2014 saw semiconductor sales boom
Worldwide industrial semiconductor revenues grew by 18% year-over-year in 2014, according to IHS. Global industrial semiconductor revenue in 2014 totalled $40,4-billion, up from $34,3-billion in 2013. The year-over-year increase follows solid growth of 13% in 2013, a...IoT to boom in industrial automation
The installed base of wireless IoT devices in industrial automation reached 10,3-million in 2014. According to new research from analyst firm Berg Insight, the number of wireless IoT devices in automation networks will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 27,2% to reach 43,5-million by 2020. There is a wide range of wireless technologies used in industrial automation with different characteristics and use cases. 802.15.4 based standards such as WirelessHART and ISA100.11a are major contenders at the field level in process automation networks.
Contactless payments boom in SA
Contactless payments continue to gain traction in South Africa, with Standard Bank saying it has issued more than 11 222 devices to merchants and that some 7 370 have adopted its “tap and go” solution. The bank adds that over R16-billion in payment transactions has been processed by merchants in South Africa since Standard Bank first introduced the contactless payment technology to its customers in 2012.