2008-10-16 21:15:01 -

www.abiresearch.com - Cisco Systems has been ranked at the top of the latest Vendor Matrix released by ABI Research.

Nortel Networks and Hewlett-Packard (HP) claimed the second and third spots in the company's new evaluation of network switching vendors' internal green initiatives as well as the greenness of their switches.

The Vendor Matrix is an analytical tool developed

by ABI Research to provide a clear understanding of vendors' positions in specific markets. Vendors are assessed on the important parameters of "innovation" and "implementation" across several criteria unique to each vendor matrix.

"Nortel, which finished first in the Implementation category, builds the 'greenest' switches, which have been optimized for low power consumption," says ABI Research vice president Stan Schatt."

Cisco finished just behind Nortel in Implementation. It also received points for its Cisco Discovery Protocol (CDP) and its ability to schedule power deliver to IP devices. Its Implementation score coupled with its strong internal green efforts propelled Cisco to first in the overall rankings.

Cisco tied Hewlett-Packard in the Innovation category that measures how green a company is internally. Its commitment to telepresence, recycling, establishing and meeting its carbon footprint goals, and its recent efforts at "hoteling" employees all contributed to its score.

For this particular matrix, under "Innovation," ABI Research examined vendors' carbon footprints, their regulatory compliance and recycling practices, internal green initiatives, their use of video conferencing, telepresence and telecommuting, and their participation in environmental organizations.

Under "Implementation," ABI Research scrutinized the products' power efficiency, value-add green features, certifications, and the greenness of power supplies and switching tools.

This is one of three newly-released ABI Vendor Matrices related to green networking practices.

To view a chart showing the rankings of the top ten firms in this Vendor Matrix, please visit "Evaluating the Greenness of Network Equipment Vendors and Their Switches" (www.abiresearch.com/products/vendor_matrix/Evaluating_the_ Greenness_of_Network_Equipment_Vendors_and_Their_Switches). (Due to its length, this URL may need to be copied/pasted into your Internet browser's address field. Remove the extra space if one exists.) Registration on the ABI Research website (free) is required. Access to the rankings and profiles of all companies surveyed is available to clients of ABI Research.

This Vendor Matrix forms part of ABI Research's Wi-Fi Research Service (www.abiresearch.com/products/service/Wi-Fi_Research_Service). For a list of all ABI Research Vendor Matrices, please visit The ABI Research Vendor Matrix (www.abiresearch.com/vendor_matrix_home.jsp).

ABI Research is a leading market research firm focused on the impact of emerging technologies on global consumer and business markets. Utilizing a unique blend of market intelligence, primary research, and expert assessment from its worldwide team of industry analysts, ABI Research assists hundreds of clients each year with their strategic growth initiatives. For information, visit www.abiresearch.com, or call +1.516.624.2500.

ABI Research
Nicole Fabris, 516-624-2542
pr@abiresearch.com