SuperSpeed USB 3.0, which moves data at 5 gigabits per second, to grow by 178 percent each year through 2015

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., 10 Aug. 2011. Use of the Universal Serial Bus (USB) 3.0 standard, or SuperSpeed USB, will grow by 178 percent each year through 2015, making up the majority of USB growth of 7.4 percent over the next four years, report market analysts at In-Stat in Scottsdale, Ariz.USB is a bidirectional, dynamically attachable interface for the PC. SuperSpeed USB, or USB 3.0, is designed to move data as quickly as 5 gigabits per second. By contrast, USB 2.0, released in 2000, moves data at 480 megabits per second, while USB 1.0, released in 1996, moves data at 1.5 or 12 megabits per second. SuperSpeed USB is backward-compatible with previous generations of the interface.USB can be a low-cost alternative for data links in aerospace and defense systems -- especially when these links involve rugged USB connectors designed to withstand the effects of shock, vibration, and moisture.

The switch to SuperSpeed USB is more quickly than analysts had expected, In-Stat officials say, because of fast integration of the standard into core logic chipsets. USB 1.0 and 2.0, nevertheless, still will be relevant for the near future, In-Stat analysts say.

USB 1.0 will remain dominant in mouse pointing devices and PC keyboards, while USB 2.0 will remain in many PC peripheral and CE applications, analysts say. Adoption of USB 3.0 initially will not be so broad as USB 1.0 and 2.0 were because the multi-gigabit speed of USB 3.0 is not necessary in some devices, explains says Brian O’Rourke, research director at In-Stat.

SuperSpeed USB 3.0, however, will come to dominate in applications that require data transfers of increasingly large pools of data, such as PCs, external hard disk drives, and USB flash drives, O'Rourke says. USB 3.0 should move in to applications like digital still cameras, camcorders, and portable media players over the next few years, he says.

More than 3.5-billion USB devices shipped in 2010, and 75 percent of those were USB 2.0, In-Stat analysts say. Mobile phones are a key USB driver and should play a substantial role in the emergence of USB 3.0.

For more information contact In-Stat online at www.instat.com.

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