Force10 Networks Granted Two Patents for 100 Gigabit Ethernet-Ready Backplane.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Force10 Networks([R]), the pioneer in building and securing high performance networks, today announced that it has been awarded two patents for its advanced 100 Gigabit Ethernet-ready backplane. The unique, patent-protected backplane of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series([R]) family of switch/routers has been tested up to five Terabits per second, delivering 330 Gigabits per second (Gbps) to each slot. Force10 now holds 15 patents with 45 patents pending.

"There is a clear need in the industry for 100 Gigabit Ethernet, and to accommodate that transition, a backplane that can signal traffic without compromising performance is essential," said Joel Goergen, chief scientist and vice president of technology at Force10 Networks. "We leveraged advanced electrical techniques and threw out traditional designs to build a backplane for the TeraScale E-Series that could seamlessly transition from 10 Gigabit to 100 Gigabit Ethernet in a single chassis, eliminating the need for a forklift upgrade and protecting our customers' investment."

Both patents protect the unique design of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series backplane, which is the only one in the industry to employ a low noise power distribution and high speed signal routing in a common backplane. The design of the high performance backplane is both economical and reliable for signaling speeds of 2.5 Gbps to more than 25 Gbps, a crucial feature for guaranteeing scalability without performance degradation as the industry moves to the next generation of Ethernet technology. Combined with trace speeds functional beyond 25 Gbps, the TeraScale E-Series backplane provides a level of performance and economy that cannot be equaled with traditional backplanes.

While today's typical high performance backplanes support traces that can only reach 6.25 Gbps, the Force10 backplane traces can scale up to 25 Gbps across multiple layers, increasing the performance and efficiency of TeraScale E-Series. Additionally, thick power distribution layers are embedded within the backplane and shielded from the signaling layers to achieve the high performance and scalability required to support the move from 10 Gigabit to 100 Gigabit Ethernet.

In July, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) established the High Speed Study Group to determine the next speed of Ethernet. As the industry continues to explore the evolution of Ethernet technology, the backplane scalability of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series provides enterprises and service providers with the long term protection they require to ensure their IT infrastructure delivers a high return on investment.

About Force10 Networks

Force10 Networks is the pioneer in building and securing high performance networks. Based on a revolutionary system architecture that delivers best-in-class resiliency and massive scalability, Force10's TeraScale E-Series switch/routers ensure predictable application performance, increase network availability, and reduce operating costs. Today, many of the world's largest Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks depend on Force10 Networks. For additional information, please visit www.force10networks.com.

Force10 Networks and E-Series are registered trademarks, and P-Series, S-Series, TeraScale and FTOS are trademarks of Force10 Networks, Inc. All other company names are trademarks of their respective holders.