Global Ethernet switch revenue topped $5 billion in 2Q12, up 9% from the previous quarter, and up 13% year-over-year, according to a new report from Infonetics Research. Sales were driven by strong performance in North America.

Some additional highlights:
- Revenue for 1G ports, the largest segment of the Ethernet switch market, is up year-over-year in 2Q12, a positive sign for the overall switching market
- For the 2nd straight quarter, 40G Ethernet sales grew 50%
- Market share leaders Cisco, HP, and Juniper posted revenue gains in 2Q12, although Cisco and HP lost market share on a year-over-year basis
- Dell’s Ethernet switch revenue is up by double-digit percentages from the year-ago 2nd quarter, driven in part by its acquisition of Force10.