Ethernet goes industrial
 
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Ethernet's popularity is spilling over into many different network areas. We've talked about how it's being used in metropolitan areas and WANs more often. It turns out it's also moving into another area dominated by specialized network protocols: the manufacturing arena.
According to a recent report by Frost & Sullivan, Ethernet will capture 23% of the process manufacturing market by 2006, and about 13% of the discrete manufacturing market.
As with other applications, it is hoped that Ethernet will be less expensive than other communications techniques already in use, writes Lance Gordon, senior analyst at the firm. He says that some manufacturers have been using Ethernet for five years.
But others worry that Ethernet isn't robust enough - a concern shared by companies thinking of using Ethernet in the WAN. "Ruggedized" Ethernet equipment, able to withstand conditions found in a harsh manufacturing environment, will become increasingly popular in this area, Gordon says.
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