DALLAS, Nov. 6 -- Alcatel was the only vendor to strengthen its hold in the multiservice wide area network (WAN) market, according to The Yankee Group, a technology research and consulting firm. Alcatel increased its global market share from 20 to 24 percent in this critical market, which includes both network edge and core. The Yankee Group forecasts a 10 percent year-over-year growth in the WAN switching market in 2001 and predicts that Alcatel will continue to see greater growth for its multiservice product portfolio than its competitors. "The WAN multiservice market is being driven by a 30 percent increase in demand for data services, increasing asynchronous transfer mode deployments in wireless core networks and growth in next-generation voice networks," said Christin Flynn, director, carrier convergence infrastructure at The Yankee Group. "Carriers have been waiting for either multiprotocol label switching or a higher-capacity switch fabric and density. New product developments such as Release 2.0 of the Alcatel 7670 Routing Switch Platform offer carriers the right mix of scalability, density and MPLS functionality. Alcatel's commitment to continued investment, combined with its strong European presence, give the company a distinct opportunity to gain further market share at the expense of equipment vendors more heavily dependent on revenues from North America."