standard.

Where proprietary wireless falls down is evident from its name – it does not offer interoperability. For a product that will never talk to a product from a different manufacturer, proprietary wireless may be the best choice, but that means it is an isolated design.