Magic Quadrant for the Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure

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■■■Avaya's heritage with voice communications means that it measures not only quality of service(QoS) performance, which is important for data and video applications, but also latency with itsSLA Mon solution.Avaya supports real-time client location tracking with its E-911 emergency location servicecapability, in conjunction with all Avaya call servers.Avaya supports a strong Ethernet stackable portfolio, with recent introductions such as the ERS4800 series products for enterprise wiring closets, and the ERS 3500 series for SMBs andbranch offices.Cautions■■■Network management is an important evaluation criterion. Wireless components need to bemanaged by Avaya Configuration and Orchestration Manager (COM) for continuity of an end-toendsolution.Avaya's large, wired installed base has declined over the past three years, and we do not oftensee it on RFP shortlists in the U.S. and EMEA.The Avaya Identity Engines portfolio comprises a number of software applications to supportdifferent network services (guest management, access compliance, etc.). Once the enterpriserequirements are defined, make sure you are not paying for additional functionality that may notbe needed. The solution is vendor-neutral, and Avaya allows the applications to run on separateapplication servers for a lower-cost implementation that is not dependent on other Avayacomponents, such as the 8100 platform.BrocadeBrocade provides wired switching through its new ICX and FastIron series, and wireless capabilitiesthrough a strategic relationship with Motorola. The Brocade sales force and Alliance PartnerNetwork (APN) channel partners focus on education, healthcare, regional service provider and U.S.government markets. Clients with existing Motorola WLANs or Brocade switches at the edge of thenetwork should consider a complete solution.Brocade Network Advisor (BNA) manages wired and wireless infrastructures, although guest accessand intrusion detection are provided separately — by Brocade for wired switching connectivity, andby Motorola for the wireless functionality.Strengths■■A single network management system supporting one unified access policy managementapplication for wired and wireless is a big step toward simplifying compliance and reducingadministration costs at the edge of the network.Brocade's HyperEdge functionality supports mixing and matching of premium and entry-levelswitches in a single stack, propagating services and features to all stack members, which canlower initial capital expenditures and provide investment protection. HyperEdge also providesPage 8 of 30Gartner, Inc. | G00234282
single-point management across multiple switch stacks to reduce management time andoperating costs, while helping eliminate human error through process simplification.■Brocade's vision is for the next-generation campus solution, called The Effortless Network,which includes HyperEdge technology and BNA for converged wired and wirelessmanagement, policy enforcement and monitoring, and Brocade's portfolio of switch andmobility products.Cautions■■While Motorola provides a strong WLAN solution, it needs to be more integrated with Brocadecomponents and applications at the edge of the network to simplify the role of IT and optimizethe solution.Although Brocade's controller platforms may be aggressively priced, its bids may be moreexpensive than others, especially in small, midsize, remote and branch office wired and wirelesssolutions, where competitors can offer controllerless solutions.CiscoCisco is the largest vendor and market share leader in the enterprise wired and wirelessinfrastructure market. A strong channel in the industry, combined with a global presence, meansCisco continues to be on shortlists for all access layer opportunities. Its reorganization to focus onthe wired and wireless access layer has resulted in a renewed focus on and progress at the edge ofthe enterprise network.Cisco's release of Prime and the Identity Services Engine (ISE) provides strong management,security and policy network service application functionality for wired LANs and WLANs. Thefunctionality coincides with a new marketing message "One Policy, One Management, OneNetwork" to educate end users. Cisco focuses on the public sector, healthcare, education and retailmarkets, but should be considered for any large enterprise opportunity.Strengths■■■The launch of the AP3600 AP family is a strong wireless component that should be deployed inany BYOD environments, and shows how quickly Cisco can rise to meet market needs.Cisco has made good progress in consolidating network management options at the edge ofthe network for managing wired and wireless components. Enterprises should review thefunctionality in Prime Network Control System (NCS) and Prime LAN Management Solution(LMS) before making a decision and, if necessary, should wait for the consolidation of bothapplications into one solution.Good service provider relationships with carriers in the U.S. and worldwide, as well as effortswith the Hotspot 2.0 initiative and Wireless Broadband Alliance (WBA), mean that Cisco shouldbe considered for transaction-dense environments, such as stadiums, or cellular offloadingopportunities.Gartner, Inc. | G00234282 Page 9 of 30
Page 3: ■Location-based services, context
Page 6 and 7: Strengths■■■ALU has a strong
Page 10: ■Cisco has refreshed and extended
Page 13 and 14: ■■Extreme needs to develop more
Page 15 and 16: ■■Huawei can deploy a single ar
Page 17 and 18: ■With a customer-focused organiza
Page 19 and 20: ■■Motorola offers controller/br
Page 21 and 22: classrooms, auditoriums and enterta
Page 23 and 24: Gartner evaluates technology provid
Page 25 and 26: Business Model: This includes the p
Page 27 and 28: mobility requirements change the wa
Page 29 and 30: Marketing Strategy: A clear, differ

Magic Quadrant for the Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure

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