http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/ en-gb Fri, 17 Aug 2012 8:00:04 BST Copyright: (C) Comms Express 2007 http://www.comms-express.com/images/logo.jpg http://www.comms-express.com/ Netgear customers seeking the best possible user experience can utilise routers from the firm's Ultimate Performance range.

This is the best class of router available to Netgear users, and includes the R6200 WiFi Router, R6300 WiFi Router, N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router and Media Storage Router.

Netgear said these routers deliver "the ultimate in WiFi performance", helping to optimise the user experience.

"This router is ideal for creating a powerful home network for applications such as streaming 3D HD video," the firm stated.

Ultimate Performance Netgear routers are also ideal for households where multi-player gaming is likely to be undertaken.

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But once this infrastructure is in place, IT managers need to ensure they have some budgetary resources available to ensure they can manage their networks effectively.

For instance, they will need to acquire a range of network tools which are important for the day to day management of the IT setup.

Such items will rarely be expensive, but they could make the difference between a network which runs smoothly and one which experiences ongoing difficulties.

Crimp tools, punch down tools and stripping/cutting equipment will all be needed as managers plot a course for cables in the data centre.

A range of testing solutions may also be helpful for the company, including continuity testers and LAN testers, to ensure any problems are identified at an early stage.

Simple items such as toolboxes, tape and label printers may be required at some point in the future, allowing network managers to make repairs and keep things ticking over.

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Research conducted by IT analyst Gartner indicates that spending held firm between March and June - the seventh consecutive quarter of flat to single-digit growth.

Mikako Kitagawa, principal analyst at Gartner, said uncertainties in the economy in various regions, as well as consumers' low interest in PC purchases, held the growth rate back.

"Consumers are less interested in spending on PCs as there are other technology product and services, such as the latest smartphones and media tablets that they are purchasing," she stated.

"This is more of a trend in the mature market as PCs are highly saturated in these markets."

HP continued to be in the top position in worldwide PC shipments, accounting for 14.9 per cent of the market.

However, the firm's global shipments declined 12.1 per cent due to internal issues arising from organisational changes.

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Research conducted by IT analyst Gartner suggests spending will increase by 2.5 per cent this year, as more companies invest in networking equipment and other technology solutions.

The firm has forecast 3.4 per cent growth in computing hardware spending, with 6.6 per cent growth expected in 2013.

Enterprise software spending is forecast to rise by 4.3 per cent in 2012 and 6.9 per cent next year, with IT services rising by 2.3 per cent this year and 4.8 per cent in 2013.

Gartner also expects telecom services to see a 1.4 per cent rise in revenue, with the growth rate increasing to 2.3 per cent in 2013.

Richard Gordon, research vice-president at Gartner, stated: "While the challenges facing global economic growth persist - the eurozone crisis, weaker US recovery, a slowdown in China - the outlook has at least stabilised.

"There has been little change in either business confidence or consumer sentiment in the past quarter, so the short-term outlook is for continued caution in IT spending."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for RJ45 patch leads on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/it-spending-to-rise-by-2-5-analyst-claims-801408053/ 2012-07-16 13:23:27 installation essentials.

Solutions such as cable ties and clips help ensure firms can create and optimise their network within a budget.

And this helps preserve valuable financial resources to be used elsewhere in the IT department or business as a whole.

Cable ties come in three different lengths - 100m, 200m and 300m - while Velcro and PatchGrip versions are also available.

Cable tie cradles and self-adhesive cable tie bases may also help firms position wires where they want them to go, helping to keep the data centre organised.

Other installation essentials include trunking solutions, PVC installation tape, cable tacker, raised floor boxes and wipes.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network equipment on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/construct-a-network-with-installation-essentials-801397079/ 2012-06-29 12:50:18 Netgear has begun the global rollout of its 802.11ac router - the R6300 - which is designed to increase wireless broadband speeds.

The solution has been launched in Australia, the second market to gain access to the device after the US, reports PC World.

Patrick Lo, chief executive at Netgear, noted that Australian businesses and households have a tendency to adopt new technologies quickly.

Hence the company expects its fifth-generation Netgear router to sell well down under.

Mr Lo explained that adapters for notebook users seeking faster speeds are set to be launched, and these will be embedded in consumer devices by the end of the year.

