APCON LAUNCHES LAYER 1 SWITCH FOR TELECOM/DATACOM

The ATM/SONET switch eliminates manual labor by providing automated cable pulls and remote electronic lab configuration

PORTLAND, OR -- June 10, 2002 -- APCON, Inc., a leading provider of high-speed hardware for automated network connectivity management, today announced the release of the INTELLAPATCH TD32 Physical Layer Switch for interoperability test labs and data center security within telecom/datacom environments. The INTELLAPATCH TD32 is an OC (optical carrier) layer 1 switch designed to electronically automate network connectivity, and lab setup and reconfiguration. With the INTELLAPATCH TD32, test engineers and systems personnel can automate cable pulls in a controlled environment and eliminates time consuming and inaccurate manual labor.

INTELLAPATCH TD32 switches provide optimal flexibility and expandability for telecom/ datacom-specific environments. The TD32 supports ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) and SONET (Synchronous Optical Network) protocols at OC-3, OC-12, or OC-48 data streams, with actual data rate transfer occurring at 155.52 Mb/sec, 622.08 Mb/sec, or 2.488 Gb/sec, respectively. The TD32 also comes standard with 32-ports that use SFP (Small Form-Factor Pluggable) transceivers. Customers can install their choice of multi- or single-mode fiber optic media transceivers on an add-as-you-grow basis.

APCON has a proven record of delivering high-level benefits to its customers," said Richard Rauch, APCON president and CEO. Telecom/datacom customers using INTELLAPATCH switches will profit from the same competitive advantages, including accelerated time to market, minimized capital investment, and overall decreased costs."

The process required for compatibility and production testing makes the INTELLAPATCH TD32 ideal for interoperability test lab environments. Lab tests generally require multiple fiber optic connections be made repeatedly via manual patching. INTELLAPATCH switches eliminate manual patching and ensure repeatability by electronically automating the switching process. Users can store up to 16 frequently used configurations that can be saved in non-volatile memory and recalled for later use. INTELLAPATCH switches simulate real world" use, taking into account that lab environment configurations may require testing between various servers, storage systems, peripherals, and operating systems. Reconfiguring these environments can be executed within seconds using APCONs control software.

INTELLAPATCH TD32 switches easily connect to an Ethernet network, allowing users to remotely control up to 32 independent physical layer switches from a single network connection. The INTELLAPATCH TD32 switch includes a standard Ethernet LAN port connection for remote management and monitoring. Through the use of TCP/IP, systems personnel can control the TD32 from any workstation on the network.

The APCON INTELLAPATCH TD32 Physical Layer Switch is now shipping with prices beginning at $7.595 (USD).
   
About APCON, Inc.
APCON, Inc. develops high-speed network hardware to electronically automate interoperability testing setup and enterprise-wide network applications, while enabling systems personnel to implement cost effective alternatives to high-priced hardware. APCON products include IntellaPatch physical layer switches, switching automation software, failover solutions, and SCSI switches, extenders and boosters. APCON customers include Cisco Systems, Dell Computer, IBM, JNI, Lockheed Martin, McData, and QLogic. Headquartered in Portland, Oregon, APCON also maintains sales offices in New York and South Carolina. For more information, please visit APCON online at www.apcon.com.
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