Where To Next?

With the advance in technology, network processors (NPs) have begun to be a very cost-effective option for many content switch manufacturers, and we are seeing the deployment of this technology in many content switches today. Some manufacturers have used these since the outset and have benefited from the cost effectiveness as well as the performance.

The reason for this is that NPs are much cheaper than ASIC-based technology, and are easier to work with because they are off-the-shelf hardware that can be easily programmed. In addition, as processor technology improves , NPs can be easily ported to new platforms. Moreover, performance is not such a huge issue as it was in the pioneering days of content switching due to huge leaps in processor design.

By using NPs, we will start to see the playing field begin to level, and it is then that features and functions will become the differentiator when comparing switch to switch. Although NPs might make life easier for the manufacturer, it is still a long, hard road to getting NPs to work. However, when they do, the ease with which manufacturers can change design and create different form factors for their switches will enable them to extend and grow their market share.