VDC Research Blog




From Monolithic to Modular: The Chiplet Revolution Explained

by Joe Abajian | 05/14/2025

To the dismay of skeptics, Moore’s law has held true for 60 years. The number of transistors per microchip has roughly doubled every two years, but the cost of adding transistors has increased exponentially—not linearly. Additionally, more transistors in a smaller area generate new manufacturing and engineering challenges. As transistor counts exploded, silicon wafer quality became more critical. Crystal lattice defects, dopant concentration variations, and surface contamination can disable circuit pathways and create entire regions of non-functional transistors. Put simply, silicon defects are extremely expensive problems that are much more likely to occur on larger dies for monolithic system-on-chips (SoCs). To combat the risks associated with packing transistors onto a large die, semiconductor companies have focused research dollars on chiplets, which feature interlocking sets of discrete components on separate pieces of silicon, enabling modular customization that addresses the unique performance and I/O needs of industries such as automotive and medical.

Industrial Networking Is Undergoing a Transformation. Are You Ready?

by Jared Weiner | 05/07/2025

As industries continue their march toward digitalization, the role of networking technologies at the operational edge is becoming more strategic and more complex. From low-latency deterministic protocols to secure wireless connectivity for remote assets, industrial networking is no longer a support layer. It’s a competitive differentiator.

What’s Next for Edge AI Development?

by Joe Abajian | 05/06/2025

Hardware innovations advance edge AI, but software innovations make it possible. Model optimization technology has brought bulky AI models to low-power devices, expanding the realm of possibilities for AI applications at the edge. Processor-specific optimizations and software toolkits have further enabled edge AI on devices that lack hardware acceleration or high performance CPUs. Thinking back to early February at Embedded World 2025, an annual conference held in Nuremberg showcasing the latest innovations in embedded technology, AI hardware was the star of the show. Several chip and IP providers released new products targeting edge AI.

FPV Drones: A Catalyst for MCU-based RTOS Evolution

by Brendan Bradley | 05/01/2025

Shortly after the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine by Russian forces, the hand-controlled first-person view (FPV) drone emerged as a critical delivery method for over-the-horizon anti-personnel and anti-tank munitions. In the hands of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, this force multiplier tool helped level out the asymmetrical conflict. Since then, both sides of the conflict have made heavy use of these small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to minimize troop casualties and extend the reach of their front lines.

The Future of Industrial Machine Health Monitoring

by Jared Weiner | 04/30/2025

Industrial organizations today are undergoing a profound shift in how they manage and maintain critical equipment. Machine health monitoring is no longer a niche function; it is becoming a foundational pillar of operational excellence across industries. As companies prioritize maximizing uptime, improving efficiency, and transitioning to predictive maintenance models, machine health solutions are moving from optional to essential.

Smart, Sustainable, Scalable: Industrial Innovation at Hannover Messe 2025

by Neha Narula | 04/24/2025

Sustainability, digital transformation and industrial AI dominated discussions at Hannover Messe 2025. Over 4,000 exhibitors from around the globe convened in Hannover, Germany, to showcase their latest innovations reshaping the industrial landscape. Many focused on delivering clear, outcome-based solutions for their customers, while others emphasized the power of their technologies to streamline operations across complex, distributed systems.

Samsung Furthers Commitment to Rugged, Announces Release of Galaxy XCover7 Pro and TabActive5 Pro

by Jacob Prior | 04/15/2025

Samsung launched its newest rugged devices, the Galaxy XCover7 Pro and Galaxy Tab Active5 Pro, engineered for industries that demand reliable and durable technology. These devices build off the successes of previous models, such as the XCover6 Pro and Tab Active4 Pro, and include key upgrades that represent a step forward in processing power and battery life.

