However, much of the value in the new wave of network add-ons is derived from their monitoring capability, rather than any direct influence on performance.

"Visibility is probably the most important thing," Pingree adds. "Traffic shaping products ... have been around for quite some time," though he notes that those, as well, provide some informational value.

The Gartner research director says that the advent of multi-core technology allowed for visibility far beyond the usual port and protocol level - a requirement for today's increasingly complex network infrastructure.

Pingree likens today's network to an automobile. "You can go as fast as you want, but you have no idea how fast you're going. ... In essence, these products provide the speedometer. And maybe that speedometer is used to look at speed, maybe it's used to look at security, but in general layman's terms, it's used to give visibility."

Email Jon Gold at jgold@nww.com and follow him on Twitter at @NWWJonGold.