SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Foundry Networks(r), Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY), a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced advanced stateful UDP-based Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) load balancing for Voice over IP (VoIP) solutions, role-based user management tool, and enhanced graphical user interface (GUI) for its award-winning modular- and chassis-based ServerIron(r) family of application delivery switches. A fully field-upgradeable software enhancement, TrafficWorks(tm) Release 10.2 (TW10.2), delivers added value to enterprises and service providers by integrating role-based management and SIP load balancing capabilities with integrated security features to maintain always-on services and enhanced network protection; organizations can effectively control application access, maintain greater network traffic visibility, and optimize business continuity within their application delivery infrastructure while reducing ongoing operational expenditures.
According to the Dell'Oro Group's Ethernet Switch Report (3Q07), worldwide vendor revenue for Layer 4-7 server switches (modular and fixed) is estimated to grow 20 percent for 2008 to more than $1.3 billion, demonstrating solid growing demand for this solution. For most enterprises and service providers, IP-based applications are a fundamental component of daily business operations. Additionally, application delivery switching solutions have become increasingly important in real-world enterprise deployments of Service Oriented Architecture (SOA)-based infrastructures. Enterprise and service provider IT administrators recognize significant value in simplifying usability and the capability to effectively manage multiple applications behind a single application delivery controller (ADC) to control access privileges for administrators and users of various applications, like Customer Relationship Management (CRM), Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Supply Chain Management (SCM) and collaboration tools. Further application protocol awareness for popular open protocols like SIP, which has driven VoIP adoption, is an important feature for ADCs. ServerIron is tested and proven to interoperate with universally deployed enterprise applications from BEA, Microsoft, Oracle and SAP, leading to reduced risk, lower implementation costs and faster deployments.
"As enterprises and service providers evolve, they require advanced application switching solutions that ease implementation, offer greater network visibility and deliver a sophisticated feature set," said Matthias Machowinski, directing analyst for Infonetics Research, Inc. "The latest TrafficWorks update addresses these requirements by adding a role-based management tool, advanced SIP load balancing and an enhanced GUI, allowing organizations to reduce implementation and ongoing maintenance costs."
Primary Feature Enhancements for TrafficWorks 10.2
1. Stateful UDP-based SIP Load Balancing for VoIP Solutions --
As VoIP adoption increases, quickly replacing legacy Plain Old
Telephone Services (POTS) in enterprises worldwide, performance,
scalability, high reliability and security of voice traffic is a
fundamental requirement. UDP-based SIP is one of the common
deployments of SIP and stateful capabilities help in call
control and accounting. Stateful SIP capabilities provide
connection persistence in SIP deployments in addition to
providing increased visibility to SIP data flows.
2. Role-based Management -- Role-based management enables effective
provisioning of essential IT services to virtually every group
within an organization from marketing and sales to engineering
and human resources. Further, for hosting service providers, it
empowers their customers to manage and control their own
applications. Role-based management enables system
administrators to create multiple contexts and assign different
access privileges to different application users within these
contexts.
3. Enhanced GUI -- The ServerIron family now features a newly
enhanced, intuitive GUI that allows IT administrators to
efficiently manage network resources and application traffic
through ServerIron.
"The release of TrafficWorks 10.2 expands the manageability and capabilities of our award-winning family of ServerIron application delivery switches," said Gary Hemminger, director of Product Marketing, Foundry Networks. "As the application delivery market continues to grow, enterprises and service providers selecting Foundry's ServerIron switches will be able to take advantage of these new feature enhancements to improve their business operations while easing ongoing network maintenance."
Pricing and Availability
TrafficWorks 10.2 is available now as a no cost upgrade on all new ServerIron application delivery switches and for existing customers with valid service contracts.
About Foundry Networks
Foundry Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY) is a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing, security and Web traffic management solutions, including Layer 2/3 LAN switches, Layer 3 Backbone switches, Layer 4-7 application switches, wireless LAN and access points, metro and core routers. Foundry's customers include the world's premier ISPs, metro service providers, and enterprises, including e-commerce sites, universities, entertainment, health and wellness, government, financial and manufacturing companies. For more information about the company and its products, call 1.888.TURBOLAN or visit www.foundrynet.com.
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Safe Harbor Statement
The foregoing may contain "forward-looking statements" which are based on management's current information and beliefs as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made by management. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements by executives or spokespeople regarding Foundry's positioning and potential plans, and the Dell'Oro Group's predictions about worldwide vendor revenue growth in the L4-7 market. The forward-looking statements in this press release are only predictions and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ materially. Foundry assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Furthermore, no statements made by Foundry Networks, Inc. ("Foundry") in this press release, or information contained herein, may be deemed to constitute either an amendment of an existing agreement or an implied new commitment, promise or legal obligation by Foundry to develop or deliver any specific product, feature or functionality.