SwitchCore partners with PMC-Sierra

Reference equipment containing both PMC-Sierra's recently launched S/UNI DUPLEX GE line board circuit and SwitchCore's Xpeedium2 device has been designed within the framework of the agreement. PMC-Sierra's and SwitchCore's products complement each other perfectly and the partnership has already generated a major mutual customer. Broadband network expansion (particularly xDSL) has promoted use of the Ethernet standard for public networks (access). Independent market analysts judge that the market for Ethernet-based IP-DSLAMs will grow by over 30% annually the next few years, skyrocketing from USD 500 million in 2004 to about USD 1,500 million in 2007. Ethernet standard-based xDSL access products were initially developed by network equipment manufacturers in Asia (China and South Korea). Today, all major telecommunications suppliers plan for Ethernet-based access products. Cost factors are the driving force behind the shift from the present-day dominant ATM protocol to Ethernet for access networks. Using the Ethernet standard for access products will however place greater demands on functionality than most providers of Ethernet communications integrated devices can support. These applies particularly to such functions as bandwidth management, effective support for simultaneous voice, data and video traffic and secure network traffic separation to and from thousands of users connected to the same virtual network.