Network Switches

Last year we clubbed this category with Network Equipment, but this year,

we've brought it back as a standalone category. There's no change in the top

brands in this segment. The same three players are present in the Users' Choice

club as always, i.e. Cisco, D-Link, and 3Com. Cisco remains as the top choice,

followed by D-Link and 3Com. Cisco leads the pack across all industries barring

healthcare, where D-Link has stronger brand perception. D-Link is also giving

Cisco a tough fight in the education segment. In the process manufacturing and

BFSI segments as well, D-Link is pretty close behind Cisco. It falls a little

weak in the remaining industry segments. 3Com on the other hand is comparatively

stronger in process manufacturing as against other industry segments. Coming to

zone wise brand perception, Cisco is the strongest in all regions with a minor

dip in the west, where D-Link is ahead. 3Com on the other hand is relatively

stronger in the west as compared to other regions. Product reliability plays a

crucial role in the selection of network switches. All existing D-Link and Cisco

owners as well as those likely to purchase these brands have rated product

reliability as their primary criteria for choosing these brands. D-Link enjoyed

the highest brand loyalty at 63% while Cisco's stood at 55%, and 3Com was at

27%. Both D-Link and 3Com face a threat from Cisco. 10% of existing D-Link users

and 13% of existing 3Com users said they're likely to switch to Cisco in the

near future.