Suppliers have formed the Ethernet Alliance to educate
the market about new Ethernet technologies, but so far without the
involvement of Cisco.
While the alliance is supported by the likes of 3Com (which
invented Ethernet), Agere Systems, Broadcom, Foundry Networks,
Intel, Samsung and Sun Microsystems, the world's biggest supplier
of Ethernet switching products, Cisco, is noticeable by its
absence.
Cisco is also a leading player in many of the new Ethernet
technologies that the Ethernet Alliance seeks to promote.
Blaine Kohl, vice-president of marketing for the Ethernet
Alliance, was unable to explain Cisco’s absence from the starting
line-up, but did say that other companies would be joining in the
future.
The alliance will work closely with the IEEE standards body but
will steer clear of trying to set standards of its own. It will
concentrate on promoting new Ethernet solutions such as metro and
carrier Ethernet, power over Ethernet (POE), 10Gigabit Ethernet
over copper, and higher basic Ethernet speeds.
