Broadcom Introduces World's First Security Processor to Operate at Multi-Gigabit Speeds for
Virtual Private Networks
January 16, 2001 08:14:00 AM ET
IRVINE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--January 16, 2001-- 2.4 Gigabit per Second Performance Delivers Seven Times the Processing
Power of Existing Solutions, Eliminating Security Bottlenecks in Virtual Private Networks (VPNs)
Across Storage, Local, Metropolitan and Wide Area Networks
Broadcom Corporation BRCM, the leading provider of integrated circuits enabling broadband communications, today announced the
Broadcom(R) BCM5840, the world's first single-chip 2.4 Gigabit per second (Gbps) IP security (IPSec) processor. The newest addition to
Broadcom's family of wirespeed CryptoNET(TM) security processors, the BCM5840 eliminates Virtual Private Network (VPN)
bottlenecks by delivering security encryption and authentication at multi-Gigabit speeds across the entire network infrastructure.
The proliferation of broadband communications over the Internet and corporate Intranets has led to a phenomenal increase in
communication interchanges between the corporation and branch offices and remote users as well as in business-to-business and
e-commerce transactions. These applications have accelerated the evolution of the metropolitan area network (local service provider)
infrastructure from T1/E1 (1.5 Mbps) up to multi-Gigabit speeds. To ensure users of a secure Internet infrastructure that is transparent and
non-encumbering, encryption and authentication must keep up with the increasing speeds of private and public networks.
Broadcom's advanced security processor will enable corporations and service providers to utilize Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to
economically and securely expand their networks across geographic reaches to remote users and branch offices at multi-Gigabit speeds
using the most advanced standard-compliant security protocols. Targeted at routers, firewalls, switches, storage networks and access
servers, the BCM5840 sustains OC-48 (2.4 Gbps) performance across the processing-intensive workloads generated by leading-edge
enterprise and carrier-class networks that transport voice, video and data. The BCM5840 is ideally suited for handling the typical traffic
mix of leading edge networks -- short packets and large numbers of connections -- at full OC-48 rates.
The architecture of the BCM5840 is scalable and ideally positions Broadcom to address network convergence security applications.
These include SAN, LAN, MAN and WAN infrastructures transitioning from multi-Megabit data rates up to OC-192 (10 Gbps).
Furthermore, the BCM5840 fully leverages Broadcom's extensive security software libraries and reference system designs for the
CryptoNET(TM) family of security processors.
"Security has become an essential element of the Internet infrastructure and has increasingly become a limiting factor in terms of network
throughput and latency. This has resulted in corporations leasing expensive, dedicated lines for remote access to corporate Intranets and
business-to-business transactions," said Marty Colombatto, Vice President and General Manager of Broadcom's Networking Business
Unit. "The advanced security processing power in the BCM5840 will reduce or eliminate the need for these dedicated lines, enabling
businesses and people to use the Internet to reliably and securely communicate confidential information over the public networks at
multi-Gigabit speeds."
"This solution from Broadcom represents the first generally available Gigabit security processors," said Jeff Wilson, Executive Director of
Infonetics Research. "Security is rapidly becoming a required component of all networking products, and current IPSec and SSL
accelerators would definitely create bottlenecks in high-end switches and routers. I expect there are many networking vendors clamoring
to get their hands on these chips."
The BCM5840 complements Broadcom's Gigabit-speed transceivers, media access controllers (MACs) and switches as well as the high
performance network processors resulting from the company's acquisition of SiByte, Inc. and the SystemI/O(TM) technology for servers
resulting from its forthcoming acquisition of ServerWorks Corp. This broad, state-of-the-art Gigabit family of products positions Broadcom
to provide all of the key silicon required in most Gigabit VPN products, including tunnel servers, network interface cards (NICs), access
devices, switches and routers, and further establishes the company not only as the consummate leader in the high-speed networking
market, but also as a pioneer in network security. "Broadcom is extremely well positioned to capitalize on the exploding security market
with discrete solutions, such as the BCM5840, and also through our unique ability to integrate the security functionality into other
Broadcom products," noted Colombatto.
According to Dataquest, the worldwide security processor market will experience a 65 percent compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
between 2000 and 2004, reaching a market opportunity of more than $626 million in the forecast period. Infonetics reports that worldwide
expenditures for VPN products and services will jump from $6.3 billion this year to just over $39.8 billion by 2004.
Product Features
The innovative BCM5840 sustains 2.4 Gbps wirespeed performance for today's state-of-the-art strong security algorithms such as Triple
Data Encryption Standard (3DES)-CBC, Hashed Message Authentication Code -- Secure Hash Algorithm (HMAC-SHA-1), and Hashed
Message Authentication Code -- Message Digest (HMAC-MD5) IPSec processing. A rich and flexible feature set combined with an
industry standard POS-PHY-3 interface enables the BCM5840 to address a wide variety of applications. The BCM5840's IPSec-aware
architecture optimizes security processing with flexible packet processing options (multiple keying options), packet header processing
(mutable fields) and on-chip key storage. The processor's scalable architecture addresses the entire broadband spectrum, from
residential equipment (at Megabit rates) to center-of-the-Internet-cloud equipment (at Gigabit and Terabit rates).
To support system design and testing using the BCM5840, Broadcom is offering an evaluation kit to customers. The kit includes a PCI
evaluation board, extensive CryptoNET software libraries, software drivers and demonstration programs, and product documentation.
The BCM5840 is currently sampling to lead customers, with production quantities expected to be available in the second quarter. It is
priced at $300 in sample quantities and is packaged in a 208-pin MQFP package.
About Broadcom
Broadcom Corporation is the leading provider of highly integrated silicon solutions that enable broadband digital transmission of voice,
video, and data. Using proprietary technologies and advanced design methodologies, the company designs, develops and supplies
integrated circuits for a number of the most significant broadband communications markets, including the markets for cable set-top
boxes, cable modems, high-speed local, metropolitan and wide area networks, home networking, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP),
carrier access, residential broadband gateways, direct broadcast satellite and terrestrial digital broadcast, optical networking, digital
subscriber lines (xDSL) and wireless communications. Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and may be contacted at
949-450-8700 or at www.broadcom.com.
Safe Harbor Statement under the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995:
This release may contain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry,
management's beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes,"
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are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Therefore, our actual results could differ materially
and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statements as a result of various factors.
Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with the BCM5840 product include, but are not limited to,
the timing and successful completion of technology and product development through volume production; the rate at which our present and
future customers and end-users adopt Broadcom's technologies and products in the markets for security processors; delays in the
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capabilities, and at the compensation levels needed to implement our business and product plans; changes in our product or customer
mix; the quality of our products and any remediation costs; the effects of natural disasters and other events beyond our control; the level of
orders received that can be shipped in a fiscal quarter; and other factors.
Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Forms 8-K and 8-K/A, and other Securities
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