If the goal for the likes of Cisco and Bay Network is to deliver wire speed, nonblocking, gigabit switch routing at under $800 per Fast Ethernet port by next year, Meta Group believes they’ve got a ways to go yet. It thinks the current crop of Layer 3 routing switches – intelligent IP switching – is still is constrained by severe backplane congestion and high prices $2,500 – per port for 100Mbps. Meta see best chances lie with the next generation of high-speed ‘campus’ switches with integral routing, characterized by startups such as Foundry Networks and Rapid City Communications (recently acquired by Bay). It’s looking for more intelligence through the use of on-board ASICs within 12 months.
