451 Research Releases Comprehensive IT Networking Study

NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- TheInfoPro, a service of 451 Research, has published its latest Networking Reference Reports. Based on in-depth interviews with IT decision-makers at large North American enterprises, the reports detail current and planned usage and spending trends for key technologies; ratings on leading vendors; and trends on budgets, pain points, and top projects.

Highlights from the Networking Reference Reports include:

• After a significant increase in networking budgets between 2010 and 2011 – when 48% of respondents reported a budget increase – we see some leveling off this year. Thirty-eight percent (38%) of respondents reported a budget increase, while 23% reported a budget decrease.
• Core router and switch upgrades are the top project priorities this year, while general 'technology refresh' ranked third. Both of these findings are consistent with our identification of aging hardware as a main pain point in our previous Networking Reference Reports.
• Wireless LAN implementations and expansions, unified communication solutions, and mobile device management rollouts top TheInfoPro's heat index, a weighted measure of the immediacy of user needs around each technology.
• Cisco was identified as the 'most exciting' vendor in the study's Vendor Performance Report. Cisco and Juniper Networks received the most mentions as the vendor product or service for implementing network projects – an unsurprising finding given their prominence in core routing and switching technologies.

"It's clear that network technology spending is still in catch-up mode as network managers continue addressing performance and capacity needs in the core network brought on by new business requirements and aging network equipment," said Daniel Kennedy, Research Director for Information Security and Networking. "Planned network projects, such as the continued rollout of wireless LANs, unified communication solutions, and mobile device management are a direct response to evolving business needs."

451 Research will host a Networking webinar on September 27, which will include discussion of the study's findings.

Webinar Details:

• Title: New Business Requirements and Aging Network Equipment: Pain Points, Spending Drivers, and Vendor Preferences
• Date: September 27, 2012
• Time: 1 pm EDT
• Presenters: Daniel Kennedy, Research Director, Information Security and Network Practices and Eric Hanselman, Research Director, Networks
• Registration:  https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/404715409

About TheInfoPro Network Technology Study
TheInfoPro Network Technology Study, completed in August 2012, focuses on networking technology while taking an in-depth look at key trends across the networking industry, as well as the performance of individual vendors. The study is based on hour-long interviews with networking professionals and primary decision-makers at large and midsize enterprises in North America. The interview results are collected in comprehensive research reports that provide continuous business intelligence within key areas, such as technology roadmaps, spending plans and vendor performance. A sampling of vendors covered in the Vendor Performance and Technology Roadmap components of the study include: Aruba Networks, Avaya, Blue Coat, Check Point, Cisco, Dell, F5 Networks, HP, Juniper Networks, Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks, Riverbed, SolarWinds, and Websense.

About 451 Research
451 Research, a division of The 451 Group, is focused on the business of enterprise IT innovation. The company's analysts provide critical and timely insight into the competitive dynamics of innovation in emerging technology segments. Business value is delivered via daily concise and insightful published research, periodic deeper-dive reports, data tools, market-sizing research, analyst advisory, and conferences and events. Clients of the company – at vendor, investor, service-provider and end-user organizations – rely on 451 Research's insight to support both strategic and tactical decision-making. 451 Research is headquartered in New York, with offices in key locations, including San Francisco, Washington DC, London, Boston, Seattle, and Denver.

Media Contact:

Newsmaker Group for 451 Research
Lynn Schwartz 
973.736.7118 
[email protected]

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SOURCE 451 Research