With the amount of functionality and the number of services being added into the network, modular switches have become a crutch for many organizations. Being able to pop in blades to support mobility, wireless and a host of other services is essential. And as companies continue to grow, the demand on their switches will increase.

The 5000 series from ProCurve Networking by HP took top honors as the best modular switch in our Product Leadership survey. Users of the switch ranked it highest for port density, with more than 89% saying it performs well or excellently. The HP ProCurve 5000 series also received top marks for throughput and reliability, with more than 89% of users rating it good or excellent. The 5000 series switches ranked highest in ROI as well, with nearly 79% of users saying they are getting their money's worth.

Kiko Tan, corporate IT manager for Philippines-based Sterling Paper Group, has used the HP ProCurve 5000 series since 2003. Sterling is involved in manufacturing, trading and retailing school and office supplies and has more than 40 branches across the Philippines connected to the head office. According to Tan, the 5000 series switch is installed at the head office, where the company hosts its SAP R/3 system. Currently, there are more than 500 nodes going through the switch.

"We are happy using the switch," Tan said. "We have not encountered any problems with it so far."

The HP ProCurve 5000 series switch was easy to install without complex programming, according to Tan. It has pluggable switches that are ready for use and an optional redundant power supply.

The 5000 series is easy to manage with a browser-based interface and easy to configure, Tan said, adding that the dynamic load-balancing feature was another factor in the company's decision to deploy. Tan also praised the 5000 series' multiple authentication methods and its security management features.

Other factors that led Tan to select the HP ProCurve 5000 series were its ability to provide quality of service, investment protection with a lifetime warranty, and the availability of local support.

Other HP ProCurve 5000 users praised the switch series, calling it "a good, reliable product"; "brilliant from day one"; "simple, reliable and highly adherent to standards"; and an "excellent switch with lots of features."

One user, when asked to comment, simply wrote "Yiippppeeeeee!!!"

Andrew R. Hickey, Senior News Writer