Skip to content

Fiberoptic Infrastructure Supplier Globalconnect Installs Foundry's Compact 10 Gigabit Ethernet Edge Switches To Meet Increasing Bandwidth Demand

FastIron Edge X-series 10-GbE Switches Meet the Scandinavian Provider's Carrier-Class Reliability Criteria While Outperforming Traditional Circuit-based Solutions in Cost Effectiveness and Scalability

San Jose, CA, Nov. 17, 2004 - Foundry Networks®, Inc. (Nasdaq: FDRY) a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced that GlobalConnect, one of Europe's largest independent suppliers of fiberoptic infrastructure, is complementing its existing circuit switching-based infrastructure with one based on Foundry's Layer 2/3 FastIron® Edge X-series switches. Foundry's packet-based Ethernet switch infrastructure will complement GlobalConnect's existing transmission infrastructure to deliver a robust, cost-effective solution to meet the increased demand for Ethernet leased line services and higher bandwidth.

Beyond circuit-based switching

Headquartered in Copenhagen and operating a network of over 2,400 km of optical cable from Sweden to Frankfurt, GlobalConnect is the region's largest independent supplier of fiberoptic infrastructure. GlobalConnect leases its infrastructure on a wholesale basis to more than 90 regional and international telecom operators, cable TV network operators, and Internet service providers in Scandinavia and Germany.

GlobalConnect's decision to complement its existing circuit-based transmission infrastructure with a packet-based Ethernet solution will help the company meet customers' growing demand for Ethernet connections. The company's decision to install Ethernet switching was based on the prohibitive costs involved with upgrading its current circuit-based infrastructure and the overall cost effectiveness, scalability and carrier-class reliability of an Ethernet infrastructure built upon Foundry's X-series switches.

Robust, highly scalable solution

Foundry's X-series switches provide GlobalConnect with a cost-effective, long-term solution to meet its capacity and scalability requirements. With four built-in SFP Gigabit Ethernet fiber ports and up to two optional 10-GbE XFP uplinks, the X-series switches will efficiently service GlobalConnect's current capacity requirements while providing the company with a smooth migration path from Gigabit Ethernet to 10-Gigabit Ethernet in the future.

Carrier-class performance

The X-series switches also meet GlobalConnect's mission-critical, carrier-class performance criteria. In order to deliver Ethernet bandwidth to its customer base, GlobalConnect requires strict customer traffic separation. Foundry's IronWare operating system software, a feature-rich switching and routing suite which powers the X-series switches, enables GlobalConnect to deliver robust traffic separation by means of customer dedicated Virtual LANs.

The X-series switches also ensure that the provider's customers will experience high availability of their transmissions even in the event of a fiber optic cable problem.

Like all of Foundry's Layer 2/3 switching platforms, the FastIron Edge X-series switches achieve high reliability and fast recovery, comparable to traditional SDH-based transmission architectures.

Foundry's Metro Ring Protocol (MRP) allows GlobalConnect to guarantee optical network convergence and service restoration times measured in tenths of seconds. Hardware-based rate-limiting features available in the Foundry platforms enable GlobalConnect to deliver on customer-approved service level agreements as well. Foundry's solution guarantees that customers' contractually agreed upon bandwidth is available to them at all times. Each port on the X-series switches supports sFlow data collection, enabling wire-speed per-flow traffic monitoring. This facilitates network-wide traffic monitoring and provides GlobalConnect with detailed network surveillance and statistics for applications such as service billing, network engineering, fault-monitoring and troubleshooting.

The forefront of GbE and 10-GbE switching

GlobalConnect installed FastIron X-series switches and FastIron 800 modular systems at its Copenhagen locations as the core of its Ethernet infrastructure and plans further installations in the region. The X-series based Ethernet infrastructure will complement the existing circuit-based network and will be used to meet the explosive demand for higher bandwidth.

"The FastIron X-series switch provides an Ethernet solution that meets our strict performance and reliability demands perfectly while assuring us of the capacity and scalability we require to meet our future needs," said GlobalConnect CEO Niels Zibrandtsen.

"GlobalConnect has a track record of year-on-year successful pioneering in the carrier and ISP space," said Ken Cheng, vice president and general manager of the Layer 2/3 Switching and Routing Solutions Business Unit for Foundry Networks. "By choosing Foundry's X-series switches, GlobalConnect stands at the forefront of the trend toward migrating from circuit-based services to Global Ethernet switching. With the market demanding higher bandwidth, we see migration to Gigabit and 10 GbE switching as an inevitable growth scenario. We also see GlobalConnect's choice of the X-series switch as an affirmation of our success in delivering a best-in-class 10-Gigabit switching solution for carrier and ISP applications."

About Foundry Networks

Foundry Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: FDRY) is a leading provider of high-performance enterprise and service provider switching, routing, security and Web traffic management solutions, including Layer 2/3 LAN switches, Layer 3 Backbone switches, Layer 4-7 application switches, wireless LAN and access points, metro routers and core routers. Foundry's customers include the world's premier ISPs, metro service providers, and enterprises, including e-commerce sites, universities, entertainment, health and wellness, government, financial and manufacturing companies. For more information about the company and its products, call 1.888.TURBOLAN or visit www.foundrynet.com.

Media Contacts