The recent introduction of Web-based smart switches has made network management more affordable for small to medium enterprises (SMEs) in the local market, according to Tobie Van Schalkwyk, country manager for D-Link SA.
Van Schalkwyk told customers and partners at a briefing in Midrand last week that this new category of high-speed switches was a lower-cost alternative for SMEs needing to manage increasing loads of business critical traffic, especially with the recent growth in voice and video data on many networks.
Although smart switches do not provide as many options as fully managed switches, Van Schalkwyk says they are a meaningful compromise at roughly a quarter of the price.
"Many companies that had to invest in fully managed switches in the past because there was no alternative, used only the most common management functions covered by the new smart switches," he explains.
Asked about scalability, Van Schalkwyk says less than 20% of SMEs investing in smart switches are likely to need to replace them with fully managed switches.
The smart switches could help realise a potential 50% saving in cabling costs for companies choosing to make use of integrated power over Ethernet (POE) capability.
"These switches make POE for the masses a reality," says Van Schalkwyk, pointing out that as wireless access points become more common, POE-enabled switches will become increasingly necessary.
Smart switches enable administrators to manage their networks over the Internet using a Web browser.
"The simple click and apply graphical user interface enables SMEs to optimise networks without requiring highly skilled staff or consultants," says Van Schalkwyk.
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