Leading Communications Companies Join Forces to Announce the QSFP MSA: The Industry's Highest Density Pluggable Optical Module MSA.

ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Highest Density Quad Small Form-factor Pluggable optical module MSA complements industry standard SFP MSA for Telecommunications and Data Communications Equipment

Several industry leading communications companies today announced the release of a Quad (4-channel) Small Form-factor Pluggable (QSFP) optical module specification for final review. The group has developed a common specification for multi-sourcing, application-agnostic, highest density, pluggable optical modules. These modules will optimize real-estate, power, and port density requirements in networking equipment while keeping synergy and compatibility to installed optical module interconnect infrastructure. The group has been developing the agreement since 2004 and a public draft of the specification is expected in May.

Current members of the QSFP include the following companies:

--  Avago Technologies      --  Molex
--  Beam Express            --  OCP, Inc.
--  Emcore                  --  Opnext, Inc.
--  Emulex                  --  QLogic
--  Fiberxon                --  Picolight, Inc.
--  Finisar                 --  Primarion
--  Force10                 --  Reflex Photonics
--  Helix AG                --  The Siemon Co.
--  JDSU                    --  Tyco Electronics
--  McDATA                  --  Xloom Communications
--  Merge Optics            --  Zarlink Semiconductor

The QSFP MSA (Multi-Source Agreement) defines a highly integrated 4-channel optical transceiver which would replace four standard SFP transceiver modules providing increased port density and total system cost saving. The device will support Ethernet, Fibre Channel, InfiniBand and SONET/SDH standards with different data rate options. The QSFP MSA document specifies a transceiver module mechanical form-factor with latching mechanism, host board electrical edge connector and cage. The hot-pluggable module integrates four transmit and four receive channels with a standard MPO parallel optical connector. The QSFP device features digital optical diagnostic capability to monitor the link performance. The module is designed to enable extremely high-density applications with stacked and ganged configurations. This highly integrated transceiver module will enable network equipment manufacturers to increase port density and system data throughput and consequently reduce costs per Gb/s.

Benefits of QSFP:

--Port Density nearly 4x higher than SFP

--Support of Ethernet, Fibre Channel, Infiniband and SDH/SONET with data rates up to 4Gb/s

--Transceiver Package and Electrical/Optical Connectors derived from designs currently in production

--Multi-vendor support

The QSFP group brings together leading networking, system, optical module, semiconductor and connector companies from both the telecommunications and data communications markets. In addition, the inherent 4+4 channel architecture of QSFP lends itself to increase distances supported by multi-lane serial I/O electrical interconnects like PCI Express (PCIe).

"McDATA is excited about the density of the QSFP optical module for storage networking and rack mounted switches. With up to 128 channels on a 1RU (1.75") rack mounted switch, the QSFP can lower the operating costs by reducing the size of data centers -- especially in co-location facilities," said Scott Kipp, the chair and editor of QSFP.

"As traffic on the network continues to grow exponentially, high density at the system level becomes critical to ensuring network manageability and seamless scalability," said Michael Laudon, director of hardware engineering at Force10 Networks. "With QSFP, we will be able to achieve significantly greater levels of Gigabit Ethernet fiber density to support new applications and bandwidth demands in high performance networks."

"Emulex fully realizes the benefits of supporting emerging transceiver designs, such as the quad small form-factor pluggable (QSFP)," said Mike Smith, executive vice president of worldwide marketing, Emulex Corporation. "Emulex will work closely with the QSFP group to ensure compliance and interoperability to meet the needs of our marketplace."

"Network administrators with hundreds to thousands of ports are asking QLogic for a single SFP to support Ethernet, Fibre Channel and InfiniBand; they're asking for better support of long distance internetworking; and they're asking for higher port density," said Skip Jones, Director Strategic Planning, QLogic Corporation. "QLogic expects the QSFP module to play an important role in our plans to respond to these market requirements."

"Molex was able to provide the 38 circuit PCI Express version of the iPassTM connector family to the QSFP MSA. This high speed electrical connector is rated to 10 Gb/s and should meet the needs of the QSFP MSA for years to come."

About the QSFP MSA:

The QSFP MSA welcomes application for membership from component, transceiver and network equipment manufacturers. More information about joining the MSA and status and availability of the specification is available at www.qsfpmsa.org.

Legal Disclaimers....

This release may contain forward-looking statements based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and certain assumptions made by us. Words such as "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "plans," "believes," "seeks," "estimates," "may," "will" and variations of these words or similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. In addition, any statements that refer to expectations, projections or other characterizations of future events or circumstances, including any underlying assumptions, are forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date hereof, and are based upon the information available to us at this time. Such information is subject to change, and we will not necessarily inform you of such changes. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to 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.

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Individual MSA members can be contacted directly by visiting the QSFP MSA website at http://www.qsfpmsa.org/gpage3.html.