The market for operator panels faces technological change and ongoing movement over the next year, according to the authors of a report called Operator Panel Worldwide Outlook from ARC Advisory Group.
Though the worldwide market for operator panels declined drastically in 2009, ARC claims it recovered slowly but steadily after the extreme years of 2007 and 2008.
„Beneath the relatively stable growth, however, is a changing competitive landscape and ongoing technological development,“ the report authors said.
According to the report, a comparably new segment in this mature market is the market for automation panels (panels with built-in control functionality). These panels are getting close to the functionality of embedded panel PCs.
In this market, not only is strong growth expected, but also new competitors. As this technology matures, it is likely that Asian suppliers, especially from Taiwan, will enter this market, the report authors said.
“The market for operator panels is divided into two parts: Suppliers that offer the panel plus controller business and suppliers that sell operator panels alone. During the coming years, technology will increasingly shift towards automation panels and this technological change will significantly alter the competitive landscape,” said ARC principal author of the report, analyst Florian Güldner.