Frame Relay Goes Hybrid

WESTWOOD, Mass. -- The Frame Relay market is proving resilient as enterprises migrate toward emerging network technologies like IP VPN and Ethernet, according to latest data from Vertical Systems Group's ENS Research Program. New in-depth analysis quantifies how the majority of customer frame relay sites remain without change, while a subset of locations interworks using the newer services, resulting in "hybrid" network configurations. With worldwide customer frame relay installations now topping two million ports and generating $16 billion in carrier revenue, ENS highlights the forces driving why and when this significant customer base will evolve in stages during the next several years.

Detailed market statistics through 2008 quantify frame relay ports, revenue and bandwidth by region, as well as the deployment of FR/IP ("IP enabled" frame relay) and VPN capabilities. ENS also quantifies related key forces impacting frame relay migration, including RBOC nationwide services, DSL, MPLS-based VPNs and Ethernet services.

Vertical Systems Group