WESTWOOD, MA, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE...Nearly half (46%) of enterprise network decision makers don't know how pricing for Business Ethernet compares to their existing network services, according to recent survey results from Vertical Systems Group.  Another 34% of customers say that Ethernet is not lower priced, whereas the remaining 20% report that Business Ethernet is a less costly service alternative than services such as Frame Relay, Private Lines, or Dedicated IP VPNs.  Vertical Systems Group ranks pricing among the "Big 3 Market Gaps" or challenges to growth of Business Ethernet services in the U.S., along with fiber and speed.

"Most enterprise customers find it difficult to evaluate the costs of Business Ethernet relative to what they're currently paying for network services.  Ethernet is not a single service, implementations vary considerably by provider, and service pricing is typically quoted only on an individual case basis.  What's more, incumbent providers are reluctant to offer pricing levels that encourage customers to migrate their legacy networks, meanwhile MSOs and other Ethernet providers aren't pricing new services aggressively enough to spark customer demand," said Rosemary Cochran, Principal at Vertical Systems Group.  "It's understandable why customers aren't sure if Business Ethernet is a bargain or a budget-buster."

SURVEYFlash data represents selected results from Vertical Systems Group’s primary research on the networking requirements of enterprise customers throughout the world.  The firm's proprietary, time-proven research methodology maps customer requirements to the supply of vendor solutions, resulting in a more "real world" perspective as compared to discrete market forecasts based solely on vendor-supplied information.