The total Ethernet switch market is expected to decline by almost 20% in 2009, the sharpest decline since 2001, before it begins to rebound in 2010, according to a recent report by Dell’Oro Group.
Alan Weckel, director of Ethernet switch market research at Dell’Oro Group, said the data center will be one of the largest drivers for growth beyond 2009, as the market is expected to begin expanding again in 2010.
Cited as examples that some vendors will approach a more holistic product offering for the data center are Cisco’s move into the server market, HP’s expansion of its data center portfolio as well as IBM’s entrance into the Ethernet switch market.