Agere Systems and Data Connection Ltd Announce Pre-integrated MPLS Software and Hardware Based On PayloadPlus Network Processor
Combination provides OEMs with faster time-to-market for multi-protocol label switches
London, UK and Allentown, Pa: June 4, 2001. Agere Systems (NYSE: AGR.A), the world leader in communications semiconductors and Data Connection Ltd., a leading provider of communications protocol software, today announced an agreement to make a complete multi-protocol label switching (MPLS) system available to OEMs.
The switch reference design is based on DCL's MPLS control plane software and Agere's PayloadPlus(TM) network processor and PI family switch fabrics. Agere Systems will conduct a live demonstration of PayloadPlus performing OC48c IP/ATM processing in Booth 3947 at Supercomm 2001 in Atlanta, Ga this week.
MPLS is a key technology used in next-generation networks, enabling essential services such as traffic engineering, quality of service (QoS), virtual private networks (VPNs) and optical provisioning. It is evolving at a rapid rate and requires both fast-path data plane technology, such as network processors, together with high-performance control plane software, to provide dynamic provisioning, fault recovery and re-route.
DC-MPLS is a portable source code MPLS solution that offers carrier-class levels of performance, scalability and availability and is used by a number of MPLS equipment manufacturers. "DCL offers a very attractive software solution when reliability, distributability and redundancy are required. We expect the combination of DC-MPLS with Agere's expertise in silicon will provide OEMs with a high-performance solution and a faster and cheaper development cycle," said Ford Tamer, general manager of the Network Processors and Switch group at Agere.
"We have combined the skills of two innovators in MPLS switch design, allowing OEMs to quickly leverage the high performance and programmability of Agere's network processor," said Ben Miller, DCL's MPLS business unit manager.
Agere's PayloadPlus solution provides hardware and software for next-generation, higher-performance Internet infrastructure. The highly programmable, OC-48c network processors can enable datacom and telecom equipment manufacturers to build flexible infrastructure equipment, in turn allowing service providers to introduce new services and billing arrangements in less time.
The PayloadPlus chip set consists of three chips: the Fast Pattern ProcessorTM (FPP), the Routing Switch ProcessorTM (RSP) and the Agere System InterfaceTM (ASI). Agere has also announced a co-processor called the Voice Packet ProcessorTM (VPP) for AAL2 voice termination and sub-channel switching applications.
About DC-MPLS
DC-MPLS is a fully portable carrier-class implementation that sets a new standard for performance, scalability and robustness. Its architecture is easily extensible, provides full management information base (MIB) support and enables fault-tolerant and distributed hardware configurations.
DC-MPLS provides a full range of functions, including RSVP-TE, CR-LDP and LDP signaling protocols, and protocol extensions for the MPLS applications, including traffic engineering, optical provisioning and VPNs. Many MPLS equipment manufacturers use DC-MPLS and are listed at www.dataconnection.com/mpls/customer.htm.
About Data Connection Limited
Data Connection Limited (DCL) is a leading independent developer and supplier of ATM, MPLS, MGCP/Megaco, SCTP, SIP, SS7, conferencing, unified messaging, directory and SNA portable products. Customers include 3Com, Cabletron, Cisco, Fujitsu, Hewlett-Packard, Hitachi, IBM Corp., Lucent, Microsoft, Nortel Networks, NCR, SGI and Sun. Data Connection is headquartered in London, UK, with US offices in Reston, VA and Alameda, CA. For information, contact Toby Eccles by email at , phone +44 20 8366 1177, or visit our Web site at www.dataconnection.com.
About Agere Systems
Agere Systems Inc., formerly the Microelectronics Group of Lucent Technologies, is the world leader in semiconductors for communications applications. Lucent has announced it intends to spin off Agere Systems as an independent company. Agere Systems offers integrated optoelectronics and integrated circuits solutions to help customers reduce the time and expense of developing new communications equipment. It also provides wireless computer networking solutions through its ORiNOCO product line. More information about Agere Systems is available from its Web site at www.agere.com.
Contacts
| Data Connection Limited Toby Eccles +44 20 8366 1177 |
Agere Systems Lori Higa 408-980-3860 (office) 650-619-7538 (cellular) |
Data Connection is a trademark of Data Connection Limited and Data Connection Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners.
This release contains forward-looking statements based on information available to Agere as of the date hereof. Agere's actual results could differ materially from those results stated or implied by such forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, completion of the distribution of Agere stock by Lucent Technologies Inc., price and product competition, keeping pace with technological change, dependence on new product development, reliance on major customers and suppliers, customer demand for our products and services, availability of manufacturing capacity, components and materials, control of costs and expenses, general industry and market conditions and growth rates and general domestic and international economic conditions including interest rate and currency exchange rate fluctuations. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see the prospectus filed by Agere with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 28, 2001. Agere disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.