A group of 11 companies has committed to developing products conforming to the joint AT&T Co-Hewlett-Packard Co proposal for 100Mbps Ethernet, despite the fact that the IEEE has yet to decide whether to adopt it as a standard. The group comprises Banyan Systems Inc, Bytex Corp, Kalpana Inc, Microsoft Corp, Optical Data Systems Inc, Novell Inc, Proteon Inc, Ungermann-Bass Inc, and Wellfleet Communications Corp, as well as the proposers AT&T Microelectronics and Hewlett-Packard. To back up the credibility of the technology, the companies also demonstrated it in operation at the InterOp show in Washington. The companies have decided that while the IEEE makes its decision on which proposal to adopt, they should press ahead with a technology they believe is feasible and that users want. Since the group covers the range of network technologies (it includes hub, adaptor, router, switching, silicon and network operating system software companies) it feels that it has the breadth to give the 100Base-VG proposal credibility, regardless of whether it eventually forms the basis of an IEEE standard. Indeed, the companies say that should the IEEE opt for one of the other proposals, for example that of Grand Junction Networks Inc, they will develop products for this technology alongside those for 100Base-VG. The move seems to be an attempt to push the IEEE in the direction of 100Base-VG, by demonstrating its high level of industry support. This view is backed up by the fact that Novell and Banyan (for whom 100Base-VG support is just a matter of writing new drivers) are on board. But is industry pressure enough to sway the IEEE? According to Mark Raymond, senior analyst at consultancy DataPro, The action will clearly strengthen the chances of it becoming the industry standard, but it is not certain that it will influence the IEEE. Indeed, he points out that traditionally the IEEE has not been swayed by big name support if it feels another technology is more meritorious.
