Vendor Landscape: Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure

Transcription

1 Vendor Landscape: Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure Wired and wireless LAN are meshing together to form one unified access layer. Find your ideal combo., Inc. is a global leader in providing IT research and advice. Info-Tech s products and services combine actionable insight and relevant advice with ready-to-use tools and templates that cover the full spectrum of IT concerns Inc. 1

2 Introduction The Wireless LAN (WLAN) market will become your primary network access layer but some wired infrastructure is still required. Use Info-Tech s research to help you choose the solution best suited to your needs. This Research Is Designed For: ü Enterprises seeking to select a solution for enterprise LAN access infrastructure. ü Organizations across verticals that rely on mission-critical wireless for day-to-day operations. ü Mid-sized organizations and institutions looking to provide wireless access to customers and employees using personal devices to access corporate resources. This Research Will Help You: ü Understand what s new in the wired and wireless access LAN market. ü Evaluate wired and wireless LAN vendors and products for your enterprise needs. ü Determine which products are most appropriate for particular use cases and scenarios, helping you develop a shortlist of the best solutions for you. 2

3 Executive Summary Info-Tech evaluated 12 competitors in the enterprise LAN market, including the following notable performers: Champions: Aruba is known for its high quality products and is innovating in BYOD functionality and security features. Cisco has added to its already comprehensive portfolio by becoming a leading visionary with the acquisition of Meraki and ThinkSmart. Enterasys, a veteran in the networking industry, boasts high quality products and excellent customer service. HP offers a thorough and comprehensive portfolio but stands out in its unification of management. Juniper entered the WLAN market with its acquisition of Trapeze in 2010, and has aggressively strengthened its portfolio through improved BYOD offerings. Value Award: Aerohive s price can t be beat, and its strong portfolio of quality products is highly innovative. Trend Setter Award: Aerohive has led the industry in innovation, being the first to offer Bonjour support and creating cutting edge solutions in cloud management and distributed networking. Info-Tech Insight 1. Discount list pricing 25-50%: Don t pay list price. Expect discounts of 25-50% depending on vendor and volume. For instance, expect 25% from a low-cost vendor on a moderate-volume purchase. Expect 50% or more from a higher-cost vendor with high-volume purchases. Education and not-for-profit (NFP) should be on the higher end of discounts. 2. Know what you need: Do a detailed needs and feature requirements analysis prior to purchasing. Do you need centralized or distributed? Guest access or full Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) support? Wired-wireless unification? Choose wisely, as solutions will match your needs. 3. You need ubiquitous wireless: If you ve been fighting ubiquitous, missioncritical wireless, stop now. Virtually every enterprise needs a robust, secure, highperformance, manageable wireless solution. 3

4 Market Overview How it got here The primarily wireless access network is a reality. Info- Tech has combined the wireless and wired LAN Vendor Landscapes to reflect the fact that organizations are deploying robust wireless networks as the primary access layer, while wired access switches are becoming the distribution/aggregation layer. The market is settling, and while vendors continue to fight it, wired access infrastructure is becoming commoditized. Differentiation remains in wireless features and functionality, but unified management is becoming the key differentiator. Most organizations are fully entrenched in the n standard, with hardware that challenges the laws of physics to maximize speed and capacity, even in challenging RF environments. However, upgrades are on the horizon with the ac standard being ratified in late Where it s going The ac wireless standard is theoretically capable of multi-gigabit throughput on a single access point. Real-world performance will be lower, but still at least three times higher capacity than the n standard. Some vendors are already offering ac hardware based on drafts of the standard, but expect to see final hardware in late By 2015, there will be over 1 billion ac-enabled devices in use. The number of wireless devices connecting to the enterprise LAN is increasing rapidly not only because of smartphones and tablet adoption, but upcoming trends like wearable computing and the Internet of Things. Wireless capacity will be the primary concern of most organizations, and hardware will need to be upgraded to meet requirements. Software Defined Networking (SDN) is going to be a game-changer, making unified management and control increasingly critical. As the market evolves, capabilities that were once cutting edge become default and new functionality becomes differentiating. Many wired features of the access network have become table stakes capabilities and should no longer be used to differentiate solutions. Instead, focus on wireless capabilities, unified management, and advanced mobile / BYOD support to get the best fit for your requirements. 4

