SANTA CLARA, Calif., April 23, 2008 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Foundry Networks(r), Inc. (Nasdaq:FDRY), a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced Power over Ethernet Plus (PoE Plus) modules for its award-winning FastIron(r) SuperX/SX Series Layer 2/3 modular enterprise switches. Providing approximately 25 watts of power per port, PoE Plus is designed to power a new generation of higher powered Ethernet-attached devices. Foundry's FastIron SuperX/SX will be the industry's first IEEE 802.3at PoE Plus Draft 3.0 compliant switches providing interoperability with both PoE (IEEE 802.3af) and PoE Plus (IEEE 802.3at draft 3.0) compliant Power Devices (PD).
IEEE 802.3af PoE, today's standard for power delivery over Ethernet cable, has enjoyed rapid adoption since its introduction in 2003. Ethernet switches supporting Power over Ethernet (PoE) have become a popular edge solution for the enterprise, providing a cost-effective and efficient means for powering attached endpoints. PoE Plus is an emerging standard that specifies power delivery of up to 25 watts to IP endpoints. This is roughly twice the power of today's PoE delivery and will advance the intelligent edge by enabling a new generation of edge devices. Examples include IP video phones, IEEE 802.11n wireless access points (AP), high definition (HD) pan-tilt-zoom surveillance cameras and point-of-sale terminals.
Highlights of the FastIron SuperX/SX PoE Plus Modules:
* Support for IEEE 802.3af and IEEE 802.3at draft 3.0
-- Modules will be IEEE 802.3at draft 3 compliant providing higher
power to IP endpoints that support this pre-standard
specification
-- Modules will be backward compatible with IEEE 802.3af PoE and
will recognize and support IEEE 802.3af endpoints
-- LLDP-MED enables granular and automatic power configuration for
ease of operation
* Scalable, resilient and intelligent design to maximize PoE Plus
power availability
-- FastIron SX 1600 chassis will support up to 384 PoE Plus ports;
power per port is dependent on available power, power budget and
system configuration
-- FastIron SuperX/SX system power and PoE Plus power subsystems
are isolated and independent so that system events do not impact
or degrade the integrity of the power available for PoE Plus
-- Power consumption for the system and PoE Plus are calculated,
provisioned, and managed independent of one another
-- M+N power supply redundancy protects PoE Plus power in event of
one or more power supply failures
-- User assigned port priorities and configured power limits are
used to dynamically allocate power per port
"It is important that today's enterprise infrastructure be ready to support the technologies and capabilities needed to enable the next generation of applications," said Bob Schiff, vice president and general manager for Foundry's Enterprise Business Unit. "Foundry's switching solutions are built with this intent. A new generation of IP devices is emerging and these devices require higher power for their advanced capabilities. The PoE Plus module for the FastIron SuperX/SX will be able to deliver this power providing backward and forward compatibility for Ethernet powered endpoints. The enablement of these new applications is an example of our focus on maximizing our customers' return on investment and how Foundry solutions are advancing the Intelligent Edge."
About the FastIron SuperX/SX
Available in three chassis models, the FastIron SuperX/SX family provides a scalable, secure, low-latency and fault-tolerant infrastructure for cost-effective deployment of Voice over IP (VoIP), wireless and high-capacity data services throughout the enterprise. The system architecture features a scalable and resilient PoE design and a low-latency cell-based switch fabric with intelligent traffic management to ensure reliable and high-quality VoIP services. A rich suite of security features, including policy-based access control, IP source guard, dynamic ARP inspection, and DHCP snooping, work in unison to control network access and shield the network from internal and external threats. The FastIron SuperX/SX family establishes a new class of convergence-ready solutions, enabling organizations to implement a secure, reliable, scalable, and high-quality infrastructure for total network convergence.
Availability and Pricing
The first PoE Plus module to be released is the IPv6-ready 48-port PoE Plus module. This module supports 48 ports of 10/100/1000 Mbps (RJ-45) Ethernet with integrated, per port support for PoE Plus draft 3.0. This module may only be used in switch configurations in which all modules are IPv6-ready. See price list for more details. This module will be available in summer 2008.
U.S. list price for the FastIron SuperX/SX 48-port PoE Plus module is $7,995.
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 within this press release, by executives or spokespeople regarding Foundry's positioning and potential plans. The forward-looking statements or claims in this press release about the FastIron SuperX/SX and PoE Plus 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. The development, release, and timing of any product, feature, or functionality described herein remains at Foundry's sole discretion.