VDC Research at TKH Vision’s India Roadshow 2025

by Richa Gupta04/01/2025

TKH Vision is a machine vision conglomerate headquartered in Netherlands. It offers a comprehensive range of camera-based vision systems for industrial and security applications. TKH’s machine vision business includes the following brands (by way of acquisitions) – Allied Vision Technologies, Chromasens, Euresys, LMI Technologies, Mikrotron, NET, Nerian, and SVS-Vistek.

On April 1st, 2025 TKH Vision held part one of its 2-part roadshow in Bangalore, India. The company’s entry into the Indian market with machine vision solutions marks a significant milestone in the rapidly evolving industrial automation landscape. India's manufacturing sector has been experiencing robust growth, with industrial production output showing an average year-over-year growth of 4.7% over the last 36 months. This growth trajectory along with government initiatives like "Make in India” and production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes have created an opportunity for an increase in automation investments to improve operational efficiencies and support error-free workflows. By all accounts, India is being increasingly positioned as the next big global manufacturing destination. Learn more

Intelligent Automation Takes Center Stage at LogiMAT and ProMat 2025

by Neha Narula | 03/28/2025

LogiMAT and ProMat showcased the breakthrough innovations that are revolutionizing intelligent automation in 2025 and beyond.

The VDC team had numerous discussions at both events that highlighted exciting developments related to AI, data capture, labeling, logistics, machine vision, manufacturing, robotics, supply chains, and much more. The pressing themes underlying both events included improving labor allocation, enhancing worker satisfaction, strengthening traceability, automating repetitive workflows, and advancing sustainable practices. Learn more

7 Years in the Making: Chicago PD Rolls Out Samsung DeX

by Elliot Mintz02/11/2025

Across many industries, frontline mobile workers perform beyond the traditional office setup, tackling daily challenges without the convenience of a desk, keyboard, mouse, and monitor. This is especially true in public safety where duties demand law enforcement officers, fire personnel, and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) to operate in vehicles or on their feet. Technology has evolved along with the expectations of public safety workers from bulky and expensive mobile data terminals (MDTs) to the ergonomic rugged notebooks we frequently see in vehicles today. Efforts to advance past this in-vehicle form factor have experienced slow uptake and limited adoption, but in February 2025, Samsung announced its deployment of 10,000 Samsung Galaxy S series smartphones to the Chicago Police Department with its Samsung DeX mobile desktop and Samsung Knox software. This marks a significant step towards a more dynamic mobile solution for public safety and sets the precedent that the mobile-driven workstation configuration is viable in a large-scale deployment. Learn more

CES 2025: AI Extends to the Intelligent Edge

by Mark Fitzgerald02/04/2025

VDC attended CES 2025, an event that included more than 4,500 exhibitors viewed by more than 141,000 attendees. Key topics included real-world artificial intelligence applications used to power the Intelligent Edge—resulting from huge investments in AI technology over the past 3-4 years.
Learn more

Inside VDC's Buyer Behavior Guide: The Key Drivers of Enterprise Tech Decisions

by Elliot Mintz | 01/30/2025

VDC Research recently published its 2024 Buyer Behavior Guide, exploring decision makers’ preferences on enterprise and government technology. The survey highlights ongoing trends in organizations' purchasing criteria when investing in mobile devices for their frontline workers in healthcare, field service, public safety, retail, manufacturing, transportation and logistics, and warehousing. In the 2024 edition, VDC investigated new developments around AI adoption, sustainability initiatives like EPEAT, and best practices for mobile device sourcing and disposal. Learn more

Zebra Acquires Photoneo to Expand 3D Vision Offerings

by Andy Adelson | 01/27/2025

In December 2024 Zebra Technologies announced its intent to acquire Photoneo, a Slovakian maker of 3D sensors for machine vision. Founded in 2013, Photoneo differentiates itself from numerous vendors of 3D MV sensors by offering parallel structured light, developed and patented by the company’s co-founder Jan Zizka. Learn more

