Ixia and Extreme Networks Demonstrate Multilayer Wire-Speed Traffic across 768 Ports Using Ixia's Award-Winning Platform, Optixia.

Business & High-Tech Editors

Networks for Business

Booth #G42

LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 24, 2003

Ixia's Optixia and Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 6816 Switch

Showcased at Networks for Business, June 24-26, Booth number G42

Ixia (Nasdaq:XXIA), a leading provider of network and enterprise application performance analysis systems, is being showcased at Extreme Networks Inc.'s (Nasdaq:EXTR) booth at the Networks for Business Show. Extreme Networks is utilizing the powerful capability of Ixia's Optixia, the world's highest port density test platform, to transmit traffic through its largest core switching platform, the BlackDiamond(R) 6816. The Optixia recently gained industry recognition by winning the Best of Interop Award at this year's NetWorld+Interop networking show in Las Vegas in the Network Test and Measurement Category.

During the demonstration, Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 6816 platform will be running voice and video applications, while the Ixia equipment will be used to verify performance metrics, such as throughput and latency, while emulating a fully-meshed Layer 3 Internet Protocol (IP) network at wire-speed.

"With this year's introduction of Triumph, our new 3rd generation ASIC, the BlackDiamond now offers customers even greater density, higher performance and an improved price per port. Thanks to Ixia's advanced testing capabilities we can fully demonstrate those gains to our customers," commented Martin van Schooten, Director of Marketing for EMEA at Extreme Networks.

Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 6816 leads the industry in density with up to 360 Gigabit Ethernet ports in a single chassis when fully populated with the new 3rd generation G24T3 modules. This BlackDiamond configuration will also accommodate a maximum of 1536 10/100BASE-TX ports or 512 100BASE-FX ports when fully populated with the F32Fi module.

"Ixia is pleased to provide the necessary technology to Extreme Networks for the demonstration at this show," said Errol Ginsberg, president and CEO of Ixia. "Optixia offers a comprehensive solution for performance verification with a port density and analysis capability still unchallenged in the industry today."

Optixia is the first network performance analyzer and traffic generator to offer up to 480 ports of full 10/100 Mbps Ethernet or 240 ports of Gigabit Ethernet in one chassis. Each test port integrates a CPU running LINUX, providing Layer 2-7 test capabilities on each test port. Optixia's unprecedented port density enables verification of sophisticated networking protocols such as BGP-4, MPLS RSVP-TE, OSPF, IS-IS, and RIP, as well as Ixia's Real World Traffic Suite running Layer 4-7 applications that are able to stress content-aware devices.

About Extreme Networks, Inc.

Extreme Networks, Inc., delivers the most effective applications and services infrastructure by creating networks that are faster, simpler, and more cost-effective. Headquartered in Santa Clara, Calif., Extreme Networks markets its network switching solutions in more than 50 countries. For more information, visit www.extremenetworks.com.

Extreme Networks and BlackDiamond are registered trademarks of Extreme Networks, Inc.

About Ixia

Ixia delivers powerful, distributed, multiport traffic generators, and performance & conformance analyzers for wire-speed verification of networks, networking devices, and applications. Our analysis systems are used in design, manufacture, and quality assurance of the world's most heavily used network products. Our Real World Traffic(TM) solutions address the growing need to test enterprise applications and networks prior to deployment under realistic load conditions. Ixia's analysis solutions utilize a variety of interfaces -- 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet, 10 Gigabit Ethernet, Packet Over SONET, and BERT and are distinguished by their performance, accuracy, reliability, and adaptability to the industry's constant evolution.

For more information, contact Ixia at 26601 W. Agoura Road, Calabasas, CA 91302; 818/871-1800, Fax: [phone]; Email: [e-mail] or visit our Web Site at http://www.ixiacom.com.

The Ixia logo is a registered trademark of Ixia.

This announcement contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including statements about achieving our strategic and financial goals, and other statements that include "expect," "anticipate," or words of similar intent. Actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of certain risk factors, including, but not limited to: (i) a limited operating history and limited history of profitability that make it more difficult to predict results; (ii) current economic trends in worldwide geographic markets; (iii) the effectiveness of our cost reduction efforts; (iv) fluctuations in demand for our products and services; (v) a highly competitive business environment for network switching equipment; (vi) the possibility that we might experience delays in the development of new technology and products; and (vii) a dependency on third parties for certain components and for the manufacturing of our products. More information about potential factors that could affect our business and financial results is included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended June 30, 2002, including, without limitation, under the captions: "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors," which is on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (http://www.sec.gov).