5 Enterprise LAN and WLAN vendor selection / knock-out criteria: market share, mind share, and platform coverage After considerable consolidation in the mid-to-late 2000s, the WLAN infrastructure market has settled. Some consolidation is still possible, but it s considerably more stable than it has been over the past decade. For this Vendor Landscape, Info-Tech focused on those vendors that offer broad capabilities across multiple platforms and that have a strong market presence and/or reputational presence among mid and large-sized enterprises. Included in this Vendor Landscape: Aerohive. Known for ease of deployment and cloud-management, it is well suited for distributed networks. Alcatel-Lucent. Offers strong telephony integration but lacks its own wireless hardware. Aruba. Delivers a comprehensive BYOD offering with a focus on security. Avaya. Offers tightly integrated unified communications, but lacks advanced BYOD features. Brocade. Focuses on strengthening its network defenses and adding BYOD functionality. Cisco. Possesses the largest mind-and-market share in LAN with a best-in-class wired and wireless portfolio. Enterasys. Provides a strong BYOD solution, unified management, and highly praised service and support. Extreme. A pure-play LAN vendor with high-quality hardware and strong SDN focus. HP. Offers a large, diverse product line and impressive unified management and integration. Juniper. Focuses on building a full-featured mobile solution including mobile device management. Meru. A pure-play WLAN vendor focusing on reliable, high-density, mission-critical deployments. Motorola. With end-to-end management, looking to big data to better understand usage patterns. 5

6 Enterprise LAN and WLAN criteria and weighting factors Product Evaluation Criteria Criteria Weighting: Features The solution provides basic and advanced feature/functionality. 30% Usability Usability The administrative interface is intuitive and offers streamlined workflow. Features 50% Architecture Affordability Both wireless and wired hardware is available from the vendor, with intelligent access points. The 3 year TCO of this solution is economical. Affordability is scored for our Value Index but does not contribute to a vendor s overall score for the Vendor Landscape. 20% Architecture Product 50% Viability Vendor Evaluation Criteria Vendor is profitable, knowledgeable, and will be around for the long-term. 50% Vendor Strategy Vendor is committed to the space and has a future product and portfolio roadmap. Viability 30% Reach Vendor offers global coverage and is able to sell and provide post-sales support. 50% Strategy Channel Vendor channel strategy is appropriate and the channels themselves are strong. Channel 10% 10% Reach 6

7 The Info-Tech Enterprise LAN Vendor Landscape The Zones of the Landscape Champions receive high scores for most evaluation criteria and offer excellent value. They have a strong market presence and are usually the trend setters for the industry. The Info-Tech Enterprise LAN Vendor Landscape: Market Pillars are established players with very strong vendor credentials, but with more average product scores. Innovators have demonstrated innovative product strengths that act as their competitive advantage in appealing to niche segments of the market. Emerging Players are comparatively newer vendors who are starting to gain a foothold in the marketplace. They balance product and vendor attributes, though score lower relative to market Champions. Extreme Aerohive Aerohive Extreme [SERIES Alcatel NAME]- Lucent Meru Meru Aruba Cisco Enterasys Enterasys Aruba Cisco HP Juniper HP Juniper Avaya Motorola Motorola Ruckus Brocade For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape is created, see Information Presentation Vendor Landscape in the Appendix. 7

8 Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise (Slide 1 of 2) Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel Aerohive Alcatel- Lucent* Aruba Avaya Brocade* Cisco Legend =Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor *The vendor declined to provide pricing and publicly available pricing could not be found For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix. 8

9 Balance individual strengths to find the best fit for your enterprise (Slide 2 of 2) Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel Enterasys Extreme HP Juniper Meru* Motorola Legend =Exemplary =Good =Adequate =Inadequate =Poor *The vendor declined to provide pricing and publicly available pricing could not be found For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Harvey Balls are calculated, see Information Presentation Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) in the Appendix. 9

10 The Info-Tech Enterprise LAN Value Index What Is a Value Score? The Value Score indexes each vendor s product offering and business strength relative to its price point. It does not indicate vendor ranking. Champion On a relative basis, Aerohive maintained the highest Info-Tech Value Score TM of the vendor group. Vendors were indexed against Aerohive s performance to provide a complete, relative view of their product offerings. Vendors that score high offer more bangfor-the-buck (e.g. features, usability, stability, etc.) than the average vendor, while the inverse is true for those that score lower. 100 Price-conscious enterprises may wish to give the Value Score more consideration than those who are more focused on specific vendor/product attributes Average Score: *The vendor declined to provide pricing and publically available pricing could not be found For an explanation of how Price is determined, see Information Presentation Price Evaluation in the Appendix. For an explanation of how the Info-Tech Value Index is calculated, see Information Presentation Value Index in the Appendix. 10

