According to Framingham, Massachusetts-based International Data Corp, the local network concentrator market is set to continue its high growth, driven by the demand for Ethernet unshielded twisted pair. During 1990, reports IDC, unshielded twisted pair represented 85% of all local net concentrator port shipments. And the study goes on to say that total revenue will increase from $572m in 1990 to $1,600m in 1995. The study reports that increasing competition in the local network concentrator market, especially in Ethernet unshielded twisted pair products, requires vendors to position their products properly within the overall local net concentrator arena. Differentiation is said to be taking place on a number of fronts, including price, number of users, technology support, media, modularity, network management, internetwork support and terminal server support. Synoptics, Cabletron, and Ungermann-Bass remained the market leaders during 1990 and 1991, with Synoptics taking 36% of the market, Cabletron 15% and Ungermann-Bass 11%. Britain’s BICC Data Networks comes in fourth with 9%. Worldwide 1990 port shipments by geographic region are US, 73%, Europe, 20% and 7% for the rest of the world according to IDC. However it is forecasting significant growth in Europe in 1992 and 1993.
