3Com Corporation today announced a new software release for its most popular 10Mbps and 10/100Mbps switches that solidifies its standards-based traffic prioritisation and class-of-service/quality-of-service (CoS/QoS) capabilities for enterprise networks. This is an important step in the company`s goal of building converged networks by enabling real-time traffic transmission for networked multimedia applications, such as video conferencing and web casts.
3Com was the first networking vendor to deliver these standard technologies desktop-to-LAN core with DynamicAccess software in its EtherLink XL 10/100 NICs and its CoreBuilder 3500 Layer 3 high-function switch. For complete enterprise policy based management, 3Com also supports CoS/QoS for wide area networking.
"Organisations are looking for standards-based ways to prioritise traffic running across their networks and to the outside world to reliably deliver multimedia services like NetMeeting or Voice over IP and other mission-critical applications," says Kevin Kean, group product manager for Windows Communications at Microsoft Corp. "3Com`s delivery of 802.1p support is an important milestone because it helps organizations build these converged networks for data and voice now and positions these organizations to take further advantage of the extensive quality of service features in Windows 2000."
3Com: "Breaking New Ground"
"Our strategy is to deliver software that adds higher levels of value, control and quality-of-service while still maintaining market-leading prices for Ethernet and Fast Ethernet switches," says Nick Brasier, marketing manager, 3Com LAN Workgroup Systems. "Like Microsoft, 3Com believes the foundation for the new generation of converged networks must be built on standards, and we consistently focus on driving the adoption of standards and rapidly incorporating standards in our products."
3Com: First to Market with Policy Networking Innovation
3Com`s new software, which is pre-installed on its switches, implements IEEE 802.1p traffic prioritisation and 802.1Q VLAN Tagging standards, explains 3Com SA`s pre sales manager, Paul Ruinaard. "The implementation of 802.1p is a critical part of 3Com`s strategy to build policy-based networks that are fully automated, support multi-vendor environments and are scalable across the enterprise," he says.
3Com is the only vendor today to implement this standard technology on the desktop via existing support in DynamicAccess software with its industry-leading EtherLink and EtherLink Server NICs, at the core with the CoreBuilder 3500 Layer 3 switch and now in the wiring closet with the new SuperStack II Switch 1100 and 3300 software.
"3Com`s standard implementations of 802.1p and 802.1Q allow businesses to use the multiple queues hardware capability present in all SuperStack II Switch 1100s to assign appropriate priority levels for real-time data, voice and video traffic above normal data traffic such as email," says Ruinaard. "This complete solution is ideal for businesses that want to deploy real-time multimedia traffic or converged networks in the future which helps save organizations` management time and money with only one network to support."
3Com`s new software for the SuperStack II Switch 1100 and 3300 meets a key criteria that should be included in an enterprise workgroup switch evaluation, according to industry analyst Gartner Group. Support for dual queues achieved with 802.1p enable Gartner`s standard-based priority queues requirement.
"Most networks need to go through four transitions to become ready for converged voice and data networking. 3Com protects its customers` network investments by delivering technologies in its products today that will help build converged networks tomorrow," says Edgar Masri, vice president and general manager, 3Com`s Workgroup Systems Business Unit. "Networks should require zero administration and work with a 99.99% availability guarantee. Implementation of the IEEE 802.1p and Q standards help customers create LAN control mechanisms and move through the third and fourth transitions: to fully switched networks sending real-time traffic and managed using policies set by the network manager based on the organization`s logical groups and usual networking habits."
3Com`s Leadership in Small to Medium Enterprises (SME)
With today`s announcement, 3Com brings small and medium-sized companies sophisticated LAN switching capabilities that have previously been found only in larger enterprises. "Datamonitor believes that 3Com has established itself as a leading player within the SME networking space," says Dean Bubley, area practice director, technology, Datamonitor, a market research firm based in the U.K. "Its broad product range enables it to address the whole spectrum of SME sub-types: from `high-end` users in smaller financial and manufacturing companies requiring 100Mbit/s or Gigabit connectivity; right down to sole traders and start-up firms just using modems or simple LANs. In addition, 3Com`s manufacturing scale economies and extensive reseller network are important contributors to its success in the SME market."
New Software Delivers More Control
According to 3Com`s Ruinaard, with the new SuperStack software, network managers of medium or large enterprises will gain the benefits of greater control and powerful traffic management capabilities previously available only in LAN core switches (e.g., 3Com CoreBuilder products.)
"In addition to implementing the new standards, the new software also delivers features to give network managers further control techniques with automatic multicast snooping and port trunking capabilities," he says. "The multicast control ensures that bandwidth-intensive multicast packets, which can cause severe network congestion, are directed only to users who request the information. Link aggregation alleviates network congestion by offering high-speed aggregation from the edge devices to core switches and/or servers."
Following is a summary of the main features in the new Release 2.0 for the SuperStack II Switch 1100 and 3300:
GMRP Multicast Filtering (part of 802.1p standard) -- Allows for dynamic registration of multicast groups, ensuring that traffic is only delivered to those who request it;
IEEE 802.1Q VLAN Tagging -- Allows for allocation for ports to maintain control over the network;
GVRP VLAN Registration -- Allows for the dynamic registration of VLAN information to other switches within the network so information can freely move across the LAN;
Link Aggregation -- High-speed connectivity (up to 800 Mbps) between switches, switch-to-server or switch-to-core, easing network bottlenecks;
Automatic configuration of multicast filters with IGMP snooping -- Enables the implementation of efficient multimedia networks allowing network enhancements to be made in a controlled, risk-free manner.
Pricing and Availability
Release 2.0 of the SuperStack II Switch 1100 and 3300 software is available immediately on new switches and existing customers can download the free software upgrade from the 3Com web-site at http://support.3com.com/infodeli/swlib/ SuperStack II _ switch _ 3300.htm. Customers can purchase the new software in a SuperStack II Switch 1100 for $1,795 USD list price and $3,595 USD list price for the SuperStack II Switch 3300.
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