Efficiency Drives Power Management Revenue Growth

摘要

It isn't a desire to save the Planet that encourages computer system builders to seek out high-efficiency voltage regulators. Rather, there is a calculable savings in cooling and air conditioning costs that comes from the replacement of linear regulators with switch-mode parts in point-of-load (POL) applications. Thus, large computers, servers and communications servers will be major drivers of voltage regulator IC growth. Gartner believes that sales revenues for the standard voltage regulator segment will grow an average of 7.2 percent per year through 2011. Revenues for voltage regulators in the computing industry will grow at an 8.8 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR) - faster than the semiconductor industry as a whole. This paper examines some of the factors promoting this growth.