Smarter, Faster, Closer: The Power of Edge AI Workloads

by Joe Abajian | 01/07/2025

Artificial intelligence workloads are the engines driving innovation, transforming operational data into fuel for solutions powering the connected world. At the edge, AI workloads have evolved to maximize available computing power through the use of new sophisticated development tools and software resources from a variety of organization types. AI development solution providers such as Edge Impulse and MathWorks have continued to advance model optimization techniques, bringing innovative intelligence to edge systems. Computer vision models and generative neural network inference are focal points for development on edge devices today, but compute-intensive edge AI workloads will diversify greatly in the near future.nes and other devices to connect with both cellular stations and satellite services. Learn more

Satellite Partnerships are Driving an Interconnected World

by Lucas Fritz | 12/06/2024

The past few years have seen a boom in the satellite industry due to the reductions in costs to send Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellites to orbit and increased integration of satellite services with 5G devices. Today, Blue Orbit’s New Shepard rocket costs between $5 million and $7 million. Compared to the 1980’s, these prices are 40 times lower. With cheaper parts, the ability to design smaller spacecraft machinery, and large investments towards SpaceX and Blue Origin, costs for takeoff have dropped. As these costs have lowered, satellite applications for companies such as Starlink have grown. Well-known brands like T-Mobile have collaborated with Starlink and Verizon on Skylo to reach a common goal of eliminating mobile dead zones. Following this trend, there has been a surge of partnerships between terrestrial network operators and satellite internet providers allowing smartphones and other devices to connect with both cellular stations and satellite services. Learn more

Significant Implications for Private Networks Growth as Motive Companies Acquires GXC

by Rowan Litter | 11/22/2024

Earlier this month, private wireless solution provider, GXC, announced that the company was acquired by Motive Companies, a systems integrator and leader in renewable energy and infrastructure solutions. As one of the fastest-growing providers in the private wireless market, GXC quickly caught the attention of Motive executives. Motive aims to leverage GXC’s leading private wireless mesh network approach to serve and expand its extensive customer base with network transformation capabilities. Regarding the acquisition, CEO of Motive Companies, Bob Istwan noted… Learn more

The Data-Powered Supply Chain – AIDC Headed Towards a Traceable Future

by Richa Gupta | 11/21/2024

Ongoing digital transformation within factories and the shift to Industry 5.0 standards is driving the need for automated, cloud-based solutions that can facilitate error-free serialization and traceability workflows. Regulations like the Drug Supply Chain Security Act (DSCSA) and the Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) 204 are influencing the implementation of serialization mandates in the pharmaceutical and food and beverage sectors. Additionally… Learn more

Energy Transition Initiatives Will Stimulate OT Cybersecurity Market Growth

by Jared Weiner | 09/10/2024

Over the years, several high-profile breaches have drawn attention to the consequences of inadequately secured OT networks and systems. Though attacks explicitly targeting OT networks remain relatively rare, the steadily increasing connectivity between OT, IT, and other external networks has led to an increased frequency of such attacks… Learn more

Smart City Gold Rush: UK Companies Leading the Way

by Matt Diaks and Dan Mandell, with Chris Rommel | 08/28/2024

UK technology providers are shepherding a wave of emerging, lucrative smart city market opportunities for the embedded and IoT ecosystem. Smart cities refer to advanced urban areas that leverage a mix of cutting-edge technologies, across various use cases, to enhance the innovation, sustainability, and efficiency of these regions… Learn more

The Hot Dog Theory for Embedded Systems

by Chris Rommel | 08/28/2024

A dozen years have passed since first comparing the degree of faith we have in hot dogs’ composition to that we have in safety-critical software. Over that time, what has changed? Learn more

Scandit Gets “Smart”er with MarketLab Acquisition

by Andy Adelson and Richa Gupta | 08/26/2024

On Wednesday, August 21st, smart data capture provider Scandit announced its acquisition of the technology of MarketLab, a Polish image recognition and AI software company specializing in the retail industry. Scandit’s solutions run primarily on consumer-grade devices, usually smartphones. MarketLab’s shelf audit automation solution SmartEye, similar to Scandit’s ShelfView, offers fixed camera-based data capture on store shelves… Learn more

