Route them this way

Networking is fast becoming one of today's hottest markets with Internet Protocol (IP) traffic doubling every six months.

Roughly $19 billion was spent on routers and switches last year as companies continued to upgrade their infrastructures. The market is said to reach nearly $25 billion by 2009.

"The transition from standard to secure routers is speeding up, with the secure router revenue escalating rapidly," says Bradley Love, MD of Network Platforms, the sole distributor for DrayTek, provider of VPN/firewall/security solutions to SMEs.

According to Love, the percentage of SMEs connecting to the Internet via ADSL has almost doubled since 2004 and he says the market has had a tenfold increase since 2003. "This is largely due to reduced ADSL costs and SMEs' ever-increasing adoption of technology."

SMEs are more open than ever before to technology, which Love says is positive for business. He says it provides companies like Network Platforms with an opportunity to assist smaller companies to utilise technology to improve business.

He says one such area is integrated service routers, which provide SMEs with an infrastructure enabling fast access to business applications, while still having optimised security and the ability to scale up.

DrayTek, which has been represented in South Africa for the past three years by Network Platforms, focuses on providing comprehensive remote access solutions for small office and home users. DrayTek products aim to meet the basic and growing needs of SMEs. Love says the range is diverse and includes USB ADSL modems; ADSL routers, WLAN-built-in ADSL routers, VOIP-built-in ADSL routers, ADSL router with ISDN backup, USB-based broadband router, WLAN access solution, ISDN router and USB ISDN TA, to future trendy telecommunications products.

For further information on the Draytek routers available in South Africa, contact Network Platforms on (011) 453 3900 or visit www.draytek.co.za.