Cisco’s Catalyst 6500 Remains the Network Switch to Beat

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By Oliver Rowen

Summary: Upgrades and new features keep Cisco Systems at the top of market for network switches.

Note: This article was written to address the question of which Gigabit Ethernet switch is the most reliable. While this article references the findings of various IT news organizations, it is always best to base your purchase decision by consulting with a IT specialist about your specific needs. For further reading, I would recommend reading the articles in the reference section and conducting supplimental searches on the subject.

San Francisco, California October 10, 2006: Following a lackluster Q3, Cisco Systems emerges as the leader in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet Switch Market for the fourth quarter. Fueled by increased demand and an overall rise in the average selling price, Cisco experienced significant gains in a market of over $300 Million.

With almost 70% of the projected $1.3 Billion 10-Gig market share and a more powerful, yet affordable design, the Catalyst 6500 is poised to cement Cisco as the dominating force in the industry. With the recent release of an eight-port, 10-Gigabit Ethernet module for the 6500, Cisco is quickly pulling away from the rest of the pack.

In addition, upgrades like the Application Control Engine (ACE) module have prompted companies like Pure Video Networks to adopt Cisco switches to manage traffic of their popular video websites. Implementing simultaneous data center services such as server load balancing, integrated network and application switching/security, the ACE module delivers the highest performance in the industry. Already the most successful networking switch on the IT market, the 6500 Series reduces existing operational costs and improves a network’s ability to respond to intensive bandwidth demands.

Rival Foundry Networks, and newcomer Force 10 have recently launched new 10Gbe ready products aimed at disrupting Cisco’s market share. According to literature on Force 10’s Terascale E-Series 1200, the E1200 boasts of more than double the ports of the Catalyst 6500 (1260 vs. 576 Ethernet ports/chassis). While this may be good news for the company, Force 10 has been focused on the data center vertical, and is therefore still untested in the enterprise market. Foundry’s BigIron RX series switch has received favorable press for it’s size/performance ratio and lower prices. Even with the competition mounting new efforts, the Cisco name is still a major factor among IT professionals whose networks depend on their equipment. Fortunately for the stalwart Cisco, reputation is still the key to market dominance.

Update: For an explanation of various configurations for the 6500 switch on our new blog!