IT contractors should not assume that the installation of a single converged data centre network (SCDCN) is more efficient than a traditional network, according to a leading IT research company.

There is a widely held notion that SCDCNs make for fewer switches and ports which, in turn, means consuming less power and requiring less cooling, all of which save businesses money, according to Gartner.

However, the company's research shows that "this promise does not live up to scrutiny", according to Joe Skorupa, research vice president at the company.

SCDCN's generate the need for inter-connecting switches, which connect only to other switches.

As a result, two well designed networks will use fewer switches and ports and will be less complex to run, while debugging the system will also be easier, Mr Skorupa continued.

Cloud computing is also spreading quickly throughout the IT sector and companies will "flock" to the system as awareness continues to rise, according to the platform provider ThinkGrid.