11 Table stakes represent the minimum standard; without these, a product doesn t even get reviewed Feature ac Basic Wired Features Basic Wireless Features Management & Directory Security & Policies Performance & Usage The Table Stakes What it is: Current or pending support for ac wireless standard. PoE+, stacking, redundancy/failover, IPv6 support, flow visibility n dual-band multi-radio access points. MIMO antennae, intelligence, mesh, remote APs. Basic policy and resource management, site planning, integration with directory services. Filter traffic, standards-based authentication and encryption, rogue AP detection/basic intrusion detection. Monitor and analyze performance and usage, from enterprise-wide to individual APs. What Does This Mean? The products assessed in this Vendor Landscape TM meet, at the very least, the requirements outlined as table stakes. Many of the vendors go above and beyond the outlined table stakes, some even do so in multiple categories. This section aims to highlight the products capabilities in excess of the criteria listed here. If table stakes are all you need from your enterprise LAN solution, the only true differentiator for the organization is price. Otherwise, dig deeper to find the best price to value for your needs. 11

12 Advanced features are the capabilities that allow for granular market differentiation Scoring Methodology Info-Tech scored each vendor s features offering as a summation of its individual scores across the listed advanced features. Vendors were given one point for each feature the product inherently provided. Some categories were scored on a more granular scale with vendors receiving half points. Feature BYOD (Advanced) Apple (Bonjour) Support Advanced Features What we looked for: Automated endpoint provisioning, fingerprinting and client health, MDM integration. Built-in Bonjour support for Apple ios devices. Management (Advanced) RF Visibility (Advanced) SDN-like Capabilities Security (Advanced) Unified Communications Unified management of wired networks, wireless networks, and network security. Advanced RF visibility, spectrum analysis, realtime heat maps, indoor location services. Network virtualization and APIs to integrate with applications. Wireless intrusion prevention with countermeasures, NAC integration. Quality of service features, certification with UC vendors. For an explanation of how advanced features are determined, see Information Presentation Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix. 12

13 Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs (Slide 1 of 2) Evaluated Features BYOD Device Support Management RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Aerohive Alcatel-Lucent Aruba Avaya Brocade Cisco Legend =Feature fully present =Feature partially present/pending =Feature absent For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix. 13

14 Each vendor offers a different feature set; concentrate on what your organization needs (Slide 2 of 2) Evaluated Features BYOD Device Support Management RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Enterasys Extreme HP Juniper Meru Motorola Legend =Feature fully present =Feature partially present/pending =Feature absent For an explanation of how Advanced Features are determined, see Information Presentation Feature Ranks (Stop Lights) in the Appendix. 14

15 Central campus or multi-site business? The type of deployment can determine your ideal WLAN vendor Most vendors can handle both centralized (e.g. hospitals) and distributed (e.g. K-12) networks, but some are better suited for one type over the other Network Distribution Best For Centralized Campus Deployment Why Scenarios? In reviewing the products included in each Vendor Landscape TM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info- Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist. Best For Distributed Multi-Site Deployment For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, please see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation in the Appendix. 15

16 Some vendors make managing your network simple and painless Unified management is becoming increasingly important as businesses seek simplicity in single pane of glass management. 2 Fully Integrated and Unified Management 2 3 Exemplary Performers Why Scenarios? In reviewing the products included in each Vendor Landscape TM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info- Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist. For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, please see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation in the Appendix. 16

17 Businesses with a BYOD program should choose a vendor that handles the unique challenges of mobile Mobility-specific functionality, device support, and network access control features can make the network BYOD-ready BYOD Readiness and Device Support Exemplary Performers Why Scenarios? In reviewing the products included in each Vendor Landscape TM, certain use cases come to the forefront. Whether those use cases are defined by applicability in certain locations, relevance for certain industries, or as strengths in delivering a specific capability, Info- Tech recognizes those use cases as Scenarios, and calls attention to them where they exist. For an explanation of how Scenarios are determined, please see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation in the Appendix. 17

18 Cisco s wired and wireless portfolio is best in class Champion Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Cisco Enterprise Networks 75,049 San Jose, CA cisco.com 1984 NASDAQ (CSCO) 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 9, between $500,000 and $1,000,000 Overview Cisco is by far the largest enterprise networking vendor in terms of market share. Its recent acquisition of Meraki has further boosted an already complete LAN portfolio. Strengths Cisco s hardware and management excelled in every area that Info-Tech evaluated. Cisco Prime Infrastructure provides single pane of glass management for both wired and wireless products. Cisco has a comprehensive BYOD solution with Meraki Systems Manager MDM, device fingerprinting, and a Bonjour Gateway. With the acquisition of ThinkSmart, Cisco is leading in the area of indoor GPS location and analytics. Challenges Cisco s acquisition of Meraki is still in the early stages and integration has not been completely smoothed out. Ensure you are clear about which pricing and products you are getting. Cisco s support costs can be high. $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor 18

