Allied Telesyn Ships High-Density Version of its Successful Rapier Family of Layer 3 Switches; Rapier 48 is Ideal for Workgroup Aggregation and Other High-Density Layer 3 Applications

Business Wire, June 12, 2001

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

BOTHELL, Wash.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 12, 2001

Allied Telesyn International (www.alliedtelesyn.com), a worldwide leader in simplifying networking for businesses of all sizes, Tuesday announced that its high-performance Rapier 48 Layer 3 switch is now shipping.

With 48 10/100Base-TX ports and two front-panel expansion bays for Gigabit Ethernet uplinks, this latest Rapier switch is ideal for desktop and workgroup wiring closet aggregation and backbone connectivity.

Like all Rapier Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet Layer 3 switches, the Rapier 48 is built around high-performance, 200Mhz, RISC processors and switching ASICs with 32-bit, 33Mhz, PCI bus technology that executes the switch management, routing protocols and security software.

Designed as a compact, 1.5U 19" rackmount unit, all Rapier switches can accommodate a variety of Gigabit Ethernet expansion modules, as well as an external redundant power supply (RPS) option. There are also -48V DC versions of each model to meet TELCO central office requirements.

"In Rapier Layer 3 switches, Allied Telesyn has built a switch family that combines rich functionality, formidable performance and aggressively competitive pricing to deliver unquestionable value to networks seeking advanced Layer 2 and Layer 3 IP switching and routing capabilities," said Jim Berthot, Allied Telesyn's head of the Americas and senior vice-president.

"The Rapier 48 breaks into the high-density space, bringing the benefits of Rapier to larger networks and enterprises."

Designed and manufactured by Allied Telesyn, the Rapier 48 is preceded in the market by three L3 Rapier switches that provide solutions to medium-density Fast Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet connections in both copper and fiber.

The first of the Rapier family, the Rapier 24, began shipping in October 2000, followed by the 16-port all-fiber Rapier 16f, and the backbone-boosting 6-port Layer 3 Rapier G6 Gigabit switch, all with two additional Gigabit uplink ports.

This family of Layer 3 switches exploits Allied Telesyn's proven software expertise to deliver non-blocking, wire-speed IP switching solutions at a compelling price point. At its U.S. MSRP of $4,695, the Rapier 48 prices out at just $98 per port, once again putting the advantages offered by Layer 3 -- traffic management for data, voice and video -- within reach for more networks.

"Rapier is lighting the Layer 3 switch market on fire," added Berthot. "And we're not just blowing our own horn -- independent research says it's faster and more accurate than the competition, and industry press reports are glowing."

Model          Configuration            U.S. List        Availability

Rapier 24      24 x 10/100TX ports,     $2,995           Shipping
               plus two slots for
               1000Base-X uplinks

Rapier 16f     16 x 100FX ports         $6,495           Shipping
               (SC, MT-RJ), plus
               two slots for
               1000Base-X uplinks

Rapier 48      48 x 10/100TX ports,     $4,695           New -- Now
               plus two slots for                        Shipping
               1000Base-X uplinks

Rapier G6      6 x 1000T ports,         $5,495           Shipping
               plus two slots for
               1000Base-X uplinks

Rapier G6f     6 x 1000SX or LX ports,  $7,495 (SX/MT)   Shipping
               plus two slots for       $13,995 (LX/SC)
               1000Base-X uplinks

Allied Telesyn will continue to build upon the Rapier family of switches, and will continue to design them for speed, efficiency, accuracy and cost-effectiveness.

Loaded with standard Layer 2 features such as a robust management set, 802.1p traffic prioritization, 802.1Q VLAN tagging, IGMP snooping; and Layer 3 features such as IP RIPv1/v2 and OSPF, the Rapier family sports advanced routing protocols; IPX, AppleTalk, IGMP/DVMRP, PIM-DM/SM and RSVP, too.

Allied Telesyn's Stateful Inspection Firewall software and hardware accelerator cards for encryption/compression are also available as options. All models are available with a -48V DC power supply to meet the special requirements of telephone companies and Internet Service Provider's (ISP) co-located installations.

For more information about Allied Telesyn, its Rapier family of switches, and its reseller programs, call the headquarters at 800/424-4284, or visit www.alliedtelesyn.com.

About Allied Telesyn International

Allied Telesyn International simply connects the IP world with affordable, highly reliable networking solutions.

The company has achieved and maintained its market leadership positions in the enterprise and small/medium business sectors by developing a diverse portfolio of network components that build flexible, efficient, cost-effective and reliable networks for the LAN, WAN and MAN, and backing them with solid warranties and the best support in the industry.

Core competency in universal connectivity, backed by leadership in media conversion, switching and fiber optic networking put Allied Telesyn in position to leverage its expertise in high-growth markets such as Ethernet-based broadband networks.