Burton Group: Latest Networking Trends Point to New Architecture.

Business Editors

SALT LAKE CITY--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 19, 2001

Major Trends Predicted by Burton Thought Leaders Are Turning

Long-Held Assumptions Upside Down; In-Depth Exploration

Promised at Annual Catalyst Conference

Burton Group, a pioneer of network infrastructure research and consulting, Thursday announced its prediction of networking trends, highlighting the rapid evolution of network technologies, products, services and standards.

The changing face of networking has attracted the attention of many large enterprises that are still struggling to regain ground in the current economic climate.

"The trends we are seeing coming down the road are a major wake-up call for most large enterprises," said David Passmore, research director of Burton Group and author of Burton's newly released "Vision 2001" report. "An enterprise's network infrastructure is directly tied to its ability to gain competitive advantage in the marketplace today and in the future.

"Once corporate leaders understand what's at stake, they will question many of their long-held assumptions about how their networks should be architected."

A major trend noted by Burton Group is that service providers and enterprise networks are starting to become more alike. Both are making greater use of network transport services obtained outside the organization, resulting in less vertical integration, and both have greater commonality in their network architectures.

The greatest increase is seen in the use of Internet Protocol (IP), Ethernet, wireless and optical technology.

Trends also include simplified optical backbone networks -- which eliminate asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) and synchronous optical network (SONET) layers to run IP over multiprotocol label switching (MPLS) and Ethernet -- and enterprise migration from private line, frame relay and ATM networks to public IP.

Voice over IP (VoIP) convergence is another significant trend, including the deployment of VoIP transport, applications and IP-PBXs (private-branch-exchange devices that work both in the traditional circuit-switched telephone world and the new world of IP-based telephony).

Wireless IP networks will also be used more frequently to complement the wired network infrastructure, Burton Group predicts. Wireless LANs are already seeing widespread deployment as an adjunct to enterprise-wired LAN infrastructures.

In a few years, Burton believes fixed broadband access will compete with or substitute for DSL and cable-wired infrastructures, and new mobile wireless data networks based on 2.5G, 3G and 4G technologies will emerge to provide nearly ubiquitous IP network access.

Abundant optical bandwidth derived from dense wave division multiplexing (DWDM) heralds another trend. Burton says that optical networking represents disruptive network technology since backbone optical bandwidth is growing much faster than computing power.

This may force service providers into an optical "arms race" where core bandwidth providers have to continue deploying the most recent generation of optical gear to keep up with the rapidly falling price-per-unit of bandwidth of competitor networks.

Optical networking also leads to switching concerns since the debate is now brewing over whether packet switching or circuit switching will become more prevalent in future networks.

In-depth discussion of these trends is a cornerstone of Burton Group's annual Catalyst Conference, taking place July 23-25 in San Diego this year. Hundreds of network planners and architects are expected to attend, many focused on learning more about these trends and the ways they can capitalize on them in today's challenging business environment.

"Catalyst USA will delve into the current trends in its Network Infrastructure track," Passmore said. "This track focuses on network infrastructure technologies, including the convergence of voice and data, wireless communications, optical networking and how network planners should plan on using these technologies."

Burton Group has successfully predicted emerging networking trends over the past years, beginning with its successful prediction and definition of the role that meta-directories play in an enterprise. Burton Analyst David Passmore, in particular, is an industry-recognized thought leader in the area of network architecture.

A regular columnist for Business Communications Review and sought-after speaker, Passmore was recently recognized as one of the "most influential industry analysts" by Technology Marketing magazine. In June, he was also selected to co-chair the Next Generation Networks conference presented annually by BCR Enterprises and McQuillan Ventures.

Burton Group's "Vision 2001" report is available with a license to Burton's Networks & Telecom Strategy Service. Details about Burton's resources and offerings are on www.tbg.com. More information about the Catalyst Conference is located at www.tbg.com/catalyst.

About Burton Group

A technology pioneer and industry leader, Burton Group (www.tbg.com) is the only company to offer integrated research, advisory and consulting services to assist Global 2000 enterprises planning the evolution of their network infrastructure.

The company's consultants and analysts champion vendor-independent viewpoints as they guide IT professionals in the strategy of building and the tactics of managing scalable, secure, efficient networks.

Burton Group has specialized in network-technology research and analysis since its formation in 1990. The company predicted and defined the role that meta-directory plays in an enterprise. Today, Burton continues to anticipate the direction of key networking technologies and guide the decision-making process for almost half the Fortune 100 and other global clients.

Note to the editor: For a free copy of the report, please visit www.tbg.com.