Here's Who Made Gartner's 2017 Critical Capabilities Vendor Scorecard For Wired And Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure
HPE-Aruba And Cisco Battle For Supremacy
As the networking market evolves, standards-based access networking hardware has become less differentiated with enterprises now focused on more of the features and functionality of network service applications, according to Gartner's 2017 Critical Capabilities for Wired and Wireless LAN Access Infrastructure report.
Network service applications are a key aspect for buyers compared with the speeds and feeds of switches and wireless access points. The vendors rated on Gartner's report provided some or all of the core hardware and software for wired access network switches, network service applications and WLAN, such as wireless APs and virtual controllers. CRN breaks down the top five vendors with the highest scores in each of the six categories evaluated.
Gartner's Critical Capabilities Evaluation
For this report, the IT research firm evaluated a total of 16 vendors across these six categories designed to reflect the primary criteria Gartner recommends for use by IT leaders responsible for planning and managing enterprise wired and wireless access networks. This critical capabilities research differs from its popular Magic Quadrant research by focusing on product and services capabilities, rather than a vendor's position, vision and execution in the market.
Gartner evaluated vendor effectiveness in addressing a customer's needs around: (1) Unified wired and WLAN accessed through a single pane of glass; (2) Wired-only access network refresh or new build; (3) WLAN-only refresh or new build; (4) Performance stringent applications; (5) Multivendor networking environment; (6) Remote branch office with corporate headquarters.
Top Scores For Unified Wired And WLAN Access
HPE-Aruba: 4.04
Cisco: 3.83
Extreme Networks: 3.8
Huawei: 3.77
New H3C: 3.7
Aruba, a Hewlett Packard Enterprise company, captured the highest score in Gartner's evaluation of products for unified wired and WLAN access, edging out Cisco for the first time in the four editions of the research. In the same category in 2016, Cisco led with a score of 4.1, followed by HPE-Aruba at 4.08.
Gartner evaluated vendors on solutions offering access through a single pane of glass. HPE-Aruba has one of the broadest wired and wireless access layer portfolios in the market, with Aruba's AirWave network management technology and ClearPass secure network access control technology "some of the most complete solutions in the market," said Gartner.
Top Scores For Wired-Only Refresh/New Build
HPE-Aruba: 3.96
New H3C: 3.8
Extreme Networks: 3.77
Cisco: 3.76
Huawei: 3.76
HPE-Aruba took first place with a score of 3.96 in the category of wired-only access networking, which evaluated vendor offerings that address wired-only access network refresh or new build, with requirements either for a wired-only network or for expanding or refreshing wired switching.
Second place New H3C -- comprised of the former H3C with HPE's China-based server, storage and technology service businesses – scored a 3.8. The China-based company owns the intelligent Management Center (iMC) for unified wired and wireless management, guest access, user behavior analytics and other capabilities in a multivendor environment.
Top Scores For WLAN-Only Refresh/New Build
HPE-Aruba: 4.06
Mist Systems: 3.89
Aerohive: 3.84
Extreme Networks: 3.77
Cisco: 3.66
Gartner evaluated vendor effectiveness for WLAN-only refresh or new build, which reflect the requirements not only for the wireless elements of unified access network, but also for a wireless-first environment where the WLAN is the primary or predominant first connection to the enterprise network.
While HPE-Aruba took first place with a score of 4.06, networking startup Mist Systems outscored industry veterans such as Extreme Networks and Cisco at 3.89. Mist combines cloud-based wireless and artificial intelligence to create intelligent networks and Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), location-based offerings for enterprise customers. Customers don't need physical beacons or site surveys for Mist's location offering due to the data collection capabilities of the APs and its approach to array antenna design.
Top Scores For Performance Stringent Applications
HPE-Aruba: 3.97
Cisco: 3.79
Huawei: 3.78
Extreme Networks: 3.73
New H3C: 3.7
Gartner rated vendors' performance stringent applications for deployments that require high availability or support latency-sensitive applications using either a cloud-based or on-premises management solution.
HPE-Aruba took first place again with a score of 3.97, followed by Cisco at 3.79. Cisco's Meraki offering has its own separate fixed-format switches, access points and a separate cloud-based application for policy and management. An external API allows bilateral communication between its Identity Services Engine (ISE) and Prime to the Meraki dashboard.
Top Scores For Multivendor Networking Environment
HPE-Aruba: 3.91
Extreme Networks: 3.6
New H3C: 3.56
Aerohive: 3.42
Huawei: 3.4
In Gartner's Multivendor Networking Environment evaluation, the research firm addressed enterprises that must manage a mix of vendor infrastructure. HPE-Aruba led with a score of 3.91, followed by Extreme Networks at 3.6. Cisco placed 11th in that category with a score of 3.18, making it the only product segment in which it fell outside the top five.
Extreme Networks scored in the top four for all six categories in Gartner's report. Enterprises can optimize Extreme from on-premises, cloud or hybrid network service applications that include network management, guest access, policy enforcement and application analytics for Extreme network components, as well as for other access network vendors.
Top Scores For Remote Branch Office With Corporate Headquarters
HPE-Aruba: 4.01
Cisco: 3.81
Huawei: 3.78
Extreme Networks: 3.77
New H3C: 3.69
This category evaluated remote branch offices with corporate headquarters to address organizations with widely distributed offices in addition to a central corporate office.
HPE-Aruba bested Cisco in the category, capturing the top score of 4.01, followed by Cisco at 3.81. In 2016, Cisco led the pack with a score of 4.1 in the similar category of SME and/or Remote Branch Office, followed by HPE-Aruba with 4.08. In a clean sweep in 2017, Gartner gave HPE-Aruba the highest score in each of the six network use case categories.