19 Cisco is the dominant enterprise networking vendor Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 42 6th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Cisco should be on every shortlist with outstanding wired and wireless products and support. 19

20 HP excels at unified management and integration Champion Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: HP Networking Solutions 331,800 Palo Alto, CA hp.com 1939 NYSE (HPQ) Overview HP has a long history, with a variety of business units. HP Networking has expanded its wireless offerings through acquisitions of Colubris and 3Com. Strengths HP offers unified wired and wireless management with a single pane of glass view across physical, virtual, wired, and wireless products. FlexNetwork is a unified architecture across the whole edge, and extends to the branch and data center as well. 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 9, between $500,000 and $1,000,000 Challenges HP does not currently offer Apple (Bonjour) support. $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor 20

21 HP has a strong set of features, including improved support for BYOD environments Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 54 4th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: HP will be on many organizations shortlists, especially if users bring their own devices. 21

22 Enterasys focuses on network security Champion Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Enterasys IdentiFi Wireless and Wired Products 1,000+ Salem, NH enterasys.com 2000 Privately held 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 9, between $500,000 and $1,000,000 Overview Enterasys has a long history in networking (originally as Cabletron), and a joint venture with Siemens Enterprise Communications in 2008 has opened new markets. Strengths Customer feedback about Enterasys has been extremely positive, with praise for longevity of hardware and post-sales support. Its small company feel results in high customer satisfaction and strong customer relationships. Enterasys own Mobile IAM solution has some MDM-like features. OneFabric offers core to edge network visibility and unified management. Challenges Customers have reported some issues getting used to the enduser interface, requiring some training to get up to speed. On September 12 th, 2013, it was announced that Enterasys had been acquired by Extreme Networks. $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor 22

23 Enterasys customer support is highly praised Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 20 8th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: For a fully integrated wired and wireless solution with excellent customer support, consider Enterasys. 23

24 Aruba has a comprehensive, high quality portfolio of both wired and wireless products Champion Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Aruba Wireless and Wired Products 1,460 Sunnyvale, CA arubanetworks.com 2002 NASDAQ (ARUN) 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 8, between $250,000 and $500,000 Overview Aruba is an innovative LAN vendor, with a focus on mobility and a wireless-first network. Its WLAN infrastructure, security, and mobility management products are driving its growth in the market. Strengths Aruba has fully embraced mobile and BYOD, with its own mobile device management (MDM), integration with third party MDM, self-enrolment, and AirPlay support. Security is a priority on Aruba networks, with advanced WIPS, and NAC integration. Aruba has partnered with Microsoft to provide deep integration with Microsoft Lync. AirWave management provides single pane of glass visibility for wired and wireless networks, across multiple vendors. Challenges Aruba does have a limited portfolio of wired access switches, but its main focus is in wireless hardware and management. $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor 24

25 Aruba is ideal for primarily wireless access networks Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 74 2nd out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: If BYOD features and security are priorities, consider Aruba, but be prepared to pay a premium for licensing for advanced features. 25

26 Juniper has a complete set of wired and wireless edge products Champion Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Junos 9,342 Sunnyvale, CA juniper.net 1996 NYSE (JNPR) Overview Juniper acquired Trapeze Networks in 2010 to enter the WLAN market, and has been aggressively pursuing market share with unique features. Strengths Juniper has excellent BYOD features with a full suite of mobility products. Junos Pulse has its own MDM and anti-malware. Juniper boasts strong security features including NAC integration, intrusion detection, mitigation, and prevention. 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 9, between $500,000 and $1,000,000 $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor Challenges Juniper is still building the WLAN side of its business, though it is improving quickly. Juniper currently lacks a Bonjour Gateway for Apple AirPrint and AirPlay support, but is planning for its release in the late fall

27 Juniper s integrated mobile device management and unified network management set it apart Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 36 7th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Juniper is looking forward by beefing up its wireless offerings and focusing on management. Organizations with a highly mobile workforce looking for simplified network management will find a lot to like. 27

28 Motorola offers end-to-end management but lacks a wired portfolio Market Pillar Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Motorola Wireless Network Solutions (WiNG 5 WLAN) 22,000 Shaumburg, IL motorolasolutions.com 1928 NYSE (MSI) 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 8, between $250,000 and $500,000 Overview Motorola s WLAN business was built on the 2007 acquisition of Symbol Technologies, which was one of the pioneers in the WLAN market. Motorola Solutions is separate from the Googleowned Motorola Mobility spin-off. Strengths Motorola recognizes that some customers don t want to own management and therefore it offers a strong and secure end-toend wireless management system with AirDefense. Motorola is in the early stages of focusing on big data and analytics in order to read user patterns. Motorola has improved its BYOD features, offering integration with SOTI MobiControl MDM and device fingerprinting capabilities. Challenges Motorola has no wired portfolio for the edge, although it will integrate with other vendors that do offer wired hardware. Motorola does not yet have certifications with UC vendors such as Lync. $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor 28

