In the control panel market there is an ongoing trend from conventional panels to more intelligent, analogue addressable systems. More recently companies have introduced IP-based products that allow fire detection systems to be more closely integrated with security and facility management systems. The IMS report predicts that the EMEA (Europe, Middle East & Africa) market for control panels will be worth ?251.9 million by 2010, with over 80% derived from analogue addressable and network panels.
IMS Research analyst James McManus commented, "From a price/performance perspective, analogue addressable panels are very popular. They have more sophisticated features than the conventional types and are proven to reduce the number of false alarms. Falling prices and the increased availability of lower-end models are enticing more companies to install them".
Aspirating smoke detectors (ASDs) represent another growth opportunity in the fire detection market. IMS Research forecasts that the market for ASDs will grow much faster than all the other detector markets, with annual growth of around 7-8% per annum.
McManus commented, "There is already a significant market for these devices in mission critical applications due to their unique ability to identify the by-products of a fire in its very early stages. They are now increasingly being used in a wider range of applications, such as warehouses and cold storage facilities."
In the notification products market, IMS Research is predicting strong growth for voice evacuation systems, with a CAGR of 6.6%. According to McManus, "Voice evacuation systems are the most effective way to evacuate a premise, be it an office, an airport or a railway station. They provide the intelligence needed to alert people of an actual emergency, giving information of what to do and where to go. They are likely to be installed in a wide range of applications. In the UK they are already being incorporated into public address systems".

IMS Research is a specialist supplier of market research on global electronics markets. Information from IMS Research is used by major companies worldwide to assess market trends, solve marketing problems, and improve the efficiency of their businesses. IMS Research is an international company, selling in more than 35 countries around the world and supported by offices in Austin, Texas, Shanghai, China and Wellingborough, UK. IMS Research's press release archive is available on line: http://www.imsresearch.com