10G to bolster networks in 2009
2009 will be the year for the proliferation of 10G, specifically fuelling the growth of the small-to-medium corporate market. So claims Paul Luff, country manager, SMC Networks South Africa.
SMC Networks noted an increased interest in 10GB networking during 2008, being the first vendor on the market with a 10G copper Network Interface Card (NIC) solution. It was also one of the first vendors to go to market with a fibre 10G NIC.
As 10G is reducing in price, it is becoming more appealing for smaller enterprises. SMC Networks believes 10G will gain momentum in 2009 as an affordable option for SMEs running bandwidth hungry applications or accessing/distributing large volumes of data from storage servers.
“SMC Networks has taken cognisance of the economic difficulty globally and has projected that this will continue for the foreseeable future. As such we have tailored our offering to meet the need among end-users to maximise the life and usability of their existing networks. Clearly there is also a need to keep up with new applications and opt for effective add-ons that can bolster network performance without discarding legacy equipment,” says Luff.
The technologies that SMC Networks will focus on for 2009 all fall into this category of upgrade – 10G using existing infrastructure, VDSL adding revenue-generating networking features to existing cabling and 11N Wi-Fi increasing wireless speeds and distances with added security.
SMC Networks will be expanding its 10G switch offering in 2009 with the addition of a 24 port copper (cat 7) 10G switch. Its 10G NICs have unique data handling features which makes them ideal for use by the Financial Services market as well as ‘cluster computing’ applications.
SME will approach smaller, niche players that provide equipment with similar features and quality to that of well-known high-end data networking vendors, yet at a more affordable initial price and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO).
SMC will continue to expand on its offering of business orientated wired and wireless routers with features for the SME. Such customers will also find enterprise wireless solutions more appealing in 2009, as the range will expand with 11N enterprise access points and bridges. SMC Networks will also be adding to its already successful portfolio of VDSL products for the hospitality market.
With VDSL, hospitality venues can use existing cabling to offer voice, internet access and/or other services, such as in-room entertainment. SMC will expand its portfolio of VDSL2 products offering hotels a faster broadband connection than before and allowing added value services such as Video on Demand (VoD) and broadband internet access.
Aside from this expansion in offering, Luff also refers to the recently established distribution partnership it has entered into with Channel Data, saying it will add value to the South African network solution distribution and supply channel.
He believes the partnership will result in value-add in the form of expertise and product sets to address what both companies describe as the ‘traditionally neglected’ small-to-medium segment of the networking space.
“It is a popular belief among a lot of resellers out there that the small to medium enterprise market is basically a box-drop – you take the product, drop it off and then you go. We are all aware of the way technology has progressed and there is a lot more demand on the network, specifically around virtualization,” says Luff.
“This particular market segment doesn’t lend itself to have highly qualified IT engineers or similar skills set on board. Normally they are quite capable of putting together a small network, but not in optimising it. Hence they often get a raw deal and get upset with product investment – not because of the quality of the product, but they don’t have the capability and knowledge to install it correctly.
“With this partnership we see a lot of value coming in through Channel Data’s expertise and experience in this field specifically – where the SME can get the correct product, the correct support and the right direction,” he concludes.
