Contact Information: Sales Contact: Candace Doyle The Linley Group 408.370.7631 candaced@linleygroup.com Web site: www.linleygroup.com Public Relations Contact: Erika Powelson Orr & Company 831.424.1811 erika@orr-co.com
The Linley Group Reports Trend Toward Specialization in Fragmented 10G Ethernet Adapter and Controller Market
Forecasts 10G Ethernet NIC/LOM Shipments to Double Through 2012
| Source: The Linley Group
MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - October 29, 2008) - Highlighting the 10 Gigabit Ethernet
(GbE) network interface card (NIC) market and LAN-on-motherboard (LOM) as a
key area for growth in the coming years, The Linley Group announces the
release of its latest report, "A Guide to 10G Ethernet Adapters and
Controller Chips, Second Edition." The report provides the industry's only
in-depth examination of this market, dedicating an entire chapter to each
of the leading vendors offering 10GbE NICs and controller chips. Also
covered are new entrants into the 10GbE NIC/LOM market including Fibre
Channel HBA vendors offering or developing converged network adapters (CNA)
for Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). Updated from the initial report
published a year ago, the second edition provides revised forecasts,
expands the number of vendors covered and includes comparisons for both
10GbE NICs and 10GbE controller chips to aid OEMs sourcing either
board-level or chip-level products.
Citing virtualization, network convergence and the broad deployment of
blade servers as the key drivers for 10GbE NIC growth, the report predicts
that NIC/LOM (LAN-on-motherboard) shipments will more than double each year
through 2012, making it the highest growth area in the otherwise flat
controller segment. The report discusses how these trends impact not only
shipment and dollar growth, but also the performance and features of vendor
offerings.
"As the industry transitions to 10GbE, controller designs are rapidly
adding new features, with most designed to offload CPU processing and
increase throughput," said Bob Wheeler, coauthor of the report and a senior
analyst with The Linley Group. "This has prompted a number of different
offload approaches, with no single vendor satisfying every market
requirement. We help users sort out which vendors will solve the specific
needs of markets such as blade servers, high-performance computing (HPC)
and storage networking."
The technology discontinuity created by the shift to 10GbE has garnered
massive investment attracting a combination of venture-funded startups and
larger vendors. Intel, Broadcom, Chelsio, NetXen, and Neterion are battling
for position in a crowded market that faces consolidation in the next two
years. In the 10GbE NIC market, CNAs have added a new competitive dynamic
as early entrants Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade roll out first-generation
designs.
In addition to providing a detailed market overview and explanation of
acronyms and standards, the report provides The Linley Group's trademark
comprehensive analysis of products and vendors, helping technology
professionals -- from engineers and networking managers to marketing staff
and financial analysts -- sort out a rapidly transitioning market.
Availability
"A Guide to 10G Ethernet Adapters and Controller Chips, Second Edition" is
currently available directly from The Linley Group and is priced at $2,995
for a single-user license. For further details, visit the web site at
http://www.linleygroup.com/Reports/10G_adapters_guide.html.
About The Linley Group
The Linley Group, the leading provider of independent technology analysis
for networking, communications, and consumer electronics semiconductors,
covers emerging areas such as high-speed embedded processors, Gigabit and
10G Ethernet, mobile communications processors, and more. The company
provides in-depth technology reports and interactive seminars as well as
strategic consulting services tailored to the individual client. To get
free access to The Linley Group's analysis of recent news and events in
these markets, subscribe to our e-mail newsletters. More information about
The Linley Group is available at http://www.linleygroup.com.
Note to editors: To speak to an analyst from The Linley Group about this
report, please contact: Erika Powelson, Orr & Company, 831.424.1811 or
email erika@orr-co.com.