Riverstone Networks Extends Intelligent Bandwidth in the Metropolitan Area Network With Burst-Safe Rate Limiting

Business Wire, Feb 20, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

SANTA CLARA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 20, 2001

Riverstone's RapidOS v7.0 Lays the Foundation for a Truly Intelligent Metropolitan Area Network Over Any Media

Riverstone Networks (Nasdaq:RSTN), a leader in service creation infrastructure for metropolitan area networks, today announced the immediate availability of RapidOS v7.0 software to power the RS family of switches and routers. RapidOS v7.0 makes available Burst-Safe(TM) rate limiting for the RS line of switch routers which allows service providers to offer tiered prices for guaranteed traffic rates while still accommodating the bursty nature of Internet traffic. Using a customer's actual traffic patterns, a service provider can establish both a set-traffic rate and a burst rate to ensure that user traffic is always allowed to pass.

Riverstone's RapidOS v7.0 and its RS line of switch routers bring the dynamic bandwidth provisioning feature to optical Ethernet and to legacy infrastructures -- allowing service providers to carve, smooth, police and bill for bandwidth over any WAN connection -- TDM, ATM, POS, WDM and cable. This ensures better utilization of the connection and creates more profit opportunities for the service provider.

"Riverstone has a strong history of delivering advanced features over SONET, ATM, and TDM," said Chris Nicoll, vice president at Current Analysis. "Service providers need a full complement of interfaces in order to support a broad range of next generation services. Riverstone is raising the bar with RapidOS v7.0."

"The Riverstone platform offers the performance, stability, and features we require to meet our customers' changing needs," said Carol Lalomia, chief technical officer at Intellispace. "Riverstone's solution allows us to offer differentiated services with attractive pricing. Our customers can select the bandwidth rate, in kilobit increments, and price that best meets their current needs. As their needs change, more bandwidth is never more than a phone call away."

About Riverstone Networks

Riverstone Networks is a leading developer of routers and switches that enable service providers throughout the metropolitan area network to turn raw bandwidth into profitable services. Leveraging fourth-generation custom silicon and Internet-hardened routing software, Riverstone products deliver line-rate accountability and control, enabling the metro network to become the New Business Internet. Riverstone solutions are deployed in more than 40 countries and in some of the world's largest networks -- including British Telecom, Genuity, MCI WorldCom, MAE West Ames, EarthLink, NTT, and Telefonica. Please visit the company at www.riverstonenet.com.