VoIP News: Networking Hardware

Spending on optical equipment for core broadband and mobile networks is strong, according to the latest figures from Infonetics Research. The analyst notes a decline in the market in the first quarter of 2011, compared with the end of 2010, but stresses that this is a normal seasonal occurrence. Looking at the first quarter of each of the two years, however, spending is up - by seven per cent across the optical market and by 20 per cent in wavelength-division multiplexing (WDM) equipment.

Investment into broadband and networking fibre optic equipment could be set to rise in 2011, as the overall figure for the previous year disguises a substantial fourth-quarter rise in spending. According to Infonetics Research, the full-year figure for 2010 stood at an 11 per cent decline in spending on optical network hardware across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA). But a "spending flurry" towards the end of the year drove a reversal in fortunes that prevented the continuing economic turbulence in some areas from having a more severe effect on the headline statistic.

The worldwide PC market grew seven per cent in the first quarter of 2011, driven by sales of tablet computers, data from Canalys shows. Once again Apple's iPad led the field and uptake of similar devices came at the expense of notebooks and netbooks, which struggled to compete for consumers' spending. In the first quarter of 2011 tablet shipments hit 6.

Access to broadband within the typical consumer home may no longer depend on the availability of suitable computer equipment, a study from ABI Research indicates. Instead, in many cases alternative methods of accessing the internet are on the increase, with games consoles leading the charge. While some distribution modes - such as television or Blu-ray features which require networking capabilities - are relatively new, others are reaching maturity.

Companies keen to make the best use of VoIP hardware may welcome the trend towards high-speed networking protocols. According to a report from Infonetics, in 2010 port speeds of 10 Gbps or more accounted for three per cent of the market by volume, but saw 43 per cent of revenue investment. With 100 Gbps Ethernet and optical ports penetrating the market, the analyst says the coming months will indicate whether second-tier speeds - in particular 40 Gbps - will fall in price.