Vitesse Extends Serial Attached SCSI Leadership With the Introduction of Next Generation NexSAS(TM) Expanders; Vitesse SAS Expander Technology Dominates Enhanced Tier-1OEM Server and Storage Enclosure Designs.

CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Vitesse Semiconductor Corp. (NASDAQ:VTSS), a leader in enterprise storage ICs, today extended its widely adopted NexSAS(TM) line of Serial Attached SCSI (SAS) expanders with the introduction of VSC7156 24-PHY, VSC7157 36-PHY, and VSC7158 18-PHY enhanced SAS expanders. These new devices deliver enhanced enterprise capabilities including standard phy and address-resolved zoning a multi-affiliation STP/SATA bridge, integrated Ethernet MACs, and others desired by OEMs. Designed for enterprise server and enclosure applications, the new expanders provide OEMs with superior performance and flexibility to meet their architecture needs.

The new Generation II NexSAS(TM) expanders provide OEMs with more integrated, higher-functioning storage silicon solutions as compared to current offerings for the SAS market. Bridging the gap between the SAS 1.1 and planned SAS 2.0 specifications, these new features raise the bar on both functional integration and price/performance for today's SAS market. The products phy and address-resolved zoning meet the T10 working group of INCTS under accreditation of ANSI requirements. Other key benefits for Vitesse's Generation II NexSAS(TM) expanders include:

--Control, security, and performance through end-to-end standards-based zoning.

--Concurrent, multi-initiator operation for Serial ATA end-devices using enhanced multi-affiliation STP/SATA bridging.

--Denser arrays and subsystems with wholesale improvements in table routing capacity.

--Maximum OEM differentiability through increased on-chip user-accessible enclosure services memory.

--Increased blade server integration and reduced BOM costs based on internal Ethernet MACs.

--Simplified system analysis and debug using built-in per-port snooping capabilities.

--Deeper accountability and control with broad new statistics functions.

--Reduced design investment through reuse -- based on pin and firmware compatibility with previous generation NexSAS(TM) expanders.

--Robust next-generation development environment based on the GNU standard tool chain and ThreadX(TM) from Express Logic.

SAS is the evolutionary replacement for parallel SCSI and supports diverse applications in enterprise storage including JBODs, NAS, RAID subsystems, mid-line and near-line storage facilities, and fixed-content storage systems. According to IDC, SAS will quickly capture share in the enterprise hard-disk-drive (HDD) market, growing from 0% in 2003 to over 35% of all HDD shipments in 2008. IDC also predicts that over 40% of all enterprise SATA HDDs will attach to SAS infrastructures by 2008.

"Leveraging the tremendous success we experienced with our first generation offerings, Vitesse continues to dominate the majority of Tier-1 expander sockets by being the first offer advanced features in expander products," said Sam Barnett, program director of SAS and SATA solutions at Vitesse. "Vitesse's storage IC solutions will continue to lead the industry by shaping the development and deployment of SAS as the serial storage architecture of choice."

NexSAS(TM) Advancements Deliver Unprecedented Levels of User Control

Building on 20 years of high-speed input/output innovation, the VSC7156/57/58 NexSAS expanders incorporate the latest Vitesse high-performance I/O technologies, including dynamic multilevel equalization, programmable edge rate control, as well as multiple levels of output de-emphasis once applied only to long haul products. These unique features allow customization of signaling on a per PHY basis in support of both "in- and out-of-the-box" applications (i.e. shelf-to-shelf, rack-to-rack, across the room, or within a datacenter).

Key to product scalability and flexibility across a wide variety of system platforms is the inclusion of a new embedded 32-bit RISC CPU, which brings performance-oriented enclosure management (EM) functions directly onto the expander. Two adjunct processing engines in the EM subsystem support custom SSP and STP initiator and target functions and augment traditional EM services to give unprecedented levels of control to both the system OEM and end-user.

The entire NexSAS(TM) family is based on a common software and hardware architecture allowing OEMs to easily scale designs across port densities, functional requirements, and applications while leveraging existing software and firmware. This architectural flexibility provides OEMs with accelerated time-to-market and maximized time-in-market through reuse of designs and firmware/software.

Availability and Pricing

The VSC7156, VSC7157, and VSC7158 are priced between $31.00 and $63.00 in volume and are sampling today.

About Vitesse Storage Products Division

For over two decades, the Storage Products Division at Vitesse has delivered state-of-the-art IC solutions for enterprise storage and storage networking applications. With emphasis on the development of advanced disk array intelligence, high performance interconnect, and enclosure management devices for Fibre Channel, SAS, and Serial ATA, the Vitesse portfolio stands second to none for enterprise applications. Vitesse components are used in a wide array of products from industry leading OEMs including Adaptec, Brocade, Dell Computer, EMC, Emulex, Fujitsu-Siemens, LSI Logic through its Engenio Information Technologies subsidiary, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi Data Systems, IBM, NEC, Sun Microsystems, and others.

About Vitesse

Vitesse designs, develops, and markets a diverse portfolio of high-performance, cost-competitive semiconductor solutions for communications and storage networks worldwide. Engineering excellence and dedicated customer service distinguish Vitesse as an industry leader in Gigabit Ethernet LAN, Ethernet-over-SONET, Advanced Switching, Fibre Channel, SAS, Optical Transport, and other applications. Vitesse innovation empowers customers to deliver superior products for Enterprise, Access, Metro, and Core applications. Additional company and product information is available at www.vitesse.com.

Vitesse is a registered trademark in the United States and/or other jurisdictions of Vitesse Semiconductor Corporation. All other trademarks or registered trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective holders.