29 Motorola s Wing5 architecture is enabling SDN-like features and application support Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 52 5th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Motorola has improved its BYOD offerings, but struggles to differentiate itself from market leaders. 29

30 Avaya has full integration with its voice and video, especially over wired networks Innovator Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Avaya Networking 16,951 Santa Clara, CA avaya.com 2000 Privately held 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 8, between $250,000 and $500,000 $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor Overview Avaya is known for communications, and its acquisition of Nortel s enterprise solutions in 2009 has led to a comprehensive line-up of wired enterprise LAN and wireless LAN products. Strengths Known for telephony and UC, Avaya tightly integrates its networking products with its communication products. Organizations with Avaya voice and video should consider its networking portfolio as well. Avaya places an emphasis on easy, fast configuration. Avaya provides a comprehensive unified access solution including core to edge wired and wireless LAN infrastructure. Challenges Avaya s wireless solution tends to lag behind leading solutions. Avaya s focus is on the unified access market, and its wireless deployment still requires traffic to flow through a central controller. Avaya s solution offers no native mobile device management integration today. 30

31 Avaya has a large portfolio of wired and wireless products, but trails in BYOD features Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index 66 3rd out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Avaya is well suited to organizations that are using Avaya voice and video collaboration products. 31

32 Extreme Networks is an innovative networking company with powerful hardware Innovator Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Extreme Networks 690 San Jose, CA extremenetworks.com 1996 NASDAQ (EXTR) 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 9, between $500,000 and $1,000,000 $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor Overview Extreme has a small but loyal following in the wired enterprise LAN market, and has partnered with Motorola to offer wireless products as well. Strengths Customers of Extreme speak highly of the quality of its products and service and tend to be extremely loyal. Extreme has a focus on the wired side of the edge, and prides itself on having extremely powerful hardware in terms of raw specs. Extreme can provide wireless products as well, albeit by OEMing Motorola hardware. Extreme recently added to its offering after announcing that it had acquired Enterasys on September 12 th, Challenges Extreme struggles to gain market share in the networking market, cutting 18% of its workforce in 2012, and planning to cut another 13% in Pure-play networking vendors like Extreme are susceptible to market volatility. A lack of Bonjour support for ios puts them slightly behind in terms of BYOD readiness. 32

33 Demanding networks may require Extreme measures Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD ((Box)) Capabilities Value Index 10 9th out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Extreme s unique purple switches can handle heavy traffic, and through its partnership with Motorola, it can offer wireless hardware and is working on unifying wired and wireless management. 33

34 Aerohive offers easy-to-deploy wireless solutions Innovator Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Aerohive Networks 373 Sunnyvale, CA aerohive.com 2006 Privately held 3 year TCO for this solution falls into pricing tier 8, between $250,000 and $500,000 $1 $1M+ Pricing provided by vendor Overview Aerohive s innovative cloud-based and on-premise WLAN solution makes it a flexible option to meet the needs of most. The addition of managed wired access switches complement its wireless strengths. Strengths Aerohive s support for mobile devices and BYOD is among the best in the market. It was one of the first WLAN vendors to support Apple s Bonjour protocol, allowing Apple device features such as AirPrint and AirPlay to function on an enterprise network. With intelligent access points that don t require a central controller to function, ease of deployment is a strength. Management and security can be hosted in the cloud, making Aerohive attractive for distributed networks. Challenges Aerohive is relatively small, with lower mind-and-market share than larger vendors. HiveManager network management can manage Aerohive s own wireless and wired infrastructure, but cannot control third party hardware. 34

35 For distributed networks, consider Aerohive s cloud managed WLAN Vendor Landscape Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel 4 Product Vendor BYOD Capabilities Value Index 100 1st out of 12 Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Aerohive s cloud management makes it ideal for enterprises distributed across multiple locations. 35

36 Alcatel-Lucent boasts impressive communications integration Emerging Player Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Alcatel Lucent Networks 76,000+ Paris, FR alcatel-lucent.com 1898 NYSE (ALU) Overview Alcatel-Lucent s focus is shared between the service provider market, and the enterprise market. With a solid foundation in the wired LAN space, the vendor opted to enter an OEM agreement with Aruba for its wireless product line. Strengths Alcatel-Lucent has strong integration with voice and unified communications for maintaining quality of service. The OmniSwitch line contains a full range of edge switches. The company has a strong presence in Europe, making it a sound option for organizations in the EMEA region. The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found $1 $1M+ Challenges Networking is not Alcatel-Lucent s main focus. Alcatel-Lucent does not manufacture its own wireless hardware, instead relying on reselling Aruba (also included in this Vendor Landscape) for its WLAN portfolio. The company has less presence in North America compared to other vendors. 36

