The forecasts for higher revenue growth are based on the assumption that smart units will continue to gain market share, thereby driving up average unit prices. Smart units, which have the ability to connect to a network, can measure power consumption, switch units on and off, and even manage environmental sensors.
 
Although their impact on revenue growth is significant, IHS predicts that by the end of 2014, smart PDUs will account for only 20% of unit orders globally. IHS analyst Sarah McElroy notes: "The smart PDU market is far from saturated yet. The biggest opportunities are still in Asia." IHS estimates that less than 10% of rack PDU orders in Asia are for smart units.
 
Within Asia, the adoption of smart rack PDUs is occurring at different rates. For example, while the Chinese market remains predominantly non-smart, Hong Kong, as a more mature market, has a higher penetration of smart PDUs. Other mature markets like Oceania and Japan have a higher penetration of smart units than the rest of Asia.
 
"Multinational vendors have been active in the smart space for some time, but now we're starting to see some of the local Asian vendors introducing rack PDUs with smart features," McElroy adds. In Asia, relatively small local vendors make up a large part of the rack PDU market. Traditionally, they have been known for being agile competitors, low-end manufacturers of basic products, and price-competitive. Their gradual entry into the smart space forecasts further growth in this product category in Asia and also increased competition for international vendors
 
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