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Ascend Announces First "Smart Core" ATM Switch for Building New Public Networks
Business Wire - October 06, 1997 08:11
%ASCEND-COMMUNICATIONS ASND %GEORGIA %CALIFORNIA %COMPUTERS %ELECTRONICS %COMED %TELECOMMUNICATIONS %INTERACTIVE %MULTIMEDIA %INTERNET %PRODUCT %TRADESHOW V%BW P%BW
ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 6, 1997--
New GX 550 Delivers Industry's First OC-48/STM-16 Support, Broad Service Delivery Capabilities and High Availability Levels
Ascend Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ASND) today announced the industry's first "smart core" ATM switch, the GX 550, which uniquely combines the scalability and capacity of a core switch with the intelligence, service capability and cost-effectiveness of an edge switch. The GX 550 is a carrier-class switch designed for the core of the New Public Network, the infrastructure service providers are building to provide more sophisticated, high-volume data services to customers. The GX 550 is the first ATM core switch to deliver OC-48/STM-16 speeds and supports industry-leading density for OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4 and OC-48/STM-16. The GX 550 "smart core" switch incorporates end-to-end Quality of Service (QoS) and advanced networking features enabling service providers to offer sophisticated ATM services directly from the core network, something service providers have never been able to do before with traditional core switches. The GX 550's integral SONET/SDH capabilities offer a new solution for high-speed trunking, allowing service providers to maximize bandwidth while reducing network and operational costs. Along with all Ascend products, the GX 550 is managed under the unified Navis family of network management products. (Editor's note: Please visit Ascend Communications at NetWorld+Interop, booth No. 4451, to see a demonstration of the GX 550.)
"The GX 550 does more than add speed and capacity to the backbone -- we're helping carriers redefine the capabilities of the core network," said Jeff Kiel, Ascend senior manager, product marketing, Core Switching Division. "We've incorporated capabilities into a core switch that are traditionally found on edge switches -- such as granular, flexible QoS and the ability to offer differentiated services directly from the core. And we've significantly lowered the cost of ownership with breakthroughs like the universal line card."
"The IP networks growing into the 21st century will need bandwidth; that's clear. But they will also need to support a set of profitable services that let their carrier owners pay for that bandwidth," said Tom Nolle, president, CIMI Corp. "With the addition of the GX 550, Ascend is providing a foundation for building OC-48 core networks, feeding those networks with services that generate both traffic and revenues, and provisioning and managing the networks to the benefit of their users and their owners. Combined with the recent NAVIS management announcements, this is an important step in public integrated service networking."
Higher Speeds and Infinite Scalability
The GX 550 supports OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4 and industry-first OC-48/STM-16 speeds to help service providers keep pace with ever-increasing bandwidth demands. Service providers can start with a 25 Gbps entry configuration and modularly scale up to 100 Gbps for a cost-effective solution that will grow with service provider requirements. The GX 550 has a Universal Line Card design that supports any mix of OC-3/STM-1, OC-12/STM-4, and OC-48/STM-16 interfaces, allowing service providers to quickly respond to changing user demands. In addition, this unique design allows overall system performance to scale by supporting over one million cell buffers and more than a quarter of a million connections on each line card.
The Smart Core
The GX 550 uniquely combines the scalability and capacity of a core switch with the intelligence, service capability and cost-effectiveness of an edge switch. For example, the GX 550 provides a connection-agile buffering feature that instantaneously resizes buffers to support ATM-unaware applications that do not understand concepts such as traffic contracts and policing. With Ascend's IP Navigator, the GX 550 is the only platform that can transport IP services at OC-48/STM-16 speeds with full end-to-end QoS.
"By combining scalable capacity with advanced networking features, Ascend's GX 550 is delivering the most advanced core switch in the industry. In addition to moving information at higher and higher speeds, the GX 550 has successfully leveraged the service agility of Ascend's existing products to provide Swiss Telecom with a suite of features that are not present in other core switching systems," said Volker Gebhardt, director of INFNET, Swiss Telecom. "The GX 550 effectively gives our multiservice network end-to-end Quality of Service via its advanced traffic management and QoS-aware routing. It firmly charts a path for us to build the next-generation core network."
Direct Fiber Connect
Through integral SONET/SDH capabilities, the GX 550 offers service providers a cost-effective, efficient alternative solution for high speed trunking, enabling service providers to connect the OC-48/STM-16 interfaces directly to fiber or to virtual fiber through Wave Division Multiplexing equipment. This alternative significantly reduces operational costs by eliminating the need for an underlying SONET/SDH Add-Drop Multiplexor network, maximizing bandwidth utilization by moving statistical multiplexing into the transmission facility.
High Availability at the Core of the Network
Availability has traditionally meant redundant power supplies and fans, which is no longer sufficient for the core network. The GX 550 raises the bar on network availability, delivering a comprehensive set of features that allow service providers to deliver Service Level Guarantees. Some of these features include Lossless Fabric Switchover to prevent user data loss; Automatic Protection Switching (APS) for millisecond recovery from fiber cuts; Prioritized Connection Rerouting at hundreds of thousands of circuits per second while maintaining network-wide end-to-end QoS; and Warm Software Upgrades to perform software updates with minimal disruption to user traffic.
"As we continue to expand our data network at Sprint, providing the level of availability of the voice network is a critical goal for us," said Charles Ostrand, Sprint's Broadband Program Manager. "The GX 550 clearly demonstrates Ascend's understanding of this need as well as its ability to deliver on it. The GX 550 expertly combines scalable capacity with the essential high availability features required for the core of the Sprint network. Features such as Lossless Fabric Switchover, Automatic Protection Switching on OC-48 interfaces and instantaneous connection rerouting bear this out. Additionally, Ascend's Navis management system architecture demonstrates a real understanding and desire to interoperate with Sprint operational support systems to achieve the service consistency that Sprint customers have come to expect."
Pricing and Availability
The GX 550 will ship in North America in Q1, 1998. A 25 Gbps configuration with full redundancy will be available at US list price $110,000. A four-port OC-3/STM-1 module will be available at US list price $11,000 per port. A one-port OC-12/STM-4 module will be available at US list price $30,000 per port. A one-port OC-48/STM-16 module will be available at US list price $90,000 per port. A 100 Gbps configuration will be available in North America mid 1998.
About Ascend Communications
Ascend Communications, Inc. develops, manufactures, and sells wide area networking solutions for telecommunications carriers, Internet service providers, and corporate customers worldwide. For more information about Ascend and its products, please visit the Ascend web site at ascend.com, or e-mail info@ascend.com . Ascend is headquartered at One Ascend Plaza, 1701 Harbor Bay Parkway, Alameda, CA 94502. Phone: 800/ASCEND4; Fax: 510/814-2300.
CONTACT: Ascend Communications, Inc.
Lucia Graziano, 508/952-1291
lucia.graziano@ascend.com
or
Gallagher PR
Jeannette Bitz, 510/747-2058
jbitz@ascend.com
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