Compaq Heads Into High-Speed Switching
(10/ 5/98; 4:00 PM EST)
By John Fontana, InternetWeek
Compaq is expanding its networking hardware line and blanketing it with a bandwidth-management strategy, all in an effort to keep pace in the race toward policy-based networking.
Using the line of networking products it acquired when it purchased Digital Equipment, Houston-based Compaq (company profile) is adding a series of Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet switches and network interface cards that offer high availability and bandwidth management.
Compaq's strategy is similar to that of competitors Cisco and 3Com; namely, drive policy-based networking out to the desktop. San Jose, Calif.-based Cisco is expected to roll out a series of intelligent switches for desktops and workgroups during the next six months. 3Com, based in Santa Clara, Calif., for its part, is building new software that will create a single point of administration for its policy-based services.
Compaq will unveil this week six products to support its policy-based networking strategy: the Gigaswitch/Router, a chassis-based routing switch for the campus backbone; the MultiSwitch 700, a high-density, 10/100 Layer 2 chassis-based wiring closet switch; the SW3322 and SW3323 24-port, dual-speed 10/100 switches; the SW5450, a 50-port 10/100/1,000 Layer 3 and Layer 4 Gigabit Ethernet switch; and the NC3131, a Fast Ethernet controller that can be upgraded to support Gigabit Ethernet.
This new product line puts Compaq at the state-of-the-art level in terms of equipment, said Michael Howard, a principal at Infonetics Research, a consultancy. "But as far as policy-based networking, the state of the art for that is in the future. Policy-based networking cannot be implemented today."
"It's a logical extension for us, especially when we talk about having software-based policy capabilities, NICs, and networking hardware to create application access," said Jeff Low, director of marketing in the network product division of Compaq, which owns about 60 percent of the PC server market.
Compaq also will introduce a set of software tools for tuning and managing bandwidth.
Those will include RMON and multilayer class-of-service capabilities in the Gigaswitch/Router, according to the company. The switches and adapters support port aggregation.
The Gigaswitch/Router is priced at $37,565, and the MultiSwitch 700 sells for $39,375. The SW5450 is available for $12,995, while the SW3322 is priced at $2,880. The SW3323 can be bought for $3,640. The NC3131 is priced at $360, the NC3132 10/100 dual upgrade sells for $285, and the NC6532 1000SX upgrade is priced at $715.
© 1998 CMP Media, Inc.
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