Ethernet implementations on the rise

More firms are investing in Ethernet capabilities than ever before, converting their networks over for cost, bandwidth and flexibility reasons, among others. According to a recent report from IDC, U.S. Ethernet market revenues are expected to grow from $6.2 billion in 2013 to $10.1 billion by 2016, as enterprises invest in expanded bandwidth scalability and network improvements for disaster recovery and connectivity needs.

"We are also seeing a lot of U.S. enterprises upgrading their Ethernet bandwidth and adding more applications and business locations on net because of the economics and faster time-to-service compared to the alternatives," noted Nav Chandler, research manager of U.S. Enterprise Communications Services for IDC. "Together, these trends will enable enterprises to converge their communication platform requirements with Ethernet."

IDC analyzed the national enterprise Ethernet services market, focusing on Ethernet ports and circuits, data center connectivity, communications, storage networking and overall revenue gains through 2017.

Ethernet services are growing in popularity for several reasons, but for businesses the main advantage to be had is the support of WAN connectivity. This allows for the integration of cloud, internet, IP VPN and other new services on a broad scale, including implementation on the service floor through Ethernet to serial converters. This complete inter-connectivity of production and IT networks will improve workflow, disaster protection and help institute automation and other practices to enhance productivity and efficiency on a broad scale.

In order to really bring the benefits of Ethernet into the enterprise, however, firms need to integrate it with legacy systems and networks. RS232 to Ethernet support, alongside serial media converters and other technology, will allow full deployment and automation of solutions without complications with network communication or latency.

Ethernet isn't so much an option today as an opportunity to promote growth and innovation for businesses. In any industry, the right tools will improve network flexibility and control, and investing in high-quality Ethernet I/O is critical to the support of these advances. IDC's research indicated that high bandwidth Ethernet connections are a fast-growing requirement among enterprises, with anticipated growth rates of 21 percent. Driven by mobile backhaul, IP VPN and dedicated service, companies will have to invest now in order to keep up with the competition and ensure viable operations in the future, let alone take advantage of the benefits that Ethernet brings to the table.

Perle's serial to Ethernet converters connect serial based equipment across an Ethernet network. The Perle IOLAN range of Console Servers, Device Servers and Terminal Servers feature built-in support for IPv6 along with a broad range of authentication methods and encryption technologies.