News in View: ATM set for a comeback against Ethernet

NEWS Use of Gigabit Ethernet is currently outstripping ATM - but the increasing deployment of video and other multimedia applications could revive the fortunes of the high-speed data transfer protocol. A recently published report from network services company, Black Box, predicted the irresistable rise of Gigabit Ethernet. The survey claims the installed base for Gigabit Ethernet technology is up 150 per cent since last year - accounting for 21 per cent of network set-ups. But that was challenged by some industry experts present at last week's Networks-telecom 2000 exhibition, as is revealed in this week's News in View programme. Ian Shepherd, product manager at system integrator Telindus K-NET, claims Gigabit Ethernet is not an indispensable technology and said ATM is a better choice in some instances. He told silicon.com: "Gigabit is seen as the more familiar technology as Ethernet has been around for a long time. But the truth is, ATM can be just as simple for building a network. These technologies are better for different purposes. For some applications ATM is unbeatable. For example, high-quality video or real-time sound really need an ATM network." However, Bobby Johnson, president and CEO at network company Foundry Networks, claims ATM's future is bleak because Gigabit Ethernet offers the same functionality while being a simpler technology. He said: "Back in the early to mid 90s, there was not a progression path from traditional LAN technologies to higher performance infrastructures. ATM offered high speed to the future but it also became a complicated technology when you had to install LAN emulation and other things on top of it." Patrick Hudgell, managing director at Black Box added: "The popularity of Ethernet is to do with its familiarity. Users buy it because it's Ethernet and they recognise the name." You can watch the full News in View video analysis in the Fast Networking Channel (http://www.silicon.com/a38397 )