Force10 Demonstrates Data Center Virtualization And Cloud Computing Solutions

Force10 Networks, a global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, will demonstrate its data center virtualization and cloud computing leadership this week at INTEROP in New York City. In addition to exhibiting its switch and routing solutions at Booth #455, Force10 is teaming up its new reseller partner, AFORE Solutions, and with Sun Microsystems to demonstrate solutions designed to help IT managers virtualize the physical boundaries of the data center and execute cloud networking initiatives focused on driving greater network agility and lower management costs, all while mitigating network complexity.

“The emergence of Web 2.0 applications has created tremendous increases in data volumes and indelibly changed the structure of the information in today’s data center,” said Stephen Garrison, vice president, marketing, Force10. “In response, our switch and router solutions include the Force10 Operating System (FTOS), which was purpose-built with a Terabit-enabled virtualization framework to ensure seamless management across platforms with industry-standard commands that enable data center managers to quickly take steps to ensure network agility, resiliency and performance – no matter the traffic levels being experienced.”

Show Demo Illustrates Dynamic Virtualization of Physical Assets
During INTEROP, Force10 is teaming up with Sun Microsystems and AFORE to demonstrate practical solutions for creating and provisioning the resources of a truly scalable platform for cloud-oriented applications. Attendees can see first-hand how to automate the process of changing VLAN configurations in order to seamlessly reallocate CPU resources where they are most needed. Server and application resource provisioning across heterogeneous network gear as part of a cloud reallocation will be demonstrated as well.

To further demonstrate virtualized resource allocation at INTEROP, AFORE is demonstrating its ASE3300 Virtualization Extension Platform at the Force10 booth. This solution enables dynamic allocation of SANs and CPU resources across physical boundaries thereby making applications available regardless of location. When combined with Force10 switch and router solutions, the ASE3300 platform enables multi-site, virtual data center solutions capable of seamless migration to cloud computing environments.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Force10 Networks To Demonstrate Industry Leadership In High Performance Computing

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced it will demonstrate its industry-leading switch/routing solutions for the high-performance cluster computing (HPCC) market at booth #1715 at the Supercomputing 2009 conference in Portland, Oregon. To further illustrate its industry leadership in the HPCC market, Force10 S-Series high-performance Ethernet access switches were selected and implemented to anchor the network infrastructure for the conference, called SCinet, which runs from November 14–20.

The SCinet network is constructed each year for the Supercomputing conference to facilitate Internet access for attendees and exhibitors as well as for connecting to other global networks. Four Force10 S50 switches are deployed as the SCinet network foundation, interconnecting and providing non-blocking bandwidth to exhibitor booths and various service and visitor areas on the show floor. The Supercomputing 2009 conference includes more than 300 industry and research exhibits.

“Force10 has earned its leadership position among the world’s most demanding HPCC environments by consistently delivering an unmatched combination of performance, density and reliability,” says Steve Garrison, vice president of marketing, Force10 Networks. “Whether Force10 solutions are anchoring the world’s most powerful supercomputer or the infrastructure at Supercomputing 2009, their respective users will continue to demand these performance and resiliency characteristics from us so they can enjoy simpler and more cost-effective networks.”

Force10 Switch/Routers Help Power 6 of the 10 World’s Fastest Supercomputers
Supercomputing 2009 attendees will be able to see the Force10 Ethernet switch/router solutions that play pivotal roles in many of the most powerful IBM, Sun Microsystems, Dell, Dawning, T-Platforms, and Cray supercomputers on the Top500.org list of the world’s fastest supercomputers, including six of the 10 fastest environments. In addition to powering North America’s fastest supercomputer, the Force10 switch/router solutions provide critical Ethernet interconnect functionality to the fastest supercomputers in Europe and Asia. Forschungszentrum Juelich, with its Jugene supercomputer located in Germany, ranks 3rd on the list and has deployed the Force10 E-Series core switch/router with more than 200 Ten Gigabit Ethernet ports. Asia’s highest-performing supercomputer, Magic Cube, at the Shanghai Supercomputer Center, utilizes Force10 C300 resilient switch/routers and S2410 access switches. Force10 also powers 10 of top 20 and 14 of top 50 fastest supercomputers worldwide.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Force10 Networks And Afore Sign Global Reseller Agreement

