The Linley Group

About Bob Wheeler

Bob Wheeler is The Linley Group's senior analyst for networking silicon. He has over twenty years of experience in the networking, semiconductor, and PC industries. He has been an industry analyst and consultant since 1997, serving clients such as 3Com, AMD, ESS Technology, and Merrill Lynch. He is the coauthor of A Guide to Network Processors, A Guide to 10G Ethernet Adapters and Controller Chips, Communications Silicon Market Forecast, A Guide to Security Processors and Accelerators, A Guide to Ethernet Switch and PHY Chips, Communications Silicon Market Share 2007, A Guide to Backplane Switch Chips, and A Guide to Next-Generation Wireless. Bob has spoken at numerous industry conferences, including the Network Systems Design Conference, Networld+Interop, Communications Design Conference, Embedded Processor Forum, and Microprocessor Forum.

Before 1997, Bob was Division Marketing Manager for the Network Products Division of AMD. He was responsible for marketing local area network (LAN) products including Ethernet and wireless LAN controllers and transceivers. Strategic customers included HP, Compaq, Cisco, 3Com, and many other PC and networking OEMs. During his four-year tenure at AMD, Bob's roles included strategic marketing, product marketing, and technical marketing positions.

Prior to joining AMD, Bob was Head of Operations for Way To Go Corporation, a technology startup. The company launched a wireless traffic information appliance and service in the San Francisco bay area. Bob was responsible for taking the product from proof-of-concept prototypes to production, including field testing, contract manufacturing, and establishing the traffic operation center. This challenging role built on his experience as Engineering Manager at Sysgen, Inc., a manufacturer of PC peripheral products. At Sysgen, Bob was responsible for the development of one of the first client/server tape backup systems for local area networks.

Bob spent the early part of his career as a software engineer, including seven years at microcomputer pioneer North Star Computers. While working for North Star in the mid-eighties, he was responsible for one of the first ports of Novell NetWare to an OEM platform. In the early eighties he worked as an independent consultant at the U.C. Berkeley School of Business, serving as a microcomputer programmer. Bob virtually grew up with the microcomputer, having built a Z80-based S-100 bus system while still in high school. He has also been a licensed amateur radio operator since 1983, gaining experience in radio frequency design and techniques.