37 Alcatel-Lucent offers a strong BYOD solution Vendor Landscape Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel 4 Product Vendor BYOD Capabilities Value Index N/A The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Alcatel-Lucent is a viable option, particularly for organizations that are using Alcatel telephony and unified communications products. 37

38 Meru offers high-end wireless LAN products Emerging Player Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Meru Networks LAN Product Portfolio 419 Sunnyvale, CA merunetworks.com 2002 NASDAQ (MERU) The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found $1 $1M+ Overview Meru focuses on the high end of the WLAN market, concentrating on large and high-density deployments where reliability is critical. Strengths Although it does not offer wired products, its partnership with SolarWinds allows for unified management of both wired and wireless hardware. Meru has strong BYOD capabilities including device fingerprinting, MDM integration, automated endpoint provisioning, as well as AirPrint and AirPlay support through a Bonjour gateway. Challenges Meru does not sell wired hardware, which is becoming increasingly important as organizations seek unified edge products and management. Meru is a relatively small player and has struggled to gain mindand-market share. 38

39 Meru is ideal for high-density wireless deployments Vendor Landscape Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel 4 Product Vendor BYOD Capabilities Value Index N/A The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: For high-density deployments, such as stadiums, hospitals, and higher education, Meru is a viable option. Smaller businesses and those looking for a single vendor for wireless and wired edge products will find less value in Meru. 39

40 Brocade offers decent security and BYOD features Emerging Player Product: Employees: Headquarters: Website: Founded: Presence: Brocade Networks 4,536 San Jose, CA brocade.com 1995 NASDAQ (BRCD) Overview Brocade boosted its wired LAN offerings by acquiring Foundry Networks in 2008, and offers wireless hardware through a partnership with Motorola. Strengths Brocade has some features ideal for BYOD businesses, such as automated provisioning. Partnerships with network access control and other security vendors strengthen Brocade s network defenses. The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found $1 $1M+ Challenges For some advanced features, separate purchases are required rather than an all-in-one management solution. Brocade does not manufacture its own wireless hardware, instead relying on reselling Motorola (also included in this Vendor Landscape) for its WLAN portfolio. 40

41 Brocade s partnership with Motorola provides it with wireless products, but unified management is lacking Vendor Landscape Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel BYOD Capabilities Value Index N/A The vendor declined to provide pricing, and publicly available pricing could not be found Device fingerprinting MDM integration Automated endpoint provisioning BYOD Device Support Management Features RF Visibility SDN Capabilities Security UC Info-Tech Recommends: Brocade can offer a full wired and wireless portfolio, but it lacks the feature set and unified management of leading enterprise LAN vendors. 41

42 Identify leading candidates with the Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Vendor Shortlist Tool The Info-Tech Enterprise Wired and Wireless LAN Vendor Shortlist Tool is designed to generate a customized shortlist of vendors based on your key priorities. This tool offers the ability to modify: Overall Vendor vs. Product Weightings Individual product criteria weightings: ü Features ü Usability ü Affordability ü Architecture Individual vendor criteria weightings: ü Viability ü Strategy ü Reach ü Channel 42

43 Appendix 1. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Overview 2. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Product Selection & Information Gathering 3. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring 4. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation 5. Vendor Landscape Methodology: Fact Check & Publication 6. Product Pricing Scenario 43

44 Vendor Landscape Methodology: Overview Info-Tech s Vendor Landscapes are research materials that review a particular IT market space, evaluating the strengths and abilities of both the products available in that space, as well as the vendors of those products. These materials are created by a team of dedicated analysts operating under the direction of a senior subject matter expert over a period of six weeks. Evaluations weigh selected vendors and their products (collectively solutions ) on the following eight criteria to determine overall standing: Features: The presence of advanced and market-differentiating capabilities. Usability: The intuitiveness, power, and integrated nature of administrative consoles and client software components. Affordability: The three-year total cost of ownership of the solution. Architecture: The degree of integration with the vendor s other tools, flexibility of deployment, and breadth of platform applicability. Viability: The stability of the company as measured by its history in the market, the size of its client base, and its financial performance. Strategy: The commitment to both the market-space, as well as to the various sized clients (small, mid-sized, and enterprise clients). Reach: The ability of the vendor to support its products on a global scale. Channel: The measure of the size of the vendor s channel partner program, as well as any channel strengthening strategies. Evaluated solutions are plotted on a standard two by two matrix: Champions: Both the product and the vendor receive scores that are above the average score for the evaluated group. Innovators: The product receives a score that is above the average score for the evaluated group, but the vendor receives a score that is below the average score for the evaluated group. Market Pillars: The product receives a score that is below the average score for the evaluated group, but the vendor receives a score that is above the average score for the evaluated group. Emerging Players: Both the product and the vendor receive scores that are below the average score for the evaluated group. Info-Tech s Vendor Landscapes are researched and produced according to a strictly adhered to process that includes the following steps: Vendor/product selection Information gathering Vendor/product scoring Information presentation Fact checking Publication This document outlines how each of these steps is conducted. 44