Force10 Networks, a global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced it will resell the Advanced Service Edge (ASE) products of AFORE, a provider of data center virtualization extension solutions, as an integral part of its industry-leading portfolio. The combined solution enables dynamic allocation of SANs and CPU resources across physical boundaries thereby making applications available regardless of location. Combining Force10 switching and routing solutions, with AFORE’s network extension products enable multi-site, virtual data center solutions to seamlessly migrate to cloud computing environments. By deploying this unique cloud networking solution, providers can now capitalize on public, private and hybrid cloud architectures.

“Force10’s strength in building high-performance data centers has been long realized with industry-leading, core-to-rack-edge solutions,” said James Hanley, president, field operations, Force10. “This new resale partnership with AFORE extends that reach and scope by delivering a true end-to-end virtualized distributed infrastructure that facilitates application agility beyond a single site. AFORE’s wide area virtualization extension solutions enhance our Virtualization Framework and provide a key cornerstone of our cloud networking strategy and solution offering.”

AFORE’s ASE technology, a “Best of VMWorld 2009” finalist in the Hardware for Virtualization category, is the first networking platform specifically targeting data center virtualization extension over Ethernet and IP WANs. Its VirtualWIRE and VirtualFIBER technology enhances Force10’s industry-leading data center Ethernet switching products by providing lossless, transparent and secure fabric extension, interconnecting computing and storage networks over WANs, to enable live Virtual Machine migration, storage replication, disaster recovery, and improved application availability.

“Cloud computing and virtualization are transforming traditional WANs. Today’s enterprises require comprehensive solutions to effectively handle the dynamic nature and high availability of modern data centers. AFORE’s ASE technology enables customers to leverage existing wide area solutions, transforming them to be cloud-ready,” said AFORE CEO Alex Berlin. “We are proud to strategically partner with a technology leader like Force10 to provide customers with solutions that effectively answer market needs.”

The combined technologies of both companies help enable next generation, geographically distributed, and secure cloud services, leveraging existing wide area investments and virtualizing the physical boundaries of solution providers. Facilitating a new wave of network-delivered solutions, Force10 and AFORE’s solutions are ideal for enterprises, managed service providers, and government applications.

Force10 partners with leading vendors to provide complete solutions that optimize data center infrastructure. For additional information on the Force10 data center partner ecosystem, please visit the company’s Technology Alliance Partner Program web page, including its partnership with AFORE.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Nyse Euronext Selects Force10 Networks For Its State-Of-The-Art Data Centers

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced that the NYSE Euronext has selected its high-performance 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) core and access switches to power the management network in their next-generation data centers in the greater New Jersey and London metro areas. NYSE Euronext has deployed the Force10 C-Series resilient switches and the S-Series access switches to power the mission-critical, 10 GbE command-and-control management network designed to ensure that billions of customer transactions and quotes are handled seamlessly on a daily basis across its global trading platforms.

“Our meticulously designed and engineered global data centers are core assets in NYSE Euronext’s corporate strategy. We carefully selected technology partners like Force10, who could deliver unparalleled innovation yet be nimble enough to work quickly and effectively with us from development to deployment,” says Andrew Bach, senior vice president of network services for NYSE Euronext. “In addition to providing highly reliable, non-blocking Ethernet switching functionality, Force10 was key in helping us deliver the speed and reliability that our customers need in a continually evolving marketplace.”

When extrapolated over the enormous message and order volumes being sent through the core NYSE Euronext network infrastructure, having the reliability to eliminate even microseconds worth of downtime delivers millions of dollars in cost savings and dramatically increased customer confidence. The command-and-control network built on Force10 switches provides the IT staff a reliable way to deploy, monitor and troubleshoot the global trading platform – enabling secure, mission-critical, out-of-band management. Force10’s FTOS operating system software delivers consistent resiliency features and an industry-standard CLI across the variety of C-Series and S-Series platforms that are deployed, making the command-and-control network easy to manage and scale. The inherent reliability and performance built into the Force10 hardware and software architecture provides the always-on access that the NYSE Euronext data centers require for their superior reliability and 100% uptime.

