Data networks too complex for solo vendors, Olicom claims

"No single vendor can –- or should -– do it all," Olicom CEO Niels Christian Furu says. He would, wouldn't he? Always a niche vendor, Danish-owned Olicom is cosying up to Cabletron with a joint global OEM and marketing agreement. This will see Cabletron flog Olicom's Token Ring products, while Olicom will flog Cabletron's SmartSwitch Router 8000. Olicom's sales pitch -- or plea for independence -- runs like this: 1. A fundamental transition is underway in data networking to a more diversified environment. 2. Demand is accelerating for reliable bandwith across complex heterogenous environments. 3. No vendor could or should try and handle this by itself. This is whistling in the dark. One could just as easily argue that more can go wrong in multi-vendor data networks. Cisco, Lucent, Nortel Networks, 3Com, Alcatel, Siemens and others of that ilk are end-to-enders, by inclination, if not yet in reality. They will continue snaffling up smaller suppliers for there technology In the data networking world there are predators -- and then there's prey. Cabletron and Olicom are both members of the waiting to be eaten camp. Huddling closer together does not change this. ®