Mixed Results and New Opportunities for Wireless Presentation and Conferencing Solutions Markets

Wireless presentation solutions (WPS) and wireless conferencing devices (WCF) have experienced divergent fortunes since COVID-19 began to shake the world. According to a new market report from Futuresource Consulting, the WPS market continued on its downward turn, while the WCF market managed to establish itself further as a viable technology opportunity.

Yet despite two years of decline for WPS, the future is bright, with Futuresource predicting WPS and WCF products will achieve combined shipments of nearly 1.3 million units by 2026, up from 674,000 last year.

“I’m sure many are now tired of hearing about the pandemic and its consequences,” says Dila Cebeci, Market Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “But it created such a fundamental technological and behavioural shift, that the aftershocks will be felt for a long time to come. And the effects are amplified for products like wireless presentation systems, which rely on people coming together in a physical space to mirror device content on a shared display.”

Wireless Presentation Solutions hit Hard, but Fighting Back

“The market was hit hard, shedding 25% of volume in 2020. Then optimism came creeping back in 2021, driven by the beginnings of vaccine rollouts in late 2020, and a return to offices seemed all but inevitable. However, with new coronavirus variants emerging, plans for investment had to be re-evaluated once again. WPS volumes were hit, though much less severely than 2020, dropping 3% year-on-year.”

Fast forward to the present day, and WPS devices are gaining traction, with the likes of Barco, Screenbeam and Airtame leading the charge. Opportunities within the education vertical are appearing across all territories. Corporate spaces in APAC and China are also providing uplift for the market, with a surge of meeting room installations across the region.

Wireless Conferencing Devices Reap the Rewards

The WCF market has been riding a wave of expansion throughout the pandemic, fuelled by the rise of hybrid and remote working. In 2021, this resulted in year-on-year growth of 14 percentage points, bolstered by companies wanting to futureproof their meeting rooms and ensure effective communication with remote participants.

WCF activity has mainly been centred around the Americas and EMEA, with Barco’s agnostic, wireless conferencing room system, Clickshare, enjoying a full year of sales and contributing heavily to growth. Wireless conferencing solutions accounted for 22% of hardware volumes in 2021, showing an eight percentage point climb from its 2020 share, with brands like Mersive and Barco leading the category.

For further information on Futuresource Consulting’s wireless presentation solutions report, or to make a purchase, please contact ben.thrussell@futuresource-hq.com

Date Published: 18 May 2022

Enterprise & Professional AV

About the author

Dila Cebeci

Dila is a market analyst within the Collaborations Team at Futuresource Consulting, analysing the ways in which collaborative work has changed over the last years and what changes are yet to come.

As pressures increase on remote and hybrid collaboration dynamics, this ever-evolving industry requires continuous adaptation and innovation. The Collaborations Team is examining what those changes are and how they are affecting the everyday lives of individuals and enterprises.

Dila has a postgraduate degree in Political Science from the University of North Carolina, alongside the Humboldt University in Berlin and University of Bath in the UK. She has previous researching experience in the transport and logistics industries, looking into supply chain structures and risks.