INTEL INTRODUCES FAST ETHERNET SOLUTIONS THAT SUPPORT DEMANDS OF THE NEXT GENERATION NETWORK.

Intel Corporation (Nasdaq:INTC), a leading supplier of Ethernet silicon solutions, has introduced three new Fast Ethernet devices.

The Intel LXT973, Intel LXT9880AGE, and Intel LXT9785E are transceivers and repeaters designed to support the deployment of Ethernet beyond traditional infrastructure applications for Local Area Networks (LANs). Capable of operating in a wide variety of applications and environments, these Intel Carrier Class Ethernet devices provide new opportunities for Ethernet protocol technologies in applications previously associated only with proprietary telecommunications protocols.

As a proven industry standard, Ethernet is an ideal low-cost architecture for scalable network applications. Ethernet is gaining momentum in applications such as IP telephony and telecommunications backplane interconnect. With respect to IP telephony, as Ethernet delivers on the promise of low-cost support of voice and data traffic, the vision of a single corporate network for voice and data is becoming a reality. Outside of the enterprise infrastructure, Ethernet is an ideal technology for interconnecting multiple line cards and modules within telecommunications equipment and is widely displacing high-speed serial and proprietary protocols.

"We see tremendous opportunity for Fast Ethernet devices for the next several years -- applications outside the traditional LAN infrastructure market segment -- to account for a significant portion of this growth," said Sean Riley, general manager of Intel's Enterprise Components Division. "While there is considerable interest and support around emerging technologies like 10 Gigabit Ethernet, we will not ignore the opportunity that exists in this high-volume area."

The Intel LXT973 dual-port 10/100 Ethernet transceiver is a low power device that is ideal for applications such as IP telephone handsets which require two Ethernet connections.

"Intel's new LXT973 dual-port 10/100 PHY is an ideal complement for our TMS320IP5472 enterprise IP phone solution," said Mike Walker, IP Phone general manager, Texas Instruments, a market leader for enterprise IP phone silicon and software solutions. "We continue to see strong demand for voice over IP products, as businesses migrate and take advantage of the benefits of a converged voice and data network. Devices like the LXT973, when paired with our integrated DSP-based solutions, will absolutely reduce overall system cost and complexity. While others promise enterprise IP phone solutions in the near future, Texas Instruments and Intel are delivering on the promise of enterprise IP phone technology today."

The device consists of two independent low-power 10/100 Ethernet transceivers, each supporting a separate Media Independent Interface for seamless connection to a Media Access Controller. Each transceiver also supports software configuration, making network installation and maintenance easier and eliminating the need for special crossover cables.

Other applications for the LXT973 include customer premise equipment such as dual-port cable modems, Ethernet-based backplane connections, and fiber-to-twisted pair media converters. The LXT973 is available in commercial (0 to 70 degrees Centigrade) and extended (minus 40 to 85 degrees Centigrade) temperature range options.

The Intel LXT9880AGE is an eight-port, 10/100Mbps Ethernet repeater ideal for backplane applications in telecommunications equipment where shared information and extended temperature range are required. The LXT9880AGE provides eight 10/100 transceivers for 100BASE-TX/10BASE-T twisted pair media support. The 10/100 transceivers are entirely self-contained with internal filters that simplify compliance with Federal Communications Commission regulations concerning signal transmission or reception interference caused by the radiation of electrical and/or magnetic fields in a component.

The Intel LXT9785E is a low-power, eight-port, 10/100 Ethernet transceiver optimized for use in VoIP-enabled switch systems. The LXT9785E contains a Data Terminal Equipment discovery feature that detects the presence of equipment, such as an IP telephone, capable of being powered remotely. If present, the VoIP-enabled switch can then supply power over the connected data cable. This feature improves the reliability of IP telephony applications by ensuring power gets to the phone even when the normal power source is disrupted. It also reduces the overall system cost by eliminating the need for power supplies integrated into remote devices.

As part of the Intel Internet Exchange Architecture (Intel IXA), the LXT973, LXT9880AGE and LXT9785E products add to Intel's broad portfolio of flexible and scalable hardware and software development building blocks designed to meet the growing performance requirements of today's networks. Based on programmable silicon and software building blocks, Intel IXA solutions enable faster development, more cost-effective deployment and future upgrades of network and communications systems.