SMC Networks Ships Industry's First 10Gigabit Copper Ethernet Transceiver for Enterprise Switching; New Transceivers Provide CAT-5e-Based 10Gigabit Ethernet Options for SMC Switches.

IRVINE, Calif. -- SMC(R) Networks announced today that it is shipping the industry's first 10Gigabit Ethernet over CAT-5e transceivers for use as uplinks in its Gigabit Ethernet switches. Priced at $449.99 (MSRP), the new transceiver, SMC10GXEN-T, is currently available to offer flexible, low-cost, interconnect solutions operating at 10Gbps over existing CAT-5e cabling.

SMC's new 10Gigabit Ethernet XENPAK modules present a significant advancement in the deployment of 10Gigabit interconnects in enterprise LANs. Using an industry standard, "hot pluggable" XAUI interface on the host side, the SMC10GXEN-T is fast and easy to deploy. This new copper transceiver enables simple, flexible, high-bandwidth 10Gbps connections by using industry standard CAT-5e cabling and RJ45 connectors to reach up to 10m distance. By using CAT-5e cabling, IT managers can quickly and economically deploy full-duplex 10Gigabit Ethernet interconnections for switch to router and switch to server network links. Used in combination with SMC's 24- and 48-port SMC TigerStack(TM) 1000 switches (SMC8724M, SMC8748M, SMC8724ML3 and SMC8748ML3), SMC's customers now have an economical alternative to more expensive optical 10Gig solutions.

"10Gig is making steady advances as the technology of choice, and is destined to be the dominant technology at the backbone of networks as well as for today's mega-storage applications. SMC is committed to being a leader in 10Gig product offerings," said SMC product manager, Iain Kenney. "These new transceivers for our TigerStack 1000 switches enable 10Gig copper connectivity, expanding SMC's 10Gig solutions set to meet our customer's demands and high bandwidth requirements."

"Vativ is pleased to partner with SMC to introduce the industry's first UTP cabling based 10G uplink solution for the high-performance TigerStack switch family," said Sreen Raghavan, president and CEO of Vativ Technologies. "Data center managers can now use ubiquitous CAT-5e cables with a pluggable XENPAK module enabled by Vativ's unique V10LAN(TM) technology in place of more expensive and difficult to manage alternatives."

The new SMC10GXEN-T 10Gigabit Copper Uplink modules are available now from select SMC VARs and resellers.

For more information about SMC Networks or its products, visit www.smc.com, or call 800-SMC-4You (800-762-4968). For information about Vativ Technologies, visit www.vativ.com.