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Here we are at the start of a new year – Happy New Year to all. It’s not hard to see what technologies will thrive in 2007: proliferation of draft 802.11n products, rollout of WiMAX 802.16e and home networked consumer electronics and computing systems.

Despite the prediction that IEEE 802.11n will not be fully ratified until 2008, manufacturers are not waiting and feel confident that the draft standard is good enough. Many manufacturers believe that any changes to the final version will be small and can be mitigated with software upgrades. Thus, the charge is on and consumers will experience the benefits of extended range and bandwidth.

With the ratification of 802.16e, WiMAX rollout will accelerate with new business models that include voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) and video on demand (VoD). Markets will explode with a plethora of mobile devices that make Dick Tracy’s wrist communicator look primitive. Asian markets are taking the lead.

An entirely new genera of products is now starting to emerge – networked entertainment devices and systems. 2007 will reveal a wide range of set-top boxes from audio/video cable stretchers to DVRs that communicate over a home network. The content and features of the living-room-based DVR will be accessible throughout the home.

Networked entertainment will also be tied to the PC, enabled by Intel Viiv and Microsoft Vista technologies. In many homes, the PC will be the entertainment/information hub, acting as a DVR/PVR, with set-top-box satellites placed around the home. Consumers will have a choice of both PC-based and non-PC-based networked entertainment systems.

The two leading technologies that will thrive in 2007 to make home-networked entertainment a reality are 200 Mbps HomePlug AV standard-based powerline communications and draft 802.11n Wi-Fi. These technologies will multiply as both add-on and embedded solutions. HomePlug supporters believe that using the ac wiring in the home is the best solution for whole-house coverage, robustness and ease of use. I am seeing that many manufacturers and service providers agree – you will see their products and services bursting on the scene in 2007 with the first big wave in Asia.

As we progress through 2007, HDTV will continue to take hold, Blu-ray optical disc technology will be on the rise and home network bandwidth requirements will jump nearly an order of magnitude. Telco-based Internet protocol TV (IPTV) will become a familiar alternative to satellite and cable, giving consumers yet another alternative and add to the competitive field. The future of broadband to the home is strong and growing, now joined by broadband throughout the home.

It’s going to be a fun year.

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