A tough outlook for Wireless Presentation Solutions, Wireless Conferencing continues ascendancy

The wireless presentation solutions (WPS) market endured a challenging year in 2023. As macroeconomic issues and geopolitical tensions escalated, demand from the corporate sector declined significantly. Shipments of WPS hardware decreased 2% year-on-year, while limited budgets caused purchasers to consider products from lower price categories.  

Despite the difficulties of last year, a new report from Futuresource Consulting identifies ongoing opportunities for Wireless Conferencing (WCF), presenting an ongoing challenge to the established supremacy of WPS.  

Wireless Conferencing eats into higher price categories of WPS

“It’s been a rough ride for the industry,” says Scarlett Woodford, Senior Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “Last year, many prominent technology companies initiated redundancies, as well as significantly reducing their budgets for meeting room investment. Yet WPS solutions still represent an easy way for large corporates to provide a consistent end-user experience across multiple meeting rooms. Plus, the relatively low price point makes this technology a viable solution for enterprises looking to equip their meeting rooms on a budget.” 

“However, enterprises are steadfast in their mission to cut costs,” says Woodford. “Higher price categories of WPS are increasingly coming under threat from Wireless Conferencing solutions. With margins tight, enterprises are struggling to justify investment in steeper WPS technologies.” 

Wireless conferencing solutions gaining traction

Wireless conferencing (WCF) solutions are being favoured for their ability to combine the features of hardware wireless presentation solutions while also wirelessly connecting to in-room video conferencing peripherals.  

“Businesses are finding that WCF solutions can meet a wider range of enterprise needs at a similar price point to their WPS counterparts. This trend is becoming even more relevant as hybrid work practices solidify. 

“For wireless conferencing vendors to maintain market share, innovation is key. Investing in 4K display technology or prioritising meeting equity through the support of dual camera inputs and dual screen outputs could be viable strategies. We’re already seeing Kindermann as an early adopter of these technologies, but others are likely to follow in coming years.” 

Shipments of WPS remain flat, despite competition 

Despite increasing pressure from WCF, shipments of WPS units will remain relatively flat over the forecast period. Wireless presentation solutions still offer a relatively economical solution for large corporations with multiple meeting rooms – and current replacement cycles are acting as a buoyancy for shipment levels of like-for-like solutions. “We’ll only see WPS shipments begin to decline in 2027 and 2028,” says Woodford.  

Education presents opportunities for WCF 

“For WCF vendors hoping to maximise growth in the forecast period, higher education units and universities represent a prime opportunity. These establishments are often working with larger budgets than state-funded K-12 institutions, where WPS remains dominant.” 

Futuresource Consulting’s Wireless Presentation Solutions report provides analysis and forecasts of the global market for hardware WPS and WCF solutions. For more information on this report or to make a purchase, please contact Ben at ben.thrussell@futuresource-hq.com. 

About the author

Scarlett Woodford

Scarlett is a Senior Market Analyst in the Collaboration team at Futuresource Consulting, responsible for researching and consulting on the ways we work together, in an increasingly hybrid landscape.

 With a background in telecommunications and connectivity services, Scarlett is particularly interested in the impact of new technologies on existing business models.

 Scarlett has a degree in Psychology from the University of Surrey and has previous experience working as a research analyst in the service provider market.