The network infrastructure deployed by NYSE Euronext represents its commitment to maintaining competitiveness and scalability in the global financial markets for today and into the future. The Force10 C-Series and S-Series switches deliver industry-leading port density and resiliency features designed specifically to minimize forklift upgrades and lessen network complexity. With up to 384 line-rate 10/100/1000Base-T or 64 line-rate 10 GbE ports, the C-Series resilient switches enable NYSE Euronext to seamlessly grow the 10 GbE command-and-control network as their global trading platform expands.

“The commitment and investment NYSE Euronext has made in its data center infrastructure and services illustrate its continuing commitment to providing a superior trading experience for its global clients,” says Force10 Networks CEO Henry Wasik. “Whether it is advances in system design that enable long-term investment protection or new ways to increase resiliency and non-blocking, line-rate performance, Force10 develops the purpose-built technology customers need to transform their networks into the strategic assets that are fundamental to the success of their business.”

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Force10 Networks Receives Common Criteria Security Certification

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced that its C-Series™, S-Series™ and E-Series® Ethernet switch/routers running FTOS (Force10 operating system) software version 7.8, received Common Criteria certification to the Evaluation Assurance Level 2 (EAL-2). The certification validates that the FTOS design, software development methodology, and multi-layered security mechanisms meet or exceed the second evaluation assurance level for controlled access as defined by the international standard.

The Common Criteria for IT Security Evaluations, also known as ISO standard 15408, was developed by the national security organizations of the U.S., Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Germany and The Netherlands and is recognized by numerous other countries. It provides a broad range of evaluation criteria for many types of commercial and nationally sensitive government-use IT security products.

“Attaining the Common Criteria certification assures customers that the Force10 Ethernet switch/routers running FTOS provide tremendous security, performance and reliability,” said Steve Garrison, vice president of marketing, Force10. “The EAL-2 Certification validates that in an environment with adequate physical security, FTOS requires proper identification and authorization for access, protects important data and functions using certified encryption, incorporates proper functional audits and has built-in failure recovery modes.”

Common Criteria evaluations entail formal rigorous analysis and testing to examine security aspects of a product or system. Extensive testing activities involve a comprehensive and formally repeatable process, confirming that the security product functions as claimed by the manufacturer. Security weaknesses and potential vulnerabilities are specifically examined during wide-ranging evaluation and testing.

FTOS is the operating system software that runs on Force10 switch/router product lines, including the E-Series, C-Series and S-Series platforms. Based on NetBSD, FTOS leverages a distributed, multiprocessor architecture that delivers highly scalable protocols and reliability. By delivering the same OS across its entire switch/router line, Force10 ensures that customers benefit from stable code, a consistent configuration environment and simpler software management.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Force10 Networks Ranked #3 Fastest Growing Company

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced that the company ranked number 3 within the communications/networking category of the 2009 Deloitte Technology Fast 500™ program. Overall, Force10 ranked number 10 in Deloitte LLP’s ranking of the 500 fastest growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences and clean technology companies in North America. Rankings are based on percentage of fiscal year revenue growth during the five-year period from 2004–2008. Force10 Networks grew 24,528% percent during this period.

“We are honored to receive this recognition from the Deloitte Fast 500 program,” says Henry Wasik, Force10 president and CEO. “The ranking validates our vision that high performance data centers, service providers, and leading enterprise customers will continue to partner with vendors that demonstrate a commitment to innovation, quality and exceptional customer support.”

Force10 was one of only two private companies ranked in the top 10 for this year’s Technology Fast 500. The 2009 award marks the first year that the company has earned the prestigious ranking.

In addition to communications/networking, the other categories of the Fast 500 program are biotechnology/pharmaceutical, clean technology, computers/peripherals, Internet, semiconductor, medical equipment, media and entertainment, scientific/technical instrumentation and software.

