Frame relay and ATM are complementary technologies says panel

NEWS Frame relay and asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) are complementary rather than competitive technologies, according to a panel of experts at the Frame Relay Forum at Supercomm '99 in Atlanta. Both face bright futures according to a report from Vertical Systems Group. The research predicts the frame relay services market reaching a value of over $17bn by 2001 with the ATM services market expected to reach nearly $10bn in the same year. However, ATM is still having problems with its image. A third of respondents to the Vertical Systems poll are not willing to make the move from frame relay to ATM, citing the expense and satisfaction with the ability of current frame relay systems to meet business requirements as the main reasons.