Europe’s 5G Crossroads and its Outlook for Chinese Technology

by Jack Watchmaker, with Dan Mandell | 08/19/2024

The IoT and embedded systems landscape is undergoing a revolutionary transformation. With 5G connectivity’s unparalleled speeds, ultra-low latency, and ability to connect a massive number of devices simultaneously, industry computing solutions and services are enduring rapid growths and innovations. At the heart of this metamorphosis… Learn more

Virtual ECUs: The Secret Sauce Behind the Software Defined Vehicle

by Mark Fitzgerald, with Chris Rommel | 08/19/2024

The automotive industry is undergoing unprecedented change as technological advancements enable the development of features for connected infotainment and services, ADAS and semi-autonomous systems, and advanced powertrain solutions. This change is promoting the shift from the hardware-defined vehicle with a distributed electrical/electronic (E/E) architecture to the software-defined vehicle (SDV) with a centralized domain or zonal electronic control unit (ECU) structure that is upgradable via over-the-air (OTA) updates… Learn more

How AI Will Help Public Safety Protect 15 Million at the 2024 Paris Olympics

by Elliot Mintz | 07/23/2024

In just a few days, millions will flock to Paris for the 2024 Olympic Games to watch athletes compete at the highest level. To maintain the safety and security of the largest crowd in Paris’s history, public safety agencies must be at the top of their game. Advanced technology will be at the forefront of many initiatives driving towards the goal of protecting all participants and spectators of the games… Learn more

Walmart’s Strategic Implementation of Electronic Shelf Labels (ESL): A Game-Changer for U.S. Retail?

by Richa Gupta, with Aleksia Bruzho, Research Intern | 07/23/2024

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer also known for its commitment to technology innovation, announced plans to implement Electronic Shelf Labels (ESLs) in 2,300 of its U.S. stores by 2026. The retailer initiated this move… Learn more

Global Outage to Microsoft Cloud Services Raises Concerns on Technology Reliance

by Rowan Litter | 07/19/2024

Thousands of enterprises and workers across industries around the globe woke up Friday morning to what is described as the “Blue Screen of Death” on their Windows PCs. This outage originates… Learn more

Hardware Accelerators Raise the Ceiling for Edge Servers

by Jack Watchmaker, with Dan Mandell | 07/09/2024

High-end edge servers are revolutionizing operational environments and creating substantial value for both OEMs and end users. Most notably, this includes their ever-growing capacity to process large volumes of data locally… Learn more

AI-Accelerated Automation Surges in SCA

by Joe Abajian & Dan Mandell, with Chris Rommel | 07/02/2024

AI integration has emerged as an avenue for competitive differentiation across the software world. Large Language Models (LLMs) have demonstrated their ability to effectively produce and augment code. While still imperfect and known to ‘hallucinate’ in response to open ended prompts, many AI models can write code with high levels of confidence… Learn more

Apple Intelligence and VisionOS 2 Highlight Apple’s 2024 Worldwide Developers Conference

This week, at Apple’s annual Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC), the company announced several new developments, led by their anticipated entrance into the Artificial Intelligence space… Learn more

The Future of Enterprise Technology Innovation: A Day at Zebra

by Rowan Litter | 05/23/2024

Zebra Technologies held its 2024 Innovation Day on May 14th, giving partners and analysts a dive into the company’s latest innovation roadmap and goals for the future. The event began with a highlight of key ‘megatrends’ that Zebra believes will support long-term growth, including IoT, automation, mobile/cloud computing, rising eCommerce demand, and of course, Artificial Intelligence… Learn more

