Ethernet Moving into the Wide Area Research Group Survey Shows

Enterprise Networks & Servers, Aug 2004

The use of Ethernet beyond the LAN environment, initially coined as "metro Ethernet," is gaining acceptance as a wide-area solution. According to the Yankee Group 2004 Metro Ethernet Survey, 49 percent of respondents accessing Ethernet services today use it to address intercity site-to-site connectivity.

IP VPN, WAN and convergence support is key for Ethernet services. The 278 respondents surveyed who currently use an Ethernet service said that access to an IP VPN and application prioritization are top feature requirements. Although primarily used to support applications such as Internet access and file transfer, respondents expect to double the amount of voice and video deployments over Ethernet within 24 months.

The MAN/WAN Ethernet market was once a CLEC supply-driven market. However, the IXCs, led by AT&T and the RBOCs, are now dominating provider selection among respondents. On average, survey respondents use 2.2 service providers to support their Ethernet services.

"Ethernet marketing and sales efforts should focus on reliability and cost savings," said David Parks, Yankee Group Telecommunication Strategies United States senior analyst. "However, other key considerations are emerging for businesses as top factors in selecting an Ethernet solution and service provider, such as geographic reach and support for managed ond-to-end solutions."

The Yankee Group 2004 Metro Ethernet Survey (U.S.) provides insight into the evaluation and decision-making process for Ethernet technology within U.S. businesses. The survey examines 308 U.S. businesses that either use (or plan to use) Ethernet to support their Internet access, metro or widearea networking requirements. It is complemented by results of the Yankee Group 2003 Metro Ethernet Survey (U.S.).