This IDC study contains IDC's actual 2002 and 2003 LAN switch results and IDC's 2004?2008 forecast estimates for Western European port shipments, revenue, average selling price (ASP), and installed base.

Forecasts are provided by technology for Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE), ATM switches, and token ring; by Open Systems Interconnection (OSI) layer for Layers 2, 3, and 4?7; and by form factor for modular, nonmodular, and unmanaged LAN switch port shipments, ASP, installed base, and revenue.

"The Western European LAN switch market will continue to rapidly mature during the forecast period 2004?2008. The result will be that port shipments will grow at a CAGR of 5.8%, to reach 59.7 million ports in 2008, but that the LAN switch market measured in revenue will decline at a CAGR of -2.1%, to reach $3.0 billion at the end of the forecast period," comments Peter Hulleman, senior research analyst for IDC's European Telecommunications and Networking team.