3Com extends market share leadership in fast-growing Gigabit Ethernet market

3Com Corporation today announced that it has increased its lead in the Gigabit Ethernet marketplace. According to analyst Dell`Oro Group`s recently released data, 3Com increased its number one market share position for Switched Gigabit Ethernet from 23.6% in Q2CY98 to 27% in Q3CY98.

The market share is measured on Switched Gigabit Ethernet ports for both stackable and chassis-based systems shipped to business enterprises worldwide, explains 3Com SA`s pre sales manager, Paul Ruinaard. According to the Dell`Oro Group`s figures, the Switched Gigabit Ethernet market grew 67% quarter-over-quarter, more than twice the overall growth rate of the switched Ethernet market for the same period. 3Com`s Switched Gigabit Ethernet port shipments increased by 91% in Q3CY98 as compared to Q2CY98.

Ruinaard points out that 3Com has also maintained its leadership in overall Ethernet ports shipped calendar year-to-date, with 34% market share (Cahners In-Stat and Dell`Oro) - three times its closest competitor. Overall Ethernet ports shipped included Ethernet, Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet ports for LAN hubs, LAN switches and network interface cards.

"3Com continues to gain momentum in this all-important segment of the LAN business worldwide," says Ron Sege, senior vice president, 3Com Enterprise Systems. "More than any other vendor, 3Com is meeting customers` demands for Gigabit-class networks with solutions for easily growing intranets, adding new multimedia applications, and building the infrastructure for next-wave LAN telephony-based business applications."

"Our success in Gigabit Ethernet - in both medium and large enterprises - is directly related to our product strategy of making the technology available through complete, low cost, high performance, easy-to-use .