Agere Systems Announces Money-Saving Software, a Higher-Performance Network Processor, and Multiservice Convergence Demo at SUPE
June 02 2005 - 8:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Agere Systems Announces Money-Saving Software, a Higher-Performance
Network Processor, and Multiservice Convergence Demo at SUPERCOMM
ALLENTOWN, Pa., June 2 /PRNewswire/ -- Agere Systems (NYSE:AGR)
today announced a next-generation, higher-performance network
processor chip, the APP600 series, along with new network processor
software that can save telecom service providers millions of
dollars in revenues due to network outages. The company also
disclosed details about a live demonstration converging streams,
cell and frames onto a multiservice, packet-switched network. These
announcements are being made to coincide with the upcoming
SUPERCOMM 2005 trade show being held June 7-9 in Chicago (Agere
Booth # 20025). (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040618/AGERELOGO ) The new
software for Agere's Advanced PayloadPlus(R) APP550 and the new
APP650 network processor chips slash the cost of downtime during
telecom resets, saving potentially millions of dollars per year. By
using new Agere software running on Agere's chips, service
providers can dynamically reset the host chip processors
controlling their network equipment with no interruption in user
traffic. "At Nortel we always make high availability an important
feature in our products," said Raymond Allard, System Design
Authority with Nortel. "Agere's APP550 and APP650 carrier-grade
software includes the warm start feature that makes possible that
high availability. Because of this, Nortel can deliver systems that
continue to process traffic even if the software on the host
microprocessor is being reset. For our service provider customers,
this means lower lost revenues associated with down-time, and
service-level agreement revenue opportunities with better
availability guarantees." The APP650 network processor considerably
improves processing performance compared with previous generations.
The chip features significant architectural improvements over the
company's 5 gigabits per second (Gbits/s) APP550 network processor,
while maintaining the package footprint of the APP550 for a
hardware and software compatible solution. This enhanced chip
offers twice the classification and traffic shaping performance of
the APP550 with increased data processing capabilities and improved
policing and buffer management-all on one chip. To achieve the same
level of classification, competitive solutions require use of
expensive content addressable memories (CAM), which can be as
costly as the network processor itself. The APP650 uses
off-the-shelf, low-cost dynamic random access memory technology to
keep solutions costs to a minimum for complex multiservice
applications. This enhancement of the chip's classification
horsepower is a result of additional Agere patented packet
programmable hardware engines (PPE) working in parallel, thereby
doubling the overall productivity in the same amount of time,
making more efficient use of processing resources. Other key
upgrades of the APP650 include: -- Multilevel packet extraction and
data manipulation, via the Pre-Queuing Modifier block, offering
pre- and post-queuing data modification and manipulation while
reducing processing time in certain applications by up to 50
percent -- Improved traffic management and scheduling to allow more
flexible tunneling of traffic, providing superior quality of
service in oversubscribed network elements -- Additional traffic
shaping engine offering 100 percent cycle increase -- Increased
policing and buffer manager compute engines from 266 megahertz
(MHz) to 400 MHz (an approximately 50 percent increase) These
additional upgrades contribute to boosting the chip's overall
productivity in today's complex multiservice cell and packet
applications. To complement the classification improvements, the
traffic management algorithms have been enhanced to support
increased processing capabilities for frame- based traffic in
severely over subscribed networks. This boost in performance is a
key requirement for service providers who need to support triple
play services (voice, video and data) over a low-cost converged
network while maintaining peak efficiency. In addition, the
hardware and software compatibility allows customers to evolve
their networks and provide new features without a large platform
upgrade. This is critical in reducing development costs and
minimizing time to market. Like the APP550, the APP650 is targeted
for use in metro aggregation and multiservice edge applications,
wireless radio network controllers and media gateways. Also like
the APP550, the chip supports Asynchronous Transfer Mode protocols
using cells and widely deployed in current equipment, and Internet
Protocol protocols using packets that are being deployed rapidly in
current and future networks. Also at SUPERCOMM, Agere will feature
a live demonstration of a converged network platform based on
Agere's PayloadPlus network processor family, Link Layer Processor
(LLP), Datamapper(TM), Hypermapper(TM), MARS-T and TADM data
aggregation framers, ET1011 Ethernet PHY, ET4K Ethernet Switch and
SOHO switch based on ET1081 Octal Ethernet PHY that makes possible
convergence of Time Division Multiplexing streams, Asynchronous
Transfer Mode cells, and Ethernet frames onto a multiservice packet
switched network. Also to be shown: IPTV, VoIP, and high-speed
digital subscriber line (DSL) access, as well as DS1 (Digital
Signal) leased line access and L2 ATM/CES access-all converged onto
a new multiservice edge platform. The network convergence
demonstration is facilitated by using common network equipment for
a wide variety of existing and emerging services which translates
to a smaller number of chips, line cards and equipment boxes
minimizing capital and operational expenses for service providers.
This makes possible realization of personal broadband feasible and
affordable. "With network convergence operators would be able to
share network infrastructure above and beyond the straight forward
'transmission pipes' extending to the network control and
intelligence," said Deepak Kataria, senior manager with Agere
Systems. "For convergence of cell phones, personal digital
assistants and various other consumer devices to happen on a wider
scale, the converged infrastructure also must support service
convergence without compromising attributes such as quality and
reliability. Our demonstration proves that such convergence is
real." The Agere warm start software and APP600 series are
available now. The series of chips range in price from $260 to $596
in quantities of 10,000 depending on applications and features. For
more information on Agere's products, please visit
http://www.agere.com/. Customers in the U.S. may call the Agere
Systems Customer Response Center at 1-800-372-2447. Customers in
Canada may call 1-800-553-2448. Customers outside those countries
may call 1-610-712-4323. Fax inquiries may be directed to
1-610-712-4106, or e-mail queries to . Written inquiries should be
sent to Agere Systems, Room 10A-301C, 1110 American Parkway NE,
Lehigh Valley Central Campus, Allentown, PA 18109, USA. Agere
Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for storage, wireless
data, and public and enterprise networks. The company's chips and
software power a broad range of computing and communications
applications, from cell phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk drives and
gaming devices to the world's most sophisticated wireless and
wireline networks. Agere's customers include top manufacturers of
consumer electronics, communications and computing equipment.
Agere's products connect people to information and entertainment at
home, at work and on the road-enabling the connected lifestyle.
Agere and PayloadPlus are registered trademarks and Agere Systems,
the Agere Systems logo, Datamapper and Hypermapper are trademarks
of Agere Systems Inc. This release contains forward-looking
statements based on information currently available to Agere.
Agere's actual results could differ materially from the results
stated or implied by those forward-looking statements due to a
number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties
include, but are not limited to, our reliance on major customers
and suppliers, our ability to keep pace with technological change,
our dependence on new product development, price and product
competition, availability of manufacturing capacity, customer
demand for our products and services, and general industry and
market conditions. For a further discussion of these and other
risks and uncertainties, see our annual report on Form 10-K for the
fiscal year ended September 30, 2004, and our quarterly report on
Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2005. 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.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20040618/AGERELOGO
http://photoarchive.ap.org/ DATASOURCE: Agere Systems CONTACT:
Charlie Hartley of Agere Systems, +1-610-712-1728, Mobile:
+1-908-507-6631, Web site: http://www.agere.com/
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