Consolidation in the data communications equipment business continues apace as companies like Cisco Systems Inc and 3Com Corp turn themselves into giants. Cabletron Systems Inc of Rochester, New Hampshire also has ambitions of giantism, and its latest target is Netlink Inc, Framingham, Massachusetts supplier of Frame Relay access systems for multi-protocol networks. It is to pay 2.26 million new shares, valuing Netlink at some $158m. Netlink will operate as a stand-alone business unit in Framingham, where it employs about 80 people. Rather than use routers, Netlink provides high-performance switch-based Frame Relay systems that offer a significant price-performance advantage over routers.