45 Vendor Landscape Methodology: Vendor/Product Selection & Information Gathering Info-Tech works closely with its client base to solicit guidance in terms of understanding the vendors with whom clients wish to work and the products that they wish evaluated; this demand pool forms the basis of the vendor selection process for Vendor Landscapes. Balancing this demand, Info-Tech also relies upon the deep subject matter expertise and market awareness of its Senior, Lead, and Principle Research Analysts to ensure that appropriate solutions are included in the evaluation. As an aspect of that expertise and awareness, Info-Tech s analysts may, at their discretion, determine the specific capabilities that are required of the products under evaluation, and include in the Vendor Landscape only those solutions that meet all specified requirements. Information on vendors and products is gathered in a number of ways via a number of channels. Initially, a request package is submitted to vendors to solicit information on a broad range of topics. The request package includes: A detailed survey. A pricing scenario (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Price Evaluation and Pricing Scenario, below). A request for reference clients. A request for a briefing and, where applicable, guided product demonstration. These request packages are distributed approximately twelve weeks prior to the initiation of the actual research project to allow vendors ample time to consolidate the required information and schedule appropriate resources. During the course of the research project, briefings and demonstrations are scheduled (generally for one hour each session, though more time is scheduled as required) to allow the analyst team to discuss the information provided in the survey, validate vendor claims, and gain direct exposure to the evaluated products. Additionally, an end-user survey is circulated to Info-Tech s client base and vendor-supplied reference accounts are interviewed to solicit their feedback on their experiences with the evaluated solutions and with the vendors of those solutions. These materials are supplemented by a thorough review of all product briefs, technical manuals, and publicly available marketing materials about the product, as well as about the vendor itself. Refusal by a vendor to supply completed surveys or submit to participation in briefings and demonstrations does not eliminate a vendor from inclusion in the evaluation. Where analyst and client input has determined that a vendor belongs in a particular evaluation, it will be evaluated as best as possible based on publicly available materials only. As these materials are not as comprehensive as a survey, briefing, and demonstration, the possibility exists that the evaluation may not be as thorough or accurate. Since Info-Tech includes vendors regardless of vendor participation, it is always in the vendor s best interest to participate fully. All information is recorded and catalogued, as required, to facilitate scoring and for future reference. 45

46 Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring Once all information has been gathered and evaluated for all vendors and products, the analyst team moves to scoring. All scoring is performed at the same time so as to ensure as much consistency as possible. Each criterion is scored on a ten point scale, though the manner of scoring for criteria differs slightly: Features is scored via Cumulative Scoring Affordability is scored via Scalar Scoring All other criteria are scored via Base5 Scoring In Cumulative Scoring, a single point is assigned to each evaluated feature that is regarded as being fully present, partial points to each feature that is partially present, and zero points to features that are deemed to be absent or unsatisfactory. The assigned points are summed and normalized to a value out of ten. For example, if a particular Vendor Landscape evaluates eight specific features in the Feature Criteria, the summed score out of eight for each evaluated product would be multiplied by 1.25 to yield a value out of ten. In Scalar Scoring, a score of ten is assigned to the lowest cost solution, and a score of one is assigned to the highest cost solution. All other solutions are assigned a mathematically determined score based on their proximity to / distance from these two endpoints. For example, in an evaluation of three solutions, where the middle cost solution is closer to the low end of the pricing scale it will receive a higher score, and where it is closer to the high end of the pricing scale it will receive a lower score; depending on proximity to the high or low price it is entirely possible that it could receive either ten points (if it is very close to the lowest price) or one point (if it is very close to the highest price). Where pricing cannot be determined (vendor does not supply price and public sources do not exist), a score of 0 is automatically assigned. In Base5 scoring a number of sub-criteria are specified for each criterion (for example, Longevity, Market Presence, and Financials are subcriteria of the Viability criterion), and each one is scored on the following scale: 5 - The product/vendor is exemplary in this area (nothing could be done to improve the status). 4 - The product/vendor is good in this area (small changes could be made that would move things to the next level). 3 - The product/vendor is adequate in this area (small changes would make it good, more significant changes required to be exemplary). 2 - The product/vendor is poor in this area (this is a notable weakness and significant work is required). 1 - The product/vendor is terrible/fails in this area (this is a glaring oversight and a serious impediment to adoption). The assigned points are summed and normalized to a value out of ten as explained in Cumulative Scoring above. Scores out of ten, known as Raw scores, are transposed as-is into Info-Tech s Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool, which automatically determines Vendor Landscape positioning (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Vendor Landscape, below), Criteria Score (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Criteria Score, below), and Value Index (see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation - Value Index, below). 46

