Force10 Networks Introduces C-Series Resilient Switch to Bring Reliability Characteristics to Midsize Data Centers and Wiring Closets

Force10 Networks(R), the pioneer in building and securing reliable
networks, today introduced the C300 resilient switch that delivers the
reliability, network control and scalability IT managers require to
ensure their network is a strategic asset. Purpose-built for demanding
deployments ranging from midsize data centers to wiring closets, the
C300 is the industry's first switch that combines the essential
reliability characteristics necessary to support today's mission
critical business applications.

"The Force10 E-Series has delivered the strategic network
performance we need to support new applications," said Cyrus Mohit,
manager of data center operations at eHarmony. "With the C300 we are
extending the features and reliability of the modular Force10 software
and line-rate performance to our backup and management
infrastructure."

With the continual evolution of applications and the emergence of
new ones, it is crucial that the network -- from the data center to
the wiring closet -- is flexible to respond to changing business
requirements. To ensure the network is application ready, the Force10
C300 brings the reliability, control and performance scalability
technologies of the TeraScale E-Series(R) that were hardened in the
production networks of high end data centers to midsize data centers
and wiring closets.

"Our experience in large data centers has helped us understand
that increasingly most businesses do not exist without the network,
and with the introduction of the C300, we have extended our industry
leading performance characteristics," said Stephen Garrison, vice
president of marketing at Force10 Networks. "The C-Series for the
first time combines industry leading reliability, network control and
scalable capacity characteristics in a chassis platform optimized for
midsized environments."

The Force10 C-Series is designed to bring reliability to the
mid-size data center and enterprise local area network. The modular
Force10 Operating System (FTOS) software provides inherent stability
and eliminates unplanned network downtime. In addition to software
reliability, the C-Series delivers full hardware resiliency with
redundant components and hot insertion technologies that ensure
maximum network uptime. The passive backplane of the C300 also means
that it doesn't act as a single point of failure, further ensuring
always-on networking.

To provide IT managers with more effective control over their
network, the Force10 C300 delivers a suite of tools and features that
increase manageability, serviceability and visibility. The modular
FTOS includes an industry standard command line interface (CLI) that
simplifies management and leverages the installed base of networking
knowledge. Additionally, the C300 features HP OpenView-ready plug-ins
with XML and SNMP MIB hooks for rapid integration into existing data
center and wiring closet environments.

Beyond manageability, Force10 has integrated the advanced
serviceability and visibility features developed for the TeraScale
E-Series into the C300. In-service tracing and troubleshooting command
line interfaces provide advanced serviceability tools that allow IT
managers to quickly resolve issues without bringing down the network.
Runtime hardware and data plane status monitoring provide visibility
into the network, enabling IT managers to better understand and
control the traffic on their network. Further providing IT managers
with visibility into their network is the intelligent power management
of the C300 that provides granular PoE control and tracks power in use
as well as available power on a per port basis.

To deliver long-term investment protection, the Force10 C300
features enhanced scalability. The C300 has a switching capacity of
1.5 Terabits per second (Gbps) or 96 Gigabits per second per slot,
providing the scalable capacity that will allow enterprises to expand
their networks to support new applications without the cost of a
system upgrade. Today, the C300 supports 384 line-rate Gigabit and 32
line-rate 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports in a single chassis. With the
scalable capacity of the backplane, however, the C-Series can support
multiple density increases in the future, providing long-term
investment protection.

With full line-rate, non-blocking throughput across the backplane,
the Force10 C300 can support new applications and features without
impacting performance. Additionally, the C300 delivers full
performance regardless of traffic conditions. And with full 15.4W
Class 3 PoE support, the C300 can deliver full power to all 384
Gigabit Ethernet ports simultaneously.

Reliable Networking

As applications have evolved and new ones are introduced, traffic
patterns are changing. With software as a service applications and
collaboration tools, traffic now moves between end users as well as
from the end user to the data center. As a result, there is a need for
consistent performance characteristics throughout the network. By
creating a unified network fabric, enterprises can build into their
networks the flexibility to respond to changing business requirements.

Reliable Networking by Force10 delivers the reliability, control
and scalability required to ensure the network is ready for emerging
applications and services and can flexibly respond to those changing
requirements.

Pricing and Availability

The Force10 C300 is $20,000 and is available now.

About Force10 Networks

Force10 Networks is the pioneer in building and securing reliable
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.