ACADEMIA

Small Tree Communications, a leading Mac network solutions provider, has announced the availability of the first fiber optic based gigabit Ethernet PCI adapters for the Apple Mac platform and Mac OS X. The Intel PRO/1000 MF Server Adapters, coupled with Small Tree's Mac OS X driver technology, feature either 1, 2 or 4 independent ports and bring fiber optic networking to the Apple Power Mac and Xserve. Small Tree Communications is the first and only company ever to offer multiport fiber optic Ethernet adapters to the Apple market. "The Intel fiber optic adapters are extremely reliable and stable and are ideally suited for the Apple market where reliability and stability are well known," said Corky Seeber, president of Small Tree Communications. "Small Tree Communications is committed to being at the forefront of networking technology for the Apple platform and is first to market with unique networking products and solutions. Small Tree was first to market with IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation, 10Gb Ethernet, copper-based multiport gigabit Ethernet cards and we are now proud to be the exclusive provider of single and multiport optical Ethernet interfaces for the Mac community." "The Intel PRO/1000 Server Adapters are widely accepted in the industry for enterprise server and storage systems where reliability is key," said Tom Swinford, general manager, LAN Access Division at Intel. "The introduction of Small Tree's custom OS-X drivers for our adapters extends Intel PRO Network Connections support to a wide array of computer environments." The optical gigabit Ethernet adapters are 133MHz, 64-bit capable PCI-X cards. The single and dual port cards are compatible with G4 and G5 Power Mac and Xserve systems. The quad port card is compatible with all G5 systems and the Xserve G4. The cards are interconnected using multimode optical fiber that can span distances up to 550 meters without repeaters and will work seamlessly with any existing fiber infrastructure using industry standard LC connectors. The cards, along with Small Tree's software, work with Mac OS 10.2.7 or later versions. Once installed, the adapters appear as another Ethernet interface to the computer and use standard TCP/IP protocols, ensuring that no application changes are required. Each port on the multiport cards operate independently, allowing connections to multiple networks while saving PCI slots. The advantages of fiber optic cabling over copper include longer cable lengths without repeaters, the total lack of RF emissions from the optical cable and the complete resistance of the cable to outside RF and electro-magnetic interference. Orders for the single and dual port cards are now being taken and will ship in mid-August. The quad ports will be available in the fourth quarter of 2004. Small Tree Communications was founded by a team of high performance networking and kernel designers who are committed to bringing enterprise class networking solutions to the Apple platform. With world-class high performance computing experience, Small Tree Communications provides unique leading edge peripheral products to Apple servers, enabling the Mac user to meet a wider range of application demands. In addition to fiber based 1Gb Ethernet adapters, the company also offers copper-based multiport gigabit cards, 10Gb Ethernet adapters and IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation software for the Mac. Pricing and additional information can be found on the company's web site at www.small-tree.com, by calling 866-STC-4MAC, or by sending email to info@small-tree.com.