This week's Ethernet switching announcements by Cisco and Juniper Networks highlight
ongoing changes in enterprise network architectures.

Specifically, requirements are bifurcating, based on where in the network a device is
deployed. Data center consolidation drives the need for high-capacity, highly
reliable data center switches, while the proliferation of remote branch offices
creates a need for modular, low-maintenance devices at the branch capable of
supporting increasingly complex application requirements.

In the data center, pressure continues on network architects to migrate from
general-purpose switches and routers to an architecture that emphasizes
high-performance, multiprotocol switching and routing.

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