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ATM Is Staying Alive
Our most recent Web survey posed the inflammatory question, “Is ATM dead?” We know it isn't of course, but this seemed a catchy way of asking readers about their plans to upgrade network performance.
The first question asked readers how they planned to improve the performance of the network in the next 12 months. Of those responding, 53 percent say they are going to extend switching to the desktop; 60 percent say they will be upgrading desktops to Fast Ethernet; 11 percent say they will be upgrading desktops to Gigabit Ethernet; and 14 percent (more than for Gigabit!) say they will be taking ATM to the desktop.
Backbone upgrades are planned by 60 percent of respondents. Of these, 35 percent are going to deploy ATM. Gigabit Ethernet (favored by 22 percent) didn't even come in second; Fast Ethernet gained that honor, at 24 percent. And just 15 percent picked IP over SONET.
The backbone technology most often being replaced, by 25 percent of the respondents, is FDDI. Fast Ethernet is being replaced by 24 percent, but only 7 percent of the respondents plan to replace ATM.
Our final questions asked respondents to sum up their company's position with regard to ATM, then state what they think the technology's pros and cons are. Just 11 percent say they are moving away from ATM, 44 percent say they never used it, while 40 percent say “we will continue to use [ATM].” (For additional statistics on readers feelings' about ATM in their networks, see Figures 1 and 2.)
To participate in our next Web survey, point your browser to www.networkmagazine.com/online/surveys/. —Jonathan Angel
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