Infonetics Research: Data Center Equipment Market up 12%, F5 Jumps Ahead of HP to #2 Spot Behind Cisco

CAMPBELL, Calif. -- (BUSINESS WIRE) -- Market research firm Infonetics Research today released excerpts from its third quarter (3Q11) Data Center Network Equipment market share and forecast report.

ANALYST NOTE

“Wow is the only word that can accurately characterize the performance of the purpose-built data center Ethernet switching market at the end of the third quarter, with year-over-year gains of over 800%. That really tells the story of the data center network equipment sector: we are on the path to convergence in earnest,” notes Sam Barnett, directing analyst for data center and cloud at Infonetics Research.

Barnett adds: “The resurgence in data center upgrades, virtualization, and data/storage/traffic growth bodes well for all categories in the data center network equipment market. Once final 2011 figures are in, we expect the market to be up about 6% over 2010, and we expect growth to nudge back up into double-digit percent territory in 2012.”

DATA CENTER NETWORK EQUIPMENT MARKET HIGHLIGHTS

• Global revenue for data center network equipment is up 12% sequentially in 3Q11, with all segments posting growth, including general purpose, purpose-built and blade data center Ethernet switches, application delivery controllers (ADCs) and WAN optimization appliances
• The data center network equipment market is also up 12% year-over-year (from 3Q10)
• The North American data center equipment market had the strongest regional performance in 3Q11 (up 16% sequentially); Asia’s sequential growth slowed significantly but remains up an astounding 39% year-over-year; and Europe’s 3Q11 results are in positive territory (following a dismal second quarter) despite continued economic concerns
• Overall data center network equipment leaders Cisco and F5 increased their revenue and market share in 3Q11, while #3 player HP saw a drop in both, allowing F5 to jump into the #2 spot for the first time in a year

DATA CENTER REPORT SYNOPSIS

Infonetics’ quarterly Data Center Network Equipment report provides worldwide and regional market size, vendor market share, forecasts and analysis for data center Ethernet switches (general purpose, purpose-built and blade switches), ADCs, and WAN optimization appliances. Companies tracked: ADTRAN, Alaxala, Alcatel-Lucent, Arista, Avaya, Blade, Blue Coat, Brocade, Cisco, Citrix, D-Link, Enterasys, Expand, Extreme, F5, Force10, H3C, HP, Huawei, Ipanema, Juniper, NETGEAR, Radware, Riverbed, Silver Peak, others.

RELATED / UPCOMING RESEARCH

Log in to Infonetics’ online portal (http://www.infonetics.com/login) to download report highlights, prospectuses, tables of contents, etc. (see DATA CENTER AND CLOUD).

• Latest Infonetics Data Center and Cloud research newsletter: http://bit.ly/ywLDDH
• Cisco closing gap with Brocade in SAN equipment segment; market up 2% in Q3
• Service providers expanding data center offerings on quest for new revenue
• Operators embracing cloud services in earnest, significantly expanding cloud offerings
• 4Q11 Data Center Network Equipment Market Share / Forecast (Mar. 5)
• 4Q11 SAN Equipment Market Share / Forecast (Mar. 12)
• 4Q11 Total Data Center and SAN Equipment Pivot (March 2012)
• Data Center Deployment Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey (2012)
• Data Center Deployment Strategies: North American Enterprise Survey (2012)
• Cloud Service Strategies: Global Service Provider Survey (2012)
• Cloud Service Strategies: North American Enterprise Survey (2012)

SALES

• Larry Howard, VP, Western NA, Asia, CALA: larry@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3335
• Scott Coyne, Eastern NA, Texas, Midwest: scott@infonetics.com, +1-408-583-3395
• George Stojsavljevic, EMEA: george@infonetics.com, +44-755-488-1623
• Japan, Taiwan, Korea: http://www.infonetics.com/contact.asp

Infonetics Research is an international market research and consulting firm serving the communications industry since 1990. A leader in defining and tracking emerging and established technologies in all world regions, Infonetics helps clients plan, strategize, and compete more effectively.

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