Technology Fast 500 Selection and Qualifying Criteria
In order for Force10 to have achieved its Fast 500 rankings this year, the company must have met several criteria, including:

* Five-year history in business
* Headquartered within North America
* FY 2004 operating revenues must have been at least $50,000, FY 2008 operating revenues must have been at least $5 million
* Revenues must have more than doubled from FY 2004–2008
* Must own proprietary intellectual property or proprietary technology that contributes to a significant portion of the company’s operating revenues

Established in 1997, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 program is based on percentage revenue growth for both public and private companies over a five-year period, while recognizing all areas of technology, ranging from Internet and life sciences to computers and semiconductors. For more information on Deloitte’s Technology Fast 50 or Technology Fast 500 programs, visit www.fast500.com.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com

Force10 Networks Reports Continued Momentum With 25% Sequential Growth

Force10 Networks, Inc., the global technology leader that data center, service provider and enterprise customers rely on when the network is their business, today announced that its fourth quarter bookings increased 25% from the previous quarter for the period ending September 30, 2009.

The continued momentum and growth reflects the culmination of several key developments during the company’s most recent quarter highlighted by:

* Continuing market acceptance of the Force10 high-performance switch/router products, including the ExaScale™ E-Series® virtualized core switch/router, by next-generation data center, HPCC (high performance cluster computing) and enterprise customers
* Accelerating growth in 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10 GbE) shipments associated with Force10’s core switch/router platforms
* Realizing expected market synergies associated with the Force10 Networks–Turin Networks merger from last March, such as the delivery of a new solution for the “Middle Mile” market as rural carriers migrate toward 10 GbE-based networks

“These positive developments during our last quarter have enabled Force10 to extend its growth in key markets and broaden our solution portfolio for service providers,” says Henry Wasik, president and CEO of Force10 Networks. “Moving forward, Force10 will continue to be well positioned from a technology and breadth-of-product perspective to further grab market share from the highest-performing data center environments to the triple play networks of today’s rural carriers.”

ExaScale Switch/Router Makes Impact in Demanding Data Center Environments
The Force10 ExaScale E-Series virtualized core switch/router, which was introduced in March 2009, made significant contributions to the company’s continued momentum. Optimized for deployments in high-performance data centers, computing clusters and service provider carrier Ethernet core markets, the ExaScale product portfolio delivers unmatched performance and flexibility, reduced power consumption and ongoing investment protection. In the short timeframe since its introduction, the industry-leading 10 GbE and 10/100/1000Base-T density of ExaScale with line-rate and non-blocking scalability, caught the attention of some high-profile customers. New wins in data centers and carrier points of presence (POPs) supported ExaScale’s sales momentum throughout the year, including the Japan Internet Exchange Co. Ltd. and the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Brookhaven Labs, both of which Force10 helped scale their core network to 10 GbE speeds.

Accelerated Growth in 10 GbE Shipments
Over the past two quarters, Force10 also experienced significant growth in 10 GbE shipments. Last quarter, leading industry research firm Dell'Oro Group forecasted that the main drivers for Ethernet switch market growth beyond 2009 will be the increased adoption of 10 GbE and data center build outs. In line with those predictions, 10 GbE shipments associated with Force10’s modular switch/router platforms, the E-Series and C-Series, experienced more than 200% growth from Q2 to Q4.

Expanded “Middle Mile” Solution Illustrates Synergies from Merger
During the fourth quarter, the Force10 C-Series™ and E-Series switch/routers received “Buy American” status by the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Rural Utilities Service (RUS), which qualifies the products for purchase by rural carriers utilizing grants and low-cost loans obtained from the RUS. The RUS and the National Telecommunications Industry Association (NTIA) are responsible for dispersing the $7.2 billion in broadband stimulus funding under the 2009 American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. The need for 10 GbE in the carrier “middle mile” network, which enables the delivery of high-speed broadband services to rural and underserved communities, represents a significant new market for the Force10 Ethernet switch/router solutions.

To Purchase Force10 Products Visit www.Force10Works.com