Earlier this month, Netgear showcased a number of innovative network solutions at the ANGA Cable show in Cologne, Germany.

"Cable operators are increasingly being asked to address two critical challenges - superior wireless connectivity in-home and competition from fibre-to-the-home technologies," noted Netgear senior vice-president Michael Clegg.

"[Our] next-generation cable gateway solutions are designed to help our cable operator customers squarely address these challenges."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for Netgear switches on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/netgear-begins-global-rollout-of-r6300-router-801392419/ 2012-06-25 13:46:47 Network equipment manufacturer Netgear has launched a new unified storage solution, it has been reported.

The firm says its ReadyDATA product is "significantly less expensive and dramatically easier to use" than traditional enterprise offerings.

The ReadyDATA platform delivers Tier 1 storage features with "extraordinary simplicity", Netgear stated.

"Users can leverage thin provisioning in virtual environments, replicate files and databases to offsite locations and recover data from unlimited point-in-time snapshots, all with just a few mouse clicks," Netgear added.

Jim Browning, a vice-president at IT analyst Gartner, said small businesses favour IT solutions that are modular in design and provide the entry-level functionality they may need initially, while providing the flexibility to scale to future needs.

"This modularity provides them with investment protection and enables them to make incremental investments as time, resources and budget permit," he stated.

"However, they want a complete feature set in their standard pricing. Small firms have cited frustration resulting from unexpected additional charges for key functionality after the initial deployment.”

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The news provider said it has been "highly impressed" with the network equipment manufacturer's offering of late, and the new release continues this trend.

It explained that the dual-band router supports Mbps connections as long as the user has a compatible adapter.

But even without this, the W4500 delivers "good, consistent speeds", PC & Tech Authority claimed.

"We found setup quick and easy, with clearly labelled connection and the requisite cooling," the provider stated.

"Performance was solid on both wired and wireless connections, and we had little issue using the inbuilt file and printer sharing functions."

Overall, PC & Tech Authority described the router as "a solid product", giving it a four-star rating out of a possible six.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/positive-review-for-latest-netgear-router-801366389/ 2012-05-18 12:40:46 network equipment.

According to Computer Weekly, the contracts are set to be awarded by the Con-Lib coalition over the next three years.

Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude said the government has never before been so open about its long-term business needs.

"Publishing data on what we plan to buy – whether it’s tunnels or computers – means we can identify skills gaps sooner and give industry a heads up so UK businesses are in a better position to compete," he stated.

Vince Cable, the business secretary, explained that over the coming years, the government will purchase billions of pounds worth of equipment and services.

This in turn will mean billions of pounds worth of potential opportunities for UK business, he added.

"By publishing details of our expected future requirements ahead of time and adopting a strategic approach, we can help give UK suppliers the confidence to invest in people, plants and technologies," Mr Cable stated.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/govt-outlines-public-it-spending-plans-801356215/ 2012-05-03 14:51:00 computer cables and network accessories is set to rise as mobile network operators face an "explosion" of demand for mobile data.

Research by Virgin Media Business found the majority – 84 per cent – of mobile phone retailers think 4G licences will drive demand.

The company said operators need to think about employing technologies that will help them cope with demand and avoid any bottle-necking of services.

According to the study, by 2015 it's estimated people will be using 30 times more mobile data than they were in 2009.

In just two years, mobile usage has rocketed by 250 per cent as consumers increasingly turn to apps like iPlayer and YouTube – standard features on 83 per cent of handsets.

George Wareing, head of mobile and broadcast at Virgin Media Business, said mobile operators have a "big job" on their hands.

"Simply put, mobile data usage is like a bottomless pit, it’s expanding all the time," he explained.

“There is a delicate balance between customer demand, customer experience and costs. To avoid penalising people for watching their favourite shows or music videos on the move, operators are looking at fibre-based backhaul for cell sites. This can help to ease the strain and provide a permanent fix."

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Gartner said the performance of the US dollar will fuel the lower growth rate, rather than any decline in actual spending on computing hardware, network accessories and enterprise software.

It had predicted growth of 3.7 per cent for the year.

Gartner said the strongest growth will be seen in the global telecom equipment market, with spending set to reach $472 billion in 2012, up 6.9 per cent on 2011.