47 Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation Vendor Landscape Info-Tech s Vendor Landscape is a two-by-two matrix that plots solutions based on the combination of Product score and Vendor score. Placement is not determined by absolute score, but instead by relative score. Relative scores are used to ensure a consistent view of information and to minimize dispersion in nascent markets, while enhancing dispersion in commodity markets to allow for quick visual analysis by clients. Relative scores are calculated as follows: 1. Raw scores are transposed into the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool (for information on how Raw scores are determined, see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring, above). 2. Each individual criterion Raw score is multiplied by the pre-assigned weighting factor for the Vendor Landscape in question. Weighting factors are determined prior to the evaluation process to eliminate any possibility of bias. Weighting factors are expressed as a percentage such that the sum of the weighting factors for the Vendor criteria (Viability, Strategy, Reach, Channel) is 100% and the sum of the Product criteria (Features, Usability, Affordability, Architecture) is 100%. 3. A sum-product of the weighted Vendor criteria scores and of the weighted Product criteria scores is calculated to yield an overall Vendor score and an overall Product score. 4. Overall Vendor scores are then normalized to a 20 point scale by calculating the arithmetic mean and standard deviation of the pool of Vendor scores. Vendors for whom their overall Vendor score is higher than the arithmetic mean will receive a normalized Vendor score of (exact value determined by how much higher than the arithmetic mean their overall Vendor score is), while vendors for whom their overall Vendor score is lower than the arithmetic mean will receive a normalized Vendor score of between one and ten (exact value determined by how much lower than the arithmetic mean their overall Vendor score is). 5. Overall Product score is normalized to a 20 point scale according to the same process. 6. Normalized scores are plotted on the matrix, with Vendor score being used as the x-axis, and Product score being used as the y-axis. Innovators: solutions with below average Vendor scores and above average Product scores. Emerging Players: solutions with below average Vendor scores and below average Product scores. Vendor Landscape Champions: solutions with above average Vendor scores and above average Product scores. Market Pillars: solutions with above average Vendor scores and below average Product scores. 47

48 Vendor Landscape Methodology: Information Presentation Criteria Scores (Harvey Balls) Info-Tech s Criteria Scores are visual representations of the absolute score assigned to each individual criterion, as well as of the calculated overall Vendor and Product scores. The visual representation used are Harvey Balls. Harvey Balls are calculated as follows: 1. Raw scores are transposed into the Info-Tech Vendor Landscape Shortlist Tool (for information on how Raw scores are determined, see Vendor Landscape Methodology: Scoring, above). 2. Each individual criterion Raw score is multiplied by a pre-assigned weighting factor for the Vendor Landscape in question. Weighting factors are determined prior to the evaluation process, based on the expertise of the Senior or Lead Research Analyst, to eliminate any possibility of bias. Weighting factors are expressed as a percentage, such that the sum of the weighting factors for the Vendor criteria (Viability, Strategy, Reach, Channel) is 100%, and the sum of the Product criteria (Features, Usability, Affordability, Architecture) is 100%. 3. A sum-product of the weighted Vendor criteria scores and of the weighted Product criteria scores is calculated to yield an overall Vendor score and an overall Product score. 4. Both overall Vendor score / overall Product score, as well as individual criterion Raw scores are converted from a scale of one to ten to Harvey Ball scores on a scale of zero to four, where exceptional performance results in a score of four and poor performance results in a score of zero. 5. Harvey Ball scores are converted to Harvey Balls as follows: A score of four becomes a full Harvey Ball. A score of three becomes a three-quarter full Harvey Ball. A score of two becomes a half full Harvey Ball. A score of one becomes a one-quarter full Harvey Ball. A score of zero becomes an empty Harvey Ball. 6. Harvey Balls are plotted by solution in a chart where rows represent individual solutions and columns represent overall Vendor / overall Product, as well as individual criteria. Solutions are ordered in the chart alphabetically by vendor name. Overall Harvey Balls represent weighted aggregates. Harvey Balls Product Vendor Overall Features Usability Afford. Arch. Overall Viability Strategy Reach Channel Criteria Harvey Balls represent individual Raw scores. 48