Poll: Security tops LAN switch purchase considerations in '06

Security, standards compliance and price/performance are key aspects for IT professionals when choosing a LAN switch vendor, according to a recent survey.

Infonetics Research recently surveyed the plans of LAN switch buyers at 180 organizations, with an average size of 25,000 employees. The study found that users expect to increase their spending on switches next year by 35%, with an average LAN switch expenditure of about $711,000 in 2006.

The requirements for upgrading and adding LAN ports varied among the types of companies surveyed. For instance, healthcare organizations are seeking higher port speeds in their upgrades, as they are using higher-bandwidth applications such as digital radiology imaging. Retailers said they just need more ports for basic connectivity as they add new employees and store locations.

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Security, standards compliance and price/performance are key aspects for IT professionals when choosing a LAN switch vendor, according to a recent survey.

Infonetics Research recently surveyed the plans of LAN switch buyers at 180 organizations, with an average size of 25,000 employees. The study found that users expect to increase their spending on switches next year by 35%, with an average LAN switch expenditure of about $711,000 in 2006.

The requirements for upgrading and adding LAN ports varied among the types of companies surveyed. For instance, healthcare organizations are seeking higher port speeds in their upgrades, as they are using higher-bandwidth applications such as digital radiology imaging. Retailers said they just need more ports for basic connectivity as they add new employees and store locations.

Seventy percent of the organizations said that standards compliance in a LAN switch is a key attribute they look for when buying gear. Of the advanced features users look for in LAN switches, No. 1 on the list was security.

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While Cisco was the dominant brand installed in networks, survey respondents ranked the vendor below 3Com, Dell and HP ProCurve in terms of price and performance.

"Cisco's price-to-performance score has dropped since last year, which could spell trouble in the future if users one day feel that Cisco does not provide the overall value it once did," Machowinski says. But for now he adds, "Cisco's price/performance may be lower, [but] buyers are still shelling out the extra dollar because of the additional perceived benefits."

Read more about security in Network World's Security section.