Metro Ethernet Market Shares and Forecasts

Ethernet has existed since 1972, yet its continuous evolution and deployment in new applications keeps the technology perpetually new. Ethernet, which is the primary choice of technology for local area networks (LANs), is also quickly becoming the choice for service providers’ networks. SPs are replacing older link technologies in their POPs and exchange points and are increasingly using Ethernet for long-range point-to-point links. However, even as  it becomes the common end-to-end data link technology of the Internet, there is one last gap that must be bridged: the last mile between the service providers’ and customers’ networks.

The ability and flexibility to use the same technology on both WAN links and LAN, coupled with the capability of increasing bandwidth in much smaller increments than with TDM links, holds great appeal to customers. Service providers’ views of Ethernet at the edge range from enthusiastic to wary, but all understand that they must meet the demand for this service or risk losing customers and market share. At the same time, SPs face serious challenges that must be addressed:

• There are myriad choices for delivering Ethernet connectivity over the last mile and even more choices for meshing those edge connections across the optical core. Making the wrong choice can have serious financial and competitive consequences.

• The simplicity of Ethernet means that OAM may not be as robust as providers expect.

• CaPEx expenditures on edge and carrier equipment might conflict with customers’ expectations of a lower-cost service.

• Transport engineers in more traditional service provider networks are often skeptical of and resistant to the replacement of TDM infrastructure.

The attention of service providers to metro/carrier Ethernet and the risks associated with making the wrong choices are also driving equipment manufacturers. Customers’ (service providers) demands have pushed the “big players” in the carrier market to expand their Ethernet portfolios; at the same time, customers’ demands have created opportunities for switch vendors to move into markets dominated by the large router vendors. But even more than service providers, vendors run the risk of investing their development dollars in the wrong solutions. The market is highly competitive, and a misstep can have serious consequences for market share, especially if vendors, service providers, and equipment manufacturers do not have timely and relevant market information.

Synergy Research Group’s Metro/Carrier Ethernet Research Service offers the most up-to-date quantitative and qualitative research data on this rapidly evolving and expanding market. Our clients have access to real-time and pertinent market information via Synergy’s iAnalysis (SIA) research tool. Through SIA, clients can access detailed information about this dynamic market, such as what solutions are most competitive in different regions, per-port pricing, and trend analysis for technology options.

Metro/Carrier Ethernet Service

Synergy Research Group’s Metro/Carrier Ethernet Research Service provides our clients with interactive market and forecast data in three targeted areas:

• Metro and Carrier Ethernet Technologies
• Ethernet Service Providers
• Carrier-Grade Ethernet Solutions Manufacturers

Synergy Research Group Metro and Carrier Ethernet Technologies

Most of the metro and carrier Ethernet technologies comprise technology subsets, further complicating the evaluation landscape. Synergy’s Metro/Carrier Ethernet Research Service gives you the vital data you need across all of these alternatives so that you can make better, informed decisions about the technology that is best suited to your solution goals and competitive environment.

Technologies that enable Ethernet solutions at the service provider edge and core include Ethernet over:

• MPLS Virtual Private Line Service (VPLS)
• Passive Optical Networks (EPON)
• SONET/SDH
• WiMAX
• WDM and DWDM
• DSL
• Transport MPLS (T-MPLS)
• PBB/PBT

Ethernet Service Providers

Service providers understand that to stay competitive they must offer Ethernet access services; most service providers offer at least one Ethernet solution, while many offer a portfolio of services. Synergy Research Group’s Metro/Carrier Ethernet Research Service gives you the data you need to make informed, intelligent decisions for any of the following:

• Service providers planning to roll out a new Ethernet solution at the customer edge or in the core
• Service providers intending to expand their solutions portfolio to enhance their competitive position
• Ethernet solutions manufacturers who need to improve the return on their development investments
• End users who want to fully understand the solutions available to them

The research service focuses on the world’s largest service providers, including:
 

• AT&T
• BT
• Cable and Wireless
• China Netcom
• China Telecom
• Chunghwa Telecom
• Cogent
• Deutsche Telekom
• Flag Telecom
• France Telecom
• Global Crossing
• KDDI
• Korea Telecom
• Level 3 Communications
• NTT
• Qwest
• Savvis
• SingTel
• Sprint
• Telecom Malaysia
• Telia
• Telstra
• Time Warner Telecom
• Tiscali
• Verizon Business
• XO

Carrier-Grade Ethernet Solutions Manufacturers

Synergy Research Group’s Metro/Carrier Ethernet Research Service offers quantitative market share and forecast data for manufacturers of carrier-grade Ethernet solutions, including:

• Alcatel-Lucent
• Avici Systems (Soapstone)
• Cisco Systems
• Ericsson (Redback)
• Extreme
• Force10
• Brocade/Foundry
• Huawei
• Juniper Networks
• Nortel

An SIA subscription gives clients access to the most up-to-date worldwide and geographic market share information for carrier-grade Ethernet. Geographic areas covered are North America, EMEA, APAC, and Latin America. Full access to historical data is included. Synergy will also introduce country-level Ethernet service market share and geographic forecasts in 2009.

An SIA subscription provides clients with an all-in-one repository for metro/carrier Ethernet data. With just a few clicks, clients can create any type of business report or chart, using any unit of measure for any vendor in the Ethernet market.

All Synergy market share data is refreshed on the SIA platform every 90 days, with quarterly data delivered approximately 45 days after the close of each quarter. This timeliness makes Synergy’s service and delivery schedule one of the most relevant and advantageous in the telecom market research industry.