1/16/2006 -- Ethernet is more than a quarter of a century old. It's established. It's the old boss, in the parlance of Who axe-man Pete Townshend.

If the proponents of a fledgling advocacy group are to be believed, however, the most ubiquitous LAN technology in memory needs a new boss, so to speak.

Last week, 3Com, AMCC, ADC, Agere Systems, Aquantia, Broadcom, Force10 Networks, Foundry Networks, Intel, Lawrence Berkeley Labs, Pioneer Corp., Samsung, Sun Microsystems Inc., Tyco Electronics and others announced the formation of the new Ethernet Alliance.

Proponents say the industry needs an Ethernet advocacy group -- now more than ever. "Although Ethernet has existed for more than 25 years, it does not have an industry voice that represents the spectrum of IEEE 802 Ethernet standards developments and serves the IEEE 802 Ethernet industry as a whole," said Brad Booth, president of the Ethernet Alliance, in a statement. "With the strong support of our founding members, the Ethernet Alliance will be that voice, and we will move aggressively to accelerate the growth and expansion of IEEE 802 Ethernet technologies."

Officials contrast the mission of the new Ethernet Alliance with the manner in which Ethernet standards have hitherto evolved. Unlike past alliances that have sponsored individual IEEE 802 Ethernet projects, the Ethernet Alliance is in it for the long haul. Proponents promise to speed acceptance and time-to-market for new Ethernet markets and technologies; cultivate efforts to define and develop new Ethernet technologies; and educate Ethernet users on their choices and implementations for various applications.

Analysts are blandly positive on the new Ethernet Alliance. Yes, it's an important step, and, yes, it does have a roster of important players. But it's not clear that the Ethernet Alliance -- or any advocacy group, for that matter -- can pull it off.

"The goal of the Ethernet Alliance is to be a one-stop shop for plain explanations of complicated Ethernet standards. It will also serve as a neutral organization that can help vendors sort out philosophical and technical differences," explains Steven Schuchart, a senior analyst with Current Analysis. "This is an eminently laudable goal, but achieving it may be a daunting task considering the wide scope of Ethernet technologies and the diverse markets served. Furthermore, the industry is already full of self-designated experts on the subject. For enterprise markets, the goals of the Ethernet Alliance will be at odds with the individualized marketing agendas of competitors in the market."

For example, Schuchart notes, two of the Ethernet industry's biggest heavyweights -- Cisco and Nortel -- haven't yet endorsed the advocacy group. "In particular, industry heavyweights such as Nortel and Cisco need to be brought into the fold, as well as consumer bellwethers such as Netgear and Belkin. The Ethernet Alliance has momentum, but that won't last without continued effort. The Ethernet Alliance's 2006 engagement opportunities with new Ethernet standards are a good start to what could be an industry force, if its members can be made to cooperate," he concludes. -Stephen Swoyer