SOME OF THE FACTORS DRIVING THE GROWTH of networking today and in the future.

Voice / Video / Data

Today, most voice, video, and data traffic travels on separate networks. As the need for online access to information and services increases, many organisations are looking at integrating their current disparate networks into a single, multiservice network. With one network to carry all traffic, they expect to provide a broader range of integrated services while passing the cost savings on to their customers. To meet the needs of this transition, networking companies are developing new products and technologies that increase the bandwidth, or the carrying capacity, of networks. In this way, a single network will be able to carry voice, video, and data traffic efficiently and reliably.

The Internet

The Internet is one of the most visible drivers of networking growth. For corporations, it has become an integral component of daily business processes. For individual consumers, it is becoming an increasingly popular medium for communicating and for accessing information. With all of this traffic stretching the capabilities of the Internet's infrastructure to its limit, there is an associated need for more networking equipment with improved capabilities.

Internet Commerce

The rapid growth of the Internet has created a market for Internet commerce, often referred to as "electronic commerce". As people connect to the Internet, they discover the convenience of purchasing products such as books, clothes, and appliances on line. Companies developing Internet commerce sites require sophisticated hardware and software equipment that will not only support their business strategy, but will also provide the information security their customers require.

Telecommuters

The trend of telecommuting is increasing as corporations seek to lower costs and as professionals look for alternatives to traditional work environments. More and more people use internal corporate networks, employees now expect to be connected to these networks and to the Internet from the road and from home. Consequently, there is an increased demand for networking, technologies that will enable companies and individuals to work to overcome the technical hurdles associated with creating an efficient work environment outside the office.