Test & Measurement Industry-Elucidating What We Understand

The world of electronic is gigantic. Earlier, as industrialization began, the need for equipment testing seemed trifling. Now as the digitalization takes dominance, the Test & Measurement industry plays a cogent role.

What really is T & M?

Test and measurement (T&M) systems play a critical role in ratifying the performance of a wide range of electronic products. They are used across the entire product lifecycle, starting from the product design and development phase, to production testing, pre- and post-market testing, as well as support.

Opportunities

There are a lot of opportunities for the growth of the T & M industry amongst which is the introduction of new technologies, expanding end-user applications including defense, telecom, broadcasting, consumer electronics, automation and the automotive industry. There’s also the growing need to validate the performance of equipment and several other factors which includes stringent quality, safety, and environmental standards for manufacturing, maintenance and the use of equipment. The government initiative such as ‘Make in India’ can also be a major factor contributing to the opportunities for the T & M industry to flourish. T&M companies over more recent years have introduced ways to make their instruments both more affordable and more flexible.

Obstructions

While there are big chances for the growth of the industry, it brings equal challenges along. The price sensitivity issue in the T & M industry remains the biggest challenge yet. Building a test system to solve today’s challenges is no longer a simple problem. Instead, it requires the evaluation of expanding test requirements and an architecture that can last over time. The need to develop test equipment that is suitable to the skills and capabilities of the end –user adds up another disadvantage.

Way Forward

The world is increasingly software oriented, and the way we interact with devices is changing. Smartphones, set-top boxes, and even automobiles are now defined by their embedded software. With this evolution, the industry is challenged to keep up with the pace of innovation and the resulting complexities. Moreover, the T & M industry is expected a huge growth by 2020 as the demand for more smart and wireless devices increases rapidly with time. The T & M industry will work as solution partners with decision makers in the electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) industry by offering leading-edge electronics design and test services. As the industry progresses, many competitors will have entered the market, and it creates an onerous situation to compete with international suppliers in terms of quality, durability, reliability, and technological innovation.  The vendor competition is expected to intensify with an increase in technological innovations. Thus, the T & M industry has already embarked itself on a journey that ends with making the technology business more productive in the coming years