Martin,
Like you said, while we wait for COMS's good stuff to catch fire, later in the future (which are summarized below, and not meant to be exhaustive), some of the lower-end stuff seems to me, will holds its own for the short term.
1) high end products 2) end-to-end solutions for 3) small/mid size companies 4) Layer 3 switching plus something you didn't mention 5) RAS products; such as Total Remote Control Access Concentrator (which competes pretty well with Ascend's TNT product - from my understanding)
and probably a gazillion more products the new networked world of the future (other than fortune 500 companies) is going to need.
Check out lower-end product market shares below -------------------------------------------------------------------------- 3Com Hosts Year-Long Celebration Marking Ethernet's 25th Anniversary
BusinessWire, Monday, April 27, 1998 at 17:29
SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 27, 1998--Global networking leader 3Com Corporation (NASDAQ:COMS) today announced it is hosting a year-long, world-wide celebration marking the 25th anniversary of Ethernet. Events ranging from channel partner sweepstakes to web-based seminars on migrating to Fast and Gigabit Ethernet, to 3Com's More Connected World Expo will be rolled out throughout 1998. Ethernet was co-invented by Dr. Robert Metcalf who founded 3Com in 1979 and during 3Com's 19-year history, it has become the industry's most widely deployed computer connectivity solution. Twenty-five years later, Ethernet continues to evolve, with innovations such as Gigabit Ethernet earning 3Com its enviable position as the market share leader in Ethernet. "3Com has grown and prospered as a result of the worldwide adoption of Ethernet," said Rakefet Kasdin, vice president and general manager of 3Com's Ethernet Products Division. "The twenty-fifth anniversary of Ethernet allows 3Com to celebrate, with its channel partners and customers, the company's accomplishments in creating the world's broadest choice of industry-leading Ethernet solutions. 3Com is the worldwide Ethernet leader."
Party, Party, Party
3Com will launch the Ethernet celebrations at Networld + Interop, Las Vegas, where it is co-hosting, with Infoworld/IDG, an exclusive customer reception. Other events that are part of the 25th anniversary celebration include:
-- "A Million Ways to Say Thanks!" -- In celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Ethernet, 3Com is celebrating with its channel partners by holding a $1 Million sweepstakes. Promotion starts May 1 and lasts until September 30, 1998. -- Ethernet Migration Customer and Partner Luncheon -- Hosted at Networld + Interop. Wednesday, May 6 at the Las Vegas Hilton. Show attendees are invited to an informal lunch to thank them for their commitment to 3Com. Kasdin will present a brief keynote focused on 10/100/1000 Ethernet Migration. -- World Wide Web Migration Guide -- Launching this summer, this international education program will help show customers how easy it to migrate Ethernet networks to Fast and Gigabit Ethernet networks. -- The 3Com More Connected World Expo -- Opened April 14 in Natick, Mass., is a touring exhibit on 3Com's history, accomplishments and strategic direction. The expo will tour to Chicago, Santa Clara, the United Kingdom, Ireland and Singapore and will be open for employees, their families and the community. -- Ethernet Business Solution Contest -- To recognize and reward innovative implementation of Ethernet networks, 3Com, in conjunction with Network World, will be holding a contest. Network managers will describe how their Ethernet network solved a business problem for a chance to win $10,000 in 3Com products. Customers can enter the contest at www.3com.com/ethernetleader/contest/pr. -- Customer Appreciation Screensaver -- To thank the millions of people around the world who use 3Com Ethernet products, 3Com has commissioned a free screensaver that can be downloaded from their Ethernet Leadership web site <www.3com.com/ethernetleader/pr>. As the market share leader in Ethernet technology, 3Com has reason to celebrate. 3Com shipped its first Ethernet adapter for the IBM PC in 1982 and since then has continued to set the pace for innovations. For the large enterprise, 3Com is the first company with an end-to-end Gigabit Ethernet solution performing at up to 17.8 million packets per second and an award-winning Layer 3 Switch, the CoreBuilder(TM) 3500. Medium enterprises benefit from a wide choice of Ethernet solutions, including the market leading SuperStack(R) 10/100/1000 system. For small businesses, 3Com's OfficeConnect(R) family of desktop products has more than 29 products including hubs, switches ISDN and Dual Analog routers. 3Com Megahertz mobile Ethernet products include 10 and10/100 Mbps Ethernet PC Cards and combination Ethernet / modem cards. *T
10 Mbps Ethernet NIC Marketshare (IDC)
1996 1997 3Com 40% 42% Intel 8% 6%
10/100 Mbps Ethernet NIC Marketshare (IDC)
1996 1997 3Com 40% 48% Intel 36% 30%
During the second half of 1996, 3Com's NIC marketshare rose to 50% and Intel's marketshare declined to 28%
Ethernet PC Card Unit Marketshare (In-Stat)
1996 1997 3Com 51% 61% Xircom 27% 9%
Total PC LAN Card Unit Marketshare (In-Stat)
1996 1997 3Com 40% 49% Xircom 25% 15%
Total LAN+Modem PC Card Marketshare (In-Stat)
1996 1997 3Com 38% 44% Xircom 40% 27%
Ethernet Workgroup Managed Hubs (Dell'Oro)
1996 1997 3Com 31% 35% Bay Networks 18% 17%
ALL HUB NUMBERS ARE BY PORT Fast Ethernet Workgroup Hubs (Dell'Oro)
1996 1997 3Com 26% 34% Bay 19% 13% Intel 12% 14%
Ethernet Workgroup Unmanaged Hubs (Dell'Oro)
1996 1997 3Com 8% 20% D-Link 25% 19% Allied T 23% 22%
Ethernet Workgroup Switches (Dell'Oro)
1996 1997 3Com 28% 29% Cisco 22% 18%
Fast Ethernet Workgroup Switches (Dell'Oro)
1996 1997 3Com 14% 25% Bay Networks 52% 41% *T
"Twenty five years on, Ethernet remains the smart and easy choice for networks of all sizes. 3Com's continued marketshare leadership over its competitors in Ethernet networking is evidence that customers share the company's vision for increased performance, control and intelligence for every part of the network -- from end to end," said Edgar Masri, senior vice president of 3Com's Small to Medium Enterprise Business Unit. |