It is still unclear whether or not ATM will be able to fulfill its promise as a universal high speed networking technology. What is clear, however, is that ATM continues to be an important component of many companies' strategic plan for the future of networking. No other networking technology has risen to such high prominence as quickly as ATM.
However, ATM does have some problems. Many industry observers see 1996 as a critical time for ATM. If ATM does not penetrate to the desktop soon, it may be replaced by newer (and cheaper) technologies such as gigabit Ethernet (expected to be available by 1998). Currently, it appears that that ATM will not become affordable and easy to implement to the desktop any time soon. Fast Ethernet already runs at 100 Mbps and with gigabit Ethernet on the horizon, ATM may have a difficult time replacing Ethernet as the most popular LAN access method if ATM deployment doesn't become cheaper and widespread soon.
ATM does have one clear advantage. It has the ability to support
video, voice, and data simultaneously. Ethernet does not.
The key question is: ``Will ATM live up to its promise?''
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