Smart NICs Set to Soar: $5bn Market Projected by 2028

The Smart NIC market is projected to surpass $5 billion by 2028, according to Dell'Oro. The demand for accelerated computing continues to push the boundaries in server connectivity, with port speeds of 400 Gbps and higher becoming increasingly necessary.

"The Ethernet Adapter market is expected to experience a compound annual growth rate of 13 percent, driven by the adoption of higher-speed ports and Smart NICs within data center infrastructures," says Baron Fung from Dell'Oro. He further adds, "Hyperscale cloud service providers will play a significant role in driving the development of server connectivity. This includes the adoption of customized Smart NICs and DPUs, as well as server port speeds reaching 800 Gbps in the next few years for accelerated computing. While the deployment of these technologies may lag in other market segments, it still presents an attractive opportunity for open vendors offering off-the-shelf solutions."

The forecast for the total Ethernet Controller and Adapter market, excluding the AI back-end network market, predicts a value exceeding $8 billion by 2028.

By 2028, the majority of accelerated servers are expected to have server access speeds of 400 Gbps and higher.

During the forecast period, Smart NICs are anticipated to cannibalize Standard NICs as their adoption increases.