D-Link is not a name you would typically associate with "enterprise-class" equipment, but rather "cheap", or perhaps "affordable" networking is a friendlier term. In fact, many people enjoy that about them - it is easy to get a host D-Link networking products from USB wireless adapters to routers and switches, all for a very low cost.

And yet, they are apparently trying to change that image as they intend to target businesses and data centers with their new DGS-1016D and DGS-1024D Gigabit switches. The pitch? They can reduce power consumption by dynamically lowering transmit power on ports when not needed. Not a terribly new idea, and in fact one that has been around for a while, but that is just gaining big momentum today given the increasing concerns about energy costs. These switches are D-Link's first to boast the power reduction for this environment, which they claim is up to 46%. Last year, D-Link was the first to introduce "Green Ethernet" for the home.