Are HP, 3Com a better value than Cisco?

Many factors in addition to upfront cost weigh on 'value' criteria

HP and 3Com are claiming that their switches offer a better value that Cisco equipment, due largely to lower price for comparable performance. But does that equate to overall value in every instance?

We took a look at the HP and 3Com claims this week and lined up what we determined were comparable switches to Cisco's. In most instances, the lower price claim held true -- but there is more to value than upfront capital cost alone.

Read our coverage and determine for yourself: does saving 20% on the acquisition cost necessarily equate to overall value over the life of the switch and/or network?

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