Mzima Builds Scalable and Resilient Transcontinental 10 Gigabit Ethernet Backbone With Force10 Networks TeraScale E-Series.

SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Force10 Networks([R]), the pioneer in building and securing high performance networks, today announced that Mzima Networks has deployed the TeraScale E-Series([R]) family of switch/routers to anchor its worldwide high performance 10 Gigabit Ethernet backbone. The high density and resiliency of the Force10 TeraScale E300 enables Mzima to peer with more than 350 networks in the U.S. and Europe and provides the long-term scalability to cost effectively add capacity as demand for 10 Gigabit Ethernet services continues to increase.

"After working with MPLS, we determined that it was both inefficient and far too expensive to keep up with traffic that is roughly doubling every six to eight months," said Grant Kirkwood, CTO at Mzima Networks. "For our customers, performance and reliability is paramount, and with the Force10 TeraScale E-Series as the cornerstone of our Ethernet network, we know we have the flexibility to meet and exceed their expectations."

Leveraging the robust BGP implementation of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series, Mzima has built a fully routed transcontinental network anchored by points of presence in 10 cities with roll outs planned in three additional cities. With the eight-port 10 Gigabit Ethernet line cards, the TeraScale E300 delivers the high density Mzima needs to provide its customers with the 10 Gigabit Ethernet services they are demanding as well as to seamlessly expand the network as traffic continues to double.

The rapidly growing demand for bandwidth coupled with static costs of owning and operating a network are squeezing service provider profits. For most of these service providers, more than 80 percent of the traffic on the network is best effort that requires no special handling and does not command a premium price. To drive down networking costs and improve the scalability of their networks, many service providers are now looking to Ethernet technology as a more cost-effective alternative.

"Carriers like Mzima are under significant bandwidth pricing pressure and are increasingly looking to Ethernet as a more cost-effective and scalable alternative to SONET, particularly as the rapidly growing demand for bandwidth forces them to add capacity to their networks," said Mark Cooper, senior vice president of worldwide sales at Force10 Networks. "The TeraScale E-Series is unique in that it combines SONET-like resiliency, high 10 Gig density and robust routing in a single platform that allows Mzima to build a highly scalable Ethernet-based network to better serve the high bandwidth needs of its customers."

Over the last several years, Ethernet has continued to improve upon its reliability and resiliency, bringing it into line with SONET/SDH. At the same time, Ethernet densities have increased at a faster rate than those of SONET/SDH, making Ethernet both a more cost-effective and more scalable technology that can deliver the same level of service. To ensure SONET/SDH-like resiliency, the Force10 TeraScale E-Series distributes switching, routing and management functionalities between three distinct processors, protecting against unplanned network downtime.

The rapid growth of best effort traffic on service provider networks is being driven, in large part, by the emergence of Web 2.0 companies that allow users to fully interact with the Internet by uploading content to the sites. Increasingly, these companies are building out both 10 Gigabit Ethernet networks internally and acquiring 10 Gigabit Ethernet wide area network services.

For additional information on the deployment, please visit the website at www.force10networks.com/applications/service-provider.asp.

About Mzima Networks

Mzima Networks, founded in 2002, is the premier high-performance network service provider. Mzima delivers Internet connectivity via its proprietary distributed metro NAP architecture and wide-area backbone network, and specializes in high-bandwidth applications by leveraging native 10 gigabit Ethernet technologies. By building metropolitan DWDM fiber networks connected to multiple Tier-1 backbone providers, and by having extensive private peering with numerous ISPs and content providers, Mzima Networks offers its customers the fastest, most reliable connectivity currently available. For more information please visit: www.mzima.net.

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.