While the electronics industry continues to experience a downturn, wireless has been and continues to be a bright spot in the industry. Wireless technologies such as ultrawideband, 802.11 and 3G continue to be worked on, invested in and watched closely to see if they can help pull the broader technology industry out of its slump. I believe they can.

Certainly, the economic downturn has had a significant effect on the technology industry. However, looking at the broader economy, consumer spending remains strong. This presents tremendous opportunity for technology companies in a variety of areas that serve this healthy segment of the industry. I believe the next wave of technology is going to affect the consumer world, rather than the classical enterprise, and that is where wireless is a key driver to a broader technology recovery.

One of the major consumer opportunities is solving the problem of wireless digital video and audio distribution within the home. Consumers want it, consumer electronics OEMs want to provide it and now, with emerging technologies, wireless companies are ready to deliver it. Indeed, by adding wireless to everything from TVs to home theater gear to set-top boxes, this vision can become reality.

Until now, wireless technology's ability to deliver wirelike performance has prevented initial adoption. However, a key event took place earlier this year when the Federal Communications Commission approved unlicensed spectrum for ultrawideband technology, a relatively new technology that simultaneously delivers high-data-rate, low-power and lost-cost wireless with wirelike video quality. Opening this spectrum gives technology companies many more options in developing wireless-connectivity solutions. This, in turn, gives consumer electronics companies more options to create differentiating features for their products.

For example, a TV that wirelessly communicates with a camcorder is more desirable for consumers, who prefer not to deal with a tangle of wires to make a connection. Adding wireless functionality, at a low cost, to a variety of consumer electronics products will continue to be an enabling capability for expanding the home wireless-connectivity market. This, in turn, will continue to help drive the technology industry toward a broader recovery.

Products that comply with the FCC's ultrawideband ruling are just beginning to ship now, which means that they will find their way into consumer electronics products as early as Christmas 2003. So while many companies are considering how to ride out the perfect storm, it seems many already have their sights set on sunnier days.