Cisco Systems, Avaya and Hewlett Packard Enterprise are among the top players in the competitive enterprise networking market, according to analysts with IHS.
In its 2015 vendor scorecard report for the space, the market research firm also included Brocade, Huawei Technologies and Juniper Networks at the top of the list. The top leaders—Cisco, Brocade, HPE (which was created when HP split in two in November) and Huawei—are “stable and well-known companies, have worked to diversify their offerings and are generally well-regarded by enterprise buyers,” Matthias Machowinski, research director for enterprise networks and video at IHS, said in a statement.
“Networking and communication technologies are critical elements for the operation of any enterprise, and the companies profiled in our scorecard are capable of addressing a wide range of enterprise needs,” Machowinski said.
In the report released Nov. 30, IHS analysts said that Brocade is “financially strong and a leader in developing new technologies,” and is doing a good job of leveraging its data center heritage in targeting high-growth areas. Regarding Cisco, they said the company has been successful in its transformation from a network box maker to an enterprise IT solutions provider. Its financial picture is strong and is getting good feedback from customers, the analysts said, adding that Cisco’s “position as a leader is virtually assured in the years to come.”
Avaya has a strong 20-year history in the market selling telephony offerings and managed services, while Huawei is expanding its reach beyond China and into underserved markets worldwide, the analysts said. HPE brings with it one of the best known technology brands in the world, and is backing its networking efforts with its broad portfolio of IT products and services, they said. HP officials Nov. 1 completed a yearlong initiative to break the company in two, with HPE focusing on enterprise IT technologies and HP Inc. selling PCs and printers.
For its part, Juniper has mature routing, switching and security solutions, and targets large enterprises with complex networking needs, they said.
According to the IHS analysts, their scorecard includes such criteria as market share, market share momentum, financial strength, buyer feedback on product reliability, services and support, technology innovation and “next-gen intensity.”