The Linley Group Reports Trend Toward Specialization in Fragmented 10G Ethernet Adapter and Controller Market

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA--(Marketwire - October 29, 2008) - Highlighting the 10 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) network interface card (NIC) market and LAN-on-motherboard (LOM) as a key area for growth in the coming years, The Linley Group announces the release of its latest report, "A Guide to 10G Ethernet Adapters and Controller Chips, Second Edition." The report provides the industry's only in-depth examination of this market, dedicating an entire chapter to each of the leading vendors offering 10GbE NICs and controller chips. Also covered are new entrants into the 10GbE NIC/LOM market including Fibre Channel HBA vendors offering or developing converged network adapters (CNA) for Fibre Channel over Ethernet (FCoE). Updated from the initial report published a year ago, the second edition provides revised forecasts, expands the number of vendors covered and includes comparisons for both 10GbE NICs and 10GbE controller chips to aid OEMs sourcing either board-level or chip-level products.

Citing virtualization, network convergence and the broad deployment of blade servers as the key drivers for 10GbE NIC growth, the report predicts that NIC/LOM (LAN-on-motherboard) shipments will more than double each year through 2012, making it the highest growth area in the otherwise flat controller segment. The report discusses how these trends impact not only shipment and dollar growth, but also the performance and features of vendor offerings.

"As the industry transitions to 10GbE, controller designs are rapidly adding new features, with most designed to offload CPU processing and increase throughput," said Bob Wheeler, coauthor of the report and a senior analyst with The Linley Group. "This has prompted a number of different offload approaches, with no single vendor satisfying every market requirement. We help users sort out which vendors will solve the specific needs of markets such as blade servers, high-performance computing (HPC) and storage networking."

The technology discontinuity created by the shift to 10GbE has garnered massive investment attracting a combination of venture-funded startups and larger vendors. Intel, Broadcom, Chelsio, NetXen, and Neterion are battling for position in a crowded market that faces consolidation in the next two years. In the 10GbE NIC market, CNAs have added a new competitive dynamic as early entrants Emulex, QLogic, and Brocade roll out first-generation designs.

In addition to providing a detailed market overview and explanation of acronyms and standards, the report provides The Linley Group's trademark comprehensive analysis of products and vendors, helping technology professionals -- from engineers and networking managers to marketing staff and financial analysts -- sort out a rapidly transitioning market.

Availability

"A Guide to 10G Ethernet Adapters and Controller Chips, Second Edition" is currently available directly from The Linley Group and is priced at $2,995 for a single-user license. For further details, visit the web site at http://www.linleygroup.com/Reports/10G_adapters_guide.html.

About The Linley Group

The Linley Group, the leading provider of independent technology analysis for networking, communications, and consumer electronics semiconductors, covers emerging areas such as high-speed embedded processors, Gigabit and 10G Ethernet, mobile communications processors, and more. The company provides in-depth technology reports and interactive seminars as well as strategic consulting services tailored to the individual client. To get free access to The Linley Group's analysis of recent news and events in these markets, subscribe to our e-mail newsletters. More information about The Linley Group is available at http://www.linleygroup.com.

Note to editors: To speak to an analyst from The Linley Group about this report, please contact: Erika Powelson, Orr & Company, 831.424.1811 or email erika@orr-co.com.

Contact Information: Sales Contact: Candace Doyle The Linley Group 408.370.7631 candaced@linleygroup.com Web site: www.linleygroup.com Public Relations Contact: Erika Powelson Orr & Company 831.424.1811 erika@orr-co.com