![[Pfeiffer pic]](/gif/1222pfeiffer.gif)
In addition to Intel, Compaq could be the other hardware company that
scares the living daylights out of the Big Four.
Already the industry leader in servers, Compaq has been getting into networking in a big way. Compaq is poised to enter the Gigabit Ethernet switch fray with an OEMed version of Extreme Networks' Summit switch. Compaq's venture into Gigabit Ethernet expands a line of LAN offerings that already includes 10M/100M bit/sec Ethernet switches and Cisco IOS-based routers, as well as PCs and servers.
Compaq also has an agreement with Intel to codevelop chips and software drivers for Gigabit Ethernet.
Additionally, Compaq is looking to add digital subscriber line access technology to its PCs, a move that could mean the replacement of today's modems with a truly high-speed alternative. This would complement Compaq's purchase earlier this year of Microcom, Inc., which gives the company remote dial-up access concentrators and Windows NT Server remote access support for its servers.
Combine this formidable array of network offerings with Compaq's adroitness at pushing volume sales and you have an immediate challenge to the old guard. Compaq and Pfeiffer could change the pricing models, as well as the balance of power, in the networking industry.