Enterprise Mobility Trends: The In‑Vehicle Office

by Elliot Mintz | 04/29/2024

We live in a dynamic era where the traditional office setting, complete with desks and computers, is no longer the exclusive setup for many workers. Frontline mobile workers in industries like transportation, public safety, utilities, and manufacturing, spend their days entirely in vehicles or rely on them for most of their operational workflows. Replacing a standard office with an in-vehicle workspace poses unique challenges that various OEMs have tackled by offering vehicle‑based solutions catered to mobile workers and their industries. These solutions include rugged computers, vehicle mounts, mobile routers, power cradles, accessories, and telematics software that all come together to create a space in which workers and fleets can operate successfully. Learn more

Claroty, Competitors Continue OT Cybersecurity Arms Race

by Jared Weiner | 03/12/2024

Last week, Claroty announced it had raised $100 million in strategic growth financing. Building on $635 million in previously-raised funding, Claroty will use this new round―led by investments from Delta-v Capital, SE Ventures, and Rockwell Automation, among others―to scale the company’s solution offerings, expand in emerging regions, develop core and adjacent technologies, and strengthen its partnership ecosystem. Learn more

Automating the Manual: AI-driven Requirements Management

by Brendan Bradley | 03/11/2024

While ambitious goals to utilize generative artificial intelligence (AI) to automate the writing of code have gained popularity with recent advancements in AI, engineering functions elsewhere within the software development life cycle (SDLC) may prove to be better suited for near-term deployment of AI. User competency issues and security vulnerabilities remain considerable barriers to widescale use of generative AI coding tools. Learn more

Scalability Will Enable Next Wave of IIoT Platforms Market Growth

by Jared Weiner | 03/11/2024

In recent years, growth within the market for Industrial IoT Platforms has been driven in large part by the increasing availability of affordable processors, sensors, and other hardware components. This, in turn, has lowered IIoT adoption barriers for small to midsize industrial organizations. Initiatives driven by economic- and labor-related factors have contributed to a growing interest in automating various operational processes―such as those for quality assurance and remote monitoring―further fueling market growth. Learn more

Key IoT & Embedded Takeaways from Intel IFS Direct 2024

by Dan Mandell | 02/24/2024

The first Intel Foundry Direct Connect event took place this week and VDC Research was on hand to learn about the biggest implications to the IoT and embedded market. There were several key announcements made during the event on February 21st including the launch of Intel Foundry – Intel’s System Foundry approach to enable full-stack optimization for the AI era. Bleeding-edge process technologies are typically most focused on datacenter/hyperscalers, HPC, digital models, and enterprise AI applications. Learn more

The Drive to Standardize Automotive Software Updates

by Brendan Bradley | 01/30/2024

With the growth of the software-defined vehicle (SDV) and advancements in electrification across the mobility space, over-the-air (OTA) updates have emerged as the go-to method for both the maintenance and enhancement of in-vehicle software and features. Both innovators such as Tesla and NIO, as well as their legacy counterparts in GM and Honda, have adopted OTA as a way to remotely improve customer satisfaction, delivering new capabilities and features to vehicles as well as carrying out critical functional fixes or security patches to vehicle drivetrains and infotainment systems. Learn more

Proceed with Caution: The Need for Careful Automotive OTA Update Management

by Brendan Bradley | 01/24/2024

Initially adopted within the mobile phone industry and spreading across the consumer electronics market, over-the-air (OTA) updates have emerged as an effective solution to maintaining IoT systems and devices in the field, enabling the remote deployment of feature enhancements and patches to device firmware, software, configuration, and operating system (OS). Learn more

Securing the Road Ahead: Self-Driving Cars & Cybersecurity

by Joe Abajian & Dan Mandell | 01/03/2024

By nature, autonomous cars amplify cybersecurity stakes. If hackers compromise a self-driving car’s internal computing network, its safety critical components (brakes, gas, transmission, headlights, etc.) can become exposed. Fully automated fleets will be prime targets for ransomware hacks. In the future, crucial freight and trucking infrastructure will depend on automated systems. Learn more