The company credited this performance to a positive outlook for enterprise network equipment, including spending on network security and Ethernet switches.

"Despite ongoing concerns about the global economic recovery — most notably around the resolution of eurozone sovereign-debt problems, worries about the potential for China's real estate 'bubble' to spillover and affect the rest of the economy and rising oil prices — early signs in 2012 suggest that the global economic outlook has brightened a little," said Richard Gordon, research vice president at Gartner.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network kits on the net.]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/global-it-spending-to-reach-3-7tr-in-2012-801335007/ 2012-04-05 15:02:42 network equipment to help it roll out an innovative remote working trial in advance of London 2012.

On February 8th the company asked more than 2,500 employees to work remotely, with just 125 workers left in the company's HQ to complete mission critical tasks.

The pilot was designed to test O2's readiness for the Olympics – the expected travel disruption and delays during the event means firms must put in place business continuity plans.

O2 found the pilot helped it slash its corporate emissions – halving its water use on the day and recording a 12 per cent drop in electricity consumption.

Technology was at the heart of the home working pilot. O2 said newly strengthened networks and sophisticated collaboration technology were used to ensure everyone who needed to get online was able to do so.

O2 upgraded its virtual private network technology ahead of time as well as automatically redirecting traffic between servers in the north and south of its offices.

Ben Dowd, business director for O2, said: "The success of O2's experiment extends much further than just allowing some of the workforce to stay at home and work.

"It proves that with the right thinking and planning, even the largest organisations can protect themselves from the most severe disruptions to their business."

The Games begin on July 27th.

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A Bloomberg report said the investment, over the next four years, includes a tech centre in Rio de Janeiro that will develop technologies for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics as well as products for the education and healthcare markets.

Cisco, which is based in San Jose, California, said it was reaffirming its long-term commitment to Brazil.

The company said the money will create around 800 jobs as well as driving Brazil's manufacturing industry. Cisco already makes some products in Brazil – set-top boxes – and is to add Cisco switches and routers.

Cisco made the announcement during its Cisco Plus Brazil event in Rio.

According to a recent study by Synergy, Cisco has seen increased demand for support hardware recently.

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According to Crossbeamidentify, NGDCs represent an evolution of the data centre where virtualisation and other technologies are deployed to create a more dynamic, efficient and flexible environment.

But network security issues continue to hold many companies and organisations back, bringing upgrade efforts to a halt, the firm stated.

Some 94 per cent of respondents cited network security as their main problem, with virtually no progress anticipated in the next 12-18 months.

Jim Freeze, chief marketing officer of Crossbeam, said IT organisations realise that bringing network security into the NGDC "must be a priority".

"For all the documented efficiencies and green benefits of the NGDC, virtualised environments are much more fluid by nature, which opens the potential for threats due to the ease with which applications and data can be moved, he stated.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/firms-held-back-by-network-equipment-security-801330485/ 2012-03-30 13:13:51 network equipment is used in the data centre as the government aims to deliver universal high-speed connectivity, it has been suggested.

Marcus Jewell, manager of Brocade in the UK, said the Con-Lib coalition is "in danger of putting the cart before the horse" by failing to look deeper into the network as part of its broadband rollout plans.

He told Techworld that the government needs to wake up to the urgent need for technologies that do not slow connection speeds at source.

"It's worrying that government and consumers seem to believe that broadband speeds are entirely reliant on the wire that delivers the service to the premises," Mr Jewell added.

"The current debate is about fibre-to-the-cabinet or fibre-to-the-home. Unfortunately, this ignores what is happening in the data centre itself, which is integral to the success of any broadband strategy."

He noted that additional fibre means more traffic, more demand and more video consumption – all of which amounts to greater pressure on data centres and corporate networks.

"At least as important as fibre-to-the-home - arguably more important - is ensuring high speed, availability and bandwidth in these complicated data centre networks," he stated.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/data-centre-vital-to-broadband-speeds-801328408/ 2012-03-28 14:00:58 Netgear router has come out with shining colours in a review.

The Netgear N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 was praised for its efficient wireless performance in the review by Laptop Mag's John Brandon, earning four-and-a-half stars out of five.

The router allows users to stay connected to the internet with fast and secure wireless connections.

Users can also stream 3DHD video and enjoy multi-player gaming through its network capabilities.

