ArrowPoint Communications' Content Smart Switches Exploit The Power Of MMC Networks' AnyFlow 5500 Network Processors.

SUNNYVALE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 1, 1998--MMC Networks, Inc. (Nasdaq:MMCN) announced today that ArrowPoint Communications is exploiting the power of MMC Networks' AnyFlow 5500 Network Processors in its recently announced CS-100 and CS-800 switches. ArrowPoint has added its patent pending content intelligence on top of MMC's new processors to offer its industry-first content smart switching capabilities including web content based flow classification, switching, routing and quality of service (QoS).

The AnyFlow 5500 Network Processor, introduced in September 1997, provides network equipment vendors with a software-programmable silicon "engine" that breaks through the performance barrier of RISC-based switches and routers while enabling the extensive features and functionality previously missing in ASIC-based LAN/WAN switches. The instruction set of the AnyFlow 5500 contains the base-level functionality to examine, modify and make wire-speed switching decisions at Layers 2 through 7 of the OSI model, while simultaneously providing Per-Flow Queuing(tm), packet/cell internetworking, and multicast capabilities.

These base level instructions can be combined in an infinite number of ways by the higher level software of network equipment vendors to build highly differentiated switches and routers with a throughput of up to 40 Gbps. The AnyFlow 5000 family provides support for 10/100 Mbps Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, HDLC, Packet Over Sonet (POS) and ATM interfaces.

"The AnyFlow processors' highly granular QoS capabilities and high-speed switch fabric enhance ArrowPoint's Content Smart Switching capabilities by providing an ideal platform capable of wire-speed, policy-based content switching," said Cheng Wu, ArrowPoint President and founder. "The ease of programming and stability of the MMC AnyFlow 5500 allowed us to deliver our highly differentiated CS-100 and CS-800 products in record time."

ArrowPoint's Content Smart switches are a new class of networking device that switch Web traffic based on content information in the URL, while maintaining wire speed performance on all LAN and WAN interfaces. This is in contrast with existing address-based networking devices switching packets based on layers 2, 3 or 4. The products' inherent intelligence enable them to easily adapt to hot-content-related traffic congestion and direct content requests to a `best-fit' server based on content location, availability, QoS requirements, and security requirements. Using its patent-pending Content Smart Switching(tm), ArrowPoint's products enable a highly scaleable distributed network to be built over the Internet that dynamically distributes URL requests to the optimal server based on server loading, content distribution and network conditions.

MMC Networks is a leading provider of Network Processors, which are high-performance, open-architecture, software-programmable processors optimized for networking applications. The company's Network Processors form the core silicon "engines" of LAN and WAN switches and routers and are designed to allow network equipment vendors to rapidly develop high-performance, feature-rich, cost-effective products supporting a broad range of networking functions. For more Information on MMC Networks' products, please call [phone] or visit http://www.mmcnet.com.

ArrowPoint Communications was founded in April 1997 to be a leading supplier of cost-effective, high resiliency, high performance and highly scaleable connectivity products for secure Internet electronic commerce. The company is pioneering a new category of switches designed for the emerging Content-Smart Internet. ArrowPoint can be reached at 978-692-5875 or www.arrowpoint.com.

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