back to article Cisco drags down the Ethernet switch market, routers grow a little

The Ethernet market remains limp, with IDC's first-quarter data showing a mere 1.4 per cent increase compared with the first quarter of 2015. By contrast, the number-cruncher reckons the router market expanded by a still-disappointing 3.3 per cent. The only Ethernet geography to show double-digit growth was the Asia Pacific, …

  1. Omar Smith
    WTF?

    Cisco was never referred to as Borg!

    What's this attempt to transfer the Borg epitaph to Cisco when it has always been known historically as referring to Microsoft. The Register even had a special icon representing billg as a Borg.

    1. Pascal Monett Silver badge

      Yeah, but times change

      That image today would have to have a Linux patch over one eye.

      Microsoft is not Borging anything any more. The PC market is in decline and MS is royally pissing consumers off with its ultra-aggressive GWX tactics and shoddier-than-usual WU snafus, and concerning the phone market - well let's just say that MS is history in that arena.

      Cisco, on the other hand, despite having a tattered reputation, is still there and going strong. So maybe it's time the title be passed on.

      1. Omar Smith

        Re: Yeah, but times change

        Is Cisco extracting money from purchasers of other people routers and switches for violating unspecified patents?

      2. Daniel B.

        Re: Yeah, but times change

        Well, the most recent MS Borging was that of Nokia's phone division, so it still kind of applies. And in true MS fashion, they killed the company they borged, which fortunately was only the Elop-firebombed Nokia's phone division.

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Perhaps if they brought down the ridiculous prices of 10G switches and cards

    then they might stimulate some activity in the Consumer Market.

    1. jabuzz

      Re: Perhaps if they brought down the ridiculous prices of 10G switches and cards

      Netgear have a range of 10Gb switches at under 100GBP per port including VAT, which is darn cheap if you ask me. I remember paying *more* for 100Mbps ports.

  3. Lamb0
    Boffin

    Re: Perhaps if they brought down the ridiculous prices of 10G switches and cards

    If Ethernet doesn't get in gear with economy of scale we'll be stuck with a proprietary one size fits many solution in the mass market and a sky high price for anything more!

    Thunderbolt 3 may serve as a prod. We don't really have the software for a good 10Gb *IPoTB hack, yet. However, IPoTB is already integrated into OS X Mavericks. How much more would it take to add the functionality to the other Unixes, Linux OSs, and even (shudder) Windows?

    The Asmedia USB 3.1 controller runs ~ 3$ vs intel's ~5$ a port for Thunderbolt 3 (in quantities of ~5000)... plus a USB 3.1 cable. Ethernet's longer cable run than Thunderbolt's 3m (copper - 60m optical) would be a nice bonus and handle bigger networks at what should be a lower co$t per port. Look at the way Gb Ethernet has become so nearly ubiquitous. ;-)

    * Internet Protocol over Thunderbolt Bridge

    http://www.pcworld.com/article/3064626/hardware/how-intel-turned-thunderbolt-from-a-failure-into-a-success.html

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thunderbolt_%28interface%29#Thunderbolt_3

    https://thunderbolttechnology.net/blog/thunderbolt-3-usb-c-does-it-all

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