Mara White, industrial Ethernet manager for Fluke Networks, expects the industrial market to fuel demand for testing and measurement equipment. “There is a strong need for tools that serve the industrial market because any downtime in the plant industrial network comes with a significant cost,” said White. “Specifically, we see a need for test and measurement tools that meet the rugged environmental challenges of an industrial setting.”

According to White, there is strong interest and growth in industrial Ethernet. “Based on market data and direct customer interest, we see the industrial Ethernet market growing by as much as 50% in the next five years,” she said.

“Ethernet is not new,” she continued. “But the application of Ethernet to industrial settings is. As industrial users discover the advantages of Ethernet, the need for test and troubleshooting tools goes up.”

According to Dan Payerle, a senior product manager at IDEAL Industries, the biggest trend for network certifiers is the advent of new standards. “The most recent change is the ratification of the Cat 6a cabling standard,” said Payerle. “This defines cabling requirements to support 10GbE over twisted-pair cabling.

“We expect that newer applications, next-generation networks, and continuing demand for multimedia triple-play broadband will continue to generate growth for network certifiers and testing equipment that is needed to prove network quality,” he continued. “Testers that can do both copper and fiber will see higher demand.”

He added that networks are being upgraded to accommodate changing bandwidth requirements, and network administrators are constantly evaluating their current physical cable plants to make sure that they can support emerging applications. “To support these demanding business applications, cabling contractors and installers need the right testing tools to improve network performance and productivity,” said Payerle.

“For us, cabling and network testers have provided the greatest market growth over the past two years,” said Assaji Aluwihare, general manager of the network and enterprise test division for JDSU. “This is mainly due to the growth of GbE deployments, as well as the increase in the numbers of electrical contractors performing low-voltage VDV installations.”

Aluwihare said that several trends have contributed to steady sales. “The growth markets and applications are VoIP deployments, security camera growth (both analog and IP), and wireless access points,” he said. “The biggest product trends have been the upgrading of networks from 100Mbps to 1GbE, the growth of PoE devices, VDV convergence, and the movement beyond physical cabling testing to active network testing capabilities.”

Over the past two years, Jim Carefoot, senior product manager for VDV instruments at Greenlee, said the company has seen the most market growth in electronic cable identification and troubleshooting combo tools. “The most time-consuming problems in communication and other low-voltage wiring revolve around organizing and commissioning the cable plant,” he noted.

“In a slowing economy the value proposition leans heavily on productivity,” Carefoot continued. “Testing speed and accuracy will be attractive; simplicity of use will also be part of that.”

Current product trends have also been affected by new engineering approaches. Aluwihare explained that new test and measurement products have shifted away from traditional LED-based devices to screen-based devices. Furthermore, improvements in technology have allowed for the production of more functional products at a lower price.

Carefoot added that lower-power, higher-density semiconductors are making it easier to deliver value to professionals doing telecom testing. “Integrated circuit technology combined with display improvements are key to delivering faster, lighter products at a reasonable cost,” he said.

Carazo provides B2B marketing services for electrical industry organizations. He can be reached at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .