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	Issue TOC Print full article Print this page Download as PDF E-Mail this URL Discuss this article Flame the author     In this article Introduction CYA Strategy Gorilla vs. Guerrilla Executive Summary Can Infrastructure ROI Be Calculated? Maybe Epoll Results

RFI: Network Backbone

You may be ready to buy a new backbone, but which way should you go? Single vendor or best of breed? Established megavendor or upstart innovator? Standard or proprietary management? And how are you going to justify the cost? Are infrastructure upgrades subject to ROI calculations?

In talking to readers we've found that most actively seek reliable second sources for networking equipment to provide pricing leverage and a technical "out" in case one vendor can't deliver in a timely manner. The more you can stick with standards, the more viable this possibility becomes.

In "Premium Network, Four Ways", we share the results of an RFI we issued for CradletoGrave, a fictional insurer that's moving into new quarters. We asked for a single-vendor end-to-end network, spanning the LAN and WAN.

Alcatel, Enterasys, Extreme Networks and Foundry Networks submitted impressive proposals that provided robust, manageable, end-to-end switching and routing connectivity from the wiring closet to the core, the LAN to the WAN. Each submission had high points--Alcatel's top-notch VoIP system, Enterasys' wireless capabilities and Extreme's 10 Gigabit switches are strong draws. But we gave our Editor's Choice nod to Foundry, which met all our technical requirements while maintaining a gratifying commitment to standards.