Mr Brandon said the N900 is easy to set up, a process that can be done on an iPad.

The router performed well in speed tests and still connected over the 2.4GHz band from more than 1,000 feet away.

"In other words, Netgear has raised the bar," the reviewer said.

In tests, the router delivered 80 Mbps from five feet at 2.4 GHz; in the 5GHz band the machine posted a top speed of 164 Mbps from five feet.

"With excellent range, intuitive controls and two USB ports, the Netgear N900 Wireless Dual Band Gigabit Router WNDR4500 is the best premium router available," Mr Brandon summarised.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for networking news on the net.]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/netgear-router-raises-the-bar-801324040/ 2012-03-22 13:38:40 Netgear has launched a new range of stackable smart switches, designed to help businesses keep networking costs under control.

According to the firm, the Netgear Next Generation Gigabit Ethernet Stackable Smart Switch family offers scalability and redundancy, without complicated command-line interfaces, special installation training or unique cabling.

The new Netgear switches are primarily geared at companies and remote offices with fewer than 500 employees, although various users can benefit.

Maggie Wu, senior product line manager at Netgear, said the Stackable Smart Switch was designed to address the requirements of today's network-dependent business environment

"This new switch family is a reliable, affordable and simple way for businesses to expand their networks with minimal interruptions while keeping pace with new opportunities," she stated.

Tim Zimmerman, research director at Gartner, said growing companies would welcome a solution that easily and quickly expands network capacity without any interruption in business operations.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for network equipment on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/netgear-launches-stackable-smart-switches-range-801314033/ 2012-03-09 13:41:32 network equipment remaining high, the global router market saw 7.3 per cent quarter-on-quarter growth during Q4 2011.

According to IT analyst IDC, which conducted research into the state of the market, this represented "a solid performance".

The number of routers sold between October and December was down by 3.0 per cent on the previous year, however Q4 2010 witnessed "exceptional market results".

Strong 16.6 per cent growth in Latin America and a 15.1 per cent increase in Asia/Pacific were offset by a decline in North America and Europe, the Middle East and Africa, IDC said.

Demand for routers has encouraged networking manufacturers to bring a number of new solutions to market in recent months.

The most recent product to launch is the Netgear MVBR1210C HSPA+ Mobile Broadband Voice Router, which is designed to deliver a compelling service offering to consumers by eliminating the need for a fixed line voice service.

News provided by Comms Express, number one for Netgear routers on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/router-sales-up-7-3-per-cent-quarter-on-quarter-801301919/ 2012-02-24 12:46:14 switch market reached record revenues in the fourth quarter of 2011, a new report has indicated.

Research conducted by IT analyst IDC discovered total revenues of $6.06 billion between October and December - up 5.5 per cent on the previous year.

Strong Ethernet switch market growth was witnessed in Latin America, Europe, the Middle East, Africa and in Asia/Pacific.

However, North America saw a 2.0 per cent year-on-year fall in sales.

"The market recovery in the second half of 2011 is very encouraging for the enterprise networking market, with most market segments and regions making a contribution," said Rohit Mehra, director for enterprise communications infrastructure at IDC.

"With Gigabit Ethernet having recovered to a growth trajectory, and with 10GbE and 40GbE expected to drive incremental growth in data centre and campus core deployments, the Ethernet switch market is expected to show moderate growth in 2012."

News provided by Comms Express, number one for Cisco switches on the net]]> http://www.comms-express.com/news/networking-equipment/ethernet-switch-market-enjoys-record-quarter-801300783/ 2012-02-23 13:38:33 RJ45 adaptors enable businesses to take advantage of Ethernet cables, it has been claimed.

According to eHow.com, the connecting devices are used at the end of the cable, allowing it to plug into the network.

This enables computer users to transfer data across their network, and take advantage of high speed broadband services.

"Installing the associated jacks properly helps ensure that sensitive data successfully traverses the network," eHow explained.

"The right tools make the termination process easier, as do proper installation techniques."

Writing for EET Times, the Microsemi Corporation's Daniel Feldman recently claimed that Ethernet cables offer a number of benefits to businesses and organisations constructing networks to deliver power.

He suggested that power over Ethernet offers convenience, flexibility, and enhanced management capabilities to users.

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