Silicon and Crystal Timing Solutions Market to Exceed $5.7 B

The market for silicon- and crystal-based timing devices is continuing its smooth expansion and, according to a new study from ABI Research, total revenues will grow from $4.2 B in 2006 to exceed $5.7 B in 2011.

Senior analyst Douglas McEuen says that, "The current steady, moderate growth in timing solutions revenue is being driven by the expansion of strong consumer electronics and computer applications sectors, and because silicon timing solutions are improving. Silicon is increasingly able to handle some of the timing tasks traditionally given to crystals. However, continued under-investment by telecoms infrastructure vendors could have a negative effect in the medium term."

While silicon-based timing devices are still not as capable of sophisticated tasks as crystal oscillators, they are getting better, and will eventually replace crystals in many contexts. That will produce further synergies for the industry as mass production becomes cheaper and easier.

The Asia-Pacific region has continued to show the strongest growth, which is not surprising considering the great demand for timing devices from the consumer electronics industry. Most of the market-leading vendors, including Epson Toyocom, NDK and Kyocera, are based in Asia.

Some vendors, however, prefer to avoid such a high dependence on a single market sector, and have diversified. Vectron International, for example, has attempted to future-proof its strategy by targeting military and satellite manufacturers with high-end timing solutions. Such strategies are wise, says McEuen: "The most successful timing solution vendors in the long run will be those offering a broad product line."

"The Timing Solution Market: Quartz Crystal, Crystal and SAW Oscillators, and Silicon Timing Devices" identifies the trends and strategies driving each of these market segments, and focuses on detailed market share data and quantification of the market according to engineering parameters such as package type, tuning type, stability and application. It forms part of ABI Research's Wireless Semiconductors Research Service, which includes a variety of Research Reports, Research Briefs, Market Data, Online Databases, ABI Insights and analyst inquiry support.