INDUSTRY

ATLANTA, GA -- Intel Corporation today announced the availability of new Gigabit Ethernet server and desktop adapters, based on a single chip controller, for networks using common copper wires. Intel also announced it is now sampling a new Gigabit Ethernet server adapter, also based on a single chip controller, for networks using fiber optic cables. Intel's Gigabit Ethernet adapters, the Intel(R) PRO/1000 T Desktop Adapter and the Intel(R) PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter, allow data to travel over a network at one billion bits per second (or 1,000 Mbps) and help solve network bottlenecks created by bandwidth-intensive applications, such as data warehousing, IP storage and video streaming. "Gigabit Ethernet products are a key piece of evolving high-performance platforms, delivering the high bandwidth needed to harness the power of next generation processors and systems," said Tim Dunn, general manager of Intel's LAN Access Division. "With Intel's Gigabit Ethernet adapters organizations can enjoy a tenfold increase in network bandwidth, for less than twice the cost of Fast Ethernet networks, and an easy upgrade path without the need to replace existing copper cables" The new Intel adapters enable an easy and affordable migration to Gigabit to the desktop, and can be combined with switch systems based on the Intel(R) Media Switch IXE5416 Device that provide Gigabit switching at less than $100 per port. According to Cahners In-Stat, the Gigabit Ethernet adapter market segment grew at 287 percent in 2000, with Intel increasing its position as the worldwide leader to 48 percent market segment share. The overall Gigabit Ethernet adapter market segment is forecast to grow from $168 million in 2001 to $1.7 billion in 2005.(b) Both the Intel(R) PRO/1000 T Desktop Adapter and the Intel(R) PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter feature advanced auto-negotiation and auto-sensing technology. With this technology, IT managers can deploy adapters into existing Category 5 Ethernet (10 Mbps) or Fast Ethernet (100 Mbps) networks. As the network infrastructure evolves, the adapters will automatically adjust performance to higher Gigabit Ethernet speeds without additional configuration. Intel's new Gigabit Ethernet adapters also include TCP segmentation offload, a new feature optimized for the Microsoft(a) Windows(a) XP operating system, which helps increase performance and reduce CPU utilization. The Intel PRO/1000 XT Server adapter for copper networks and the Intel(R) PRO/1000 XF Server Adapter for fiber optic networks, support the PCI-X bus providing faster and more efficient networking. PCI-X is a bus architecture allowing servers to transfer data faster within systems and helping to alleviate communication bottlenecks and improve the overall performance of the network. The Intel PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter will be available in a low profile version that is specially designed for high-density servers. Intel's Gigabit Ethernet server adapters utilize the Intel(R) Advanced Network Services software. This software is included at no additional charge with the adapters and provides support for fault tolerance, adaptive load balancing, International Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) 802.3ad-compliant Link Aggregation, Fast EtherChannel(a) and Gigabit EtherChannel(a). These utilities help improve the uptime of servers and remove server bottlenecks. Intel's adapters also support a broad range of operating systems, including Microsoft Windows NT(a), Microsoft Windows(a) 2000, Microsoft Windows XP, Linux(a), Novell Netware(a), SunSoft Solaris(a) and SCO UnixWare(a). The Intel PRO/1000 T Desktop Adapter and the Intel PRO/1000 XT Server Adapter are now available for the suggested retail price of $99 per adapter in a pack of 20 and $179 per adapter in a pack of five, respectively. The Intel PRO/1000 XF Server Adapter will be available later this year. Additional information is available at www.intel.com/network/connectivity/solutions/gigabit.htm