INTERCONNECTS

Foundry Networks, a performance and total solutions leader for end-to-end switching and routing, today announced that its FastIron SuperX and FastIron Edge product families are compliant with Internet Protocol (IP) telephony solutions from Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications applications, systems and services. The FastIron SuperX is a modular wire-speed switch designed for high- performance Power over Ethernet (PoE) 10/100/1000 Mbps environments, providing a scalable and cost-effective solution for Voice over IP (VoIP) applications. Featuring full switching and routing capabilities and supporting up to 16 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports or 204 10/100/1000 Mbps Gigabit Ethernet ports, the FastIron SuperX is a flexible solution that works well in both network edge and backbone applications. The FastIron Edge Power over Ethernet switches, FastIron Edge 2402-POE and FastIron Edge 4802-POE, are fixed configuration switches designed for Power over Ethernet 10/100 Mbps applications. Featuring redundant field- replaceable power supplies, Gigabit Ethernet uplinks and a full layer 2/3 feature set, the FastIron Edge switches provide a cost-effective and reliable convergence solution for small- to medium-sized deployments. The two FastIron switch families enable businesses to build reliable, secure, convergence-ready networks that have been compliance-tested by Avaya for full interoperability with Avaya IP telephony solutions. "As VoIP adoption continues to grow within the U.S. and throughout the world, it is increasingly important to ensure customers that our networking solutions are fully compatible with industry-leading IP telephony systems," said Bob Schiff, vice president and general manager, enterprise business unit for Foundry Networks. "Businesses want to leverage best-of-breed systems, such as those from Foundry and Avaya, with proven interoperability that minimizes configuration requirements and maximizes both network performance and ease of management. Avaya's compliance testing confirms the Foundry FastIron SuperX and FastIron Edge fixed configuration switches can be used with Avaya VoIP equipment and applications to deliver high-quality, seamless networking solutions to businesses." One association benefiting from the interoperability of Foundry Networks and Avaya solutions is the NYC Department of Homeless Services (DHS), an organization that specializes in providing safe shelter and information services and in helping individuals and families transition to permanent housing. "A converged backbone for both data and phone services saves us money, which we can better devote to our cause," said Valery Dmitriev, director of network operations, NYC Department of Homeless Services. "The Foundry Networks switches and multi-10-Gigabit Ethernet architecture is voice- optimized for low latency and low jitter, supported by a resilient design, and will be relevant and useful for years to come." "Ultimately, our network allows us to bring the New York City DHS branches throughout the boroughs closer together, while easily adding communications for our Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) partners and online training to help sharpen the skills of the field workers," Dmitriev added. "With Foundry and Avaya, our data and voice wish list was fulfilled in a quick, painless turn-up process." Foundry Networks is a member of the Avaya DeveloperConnection Program -- an initiative to develop, market and sell innovative third-party products that interoperate with Avaya solutions to extend the value of a company's investment in its network. As a member of the program, Foundry Networks is eligible to submit products for compatibility testing by the Avaya Solution Interoperability and Test Lab in Lincroft, N.J. Avaya engineers conduct a comprehensive test for each application or product to verify its compatibility with Avaya solutions. This ensures businesses can confidently add these best-of-breed capabilities to their network without having to replace their existing infrastructure -- speeding deployment of new applications and reducing network complexity and implementation costs. "By offering compliance testing to the many innovative companies like Foundry Networks who are members of our DeveloperConnection program, Avaya promotes fully interoperable solutions that help businesses unleash powerful new possibilities," said Eric Rossman, vice president, developer relations and technical alliances, Avaya. "They are able to use Intelligent Communications to connect employees and customers to information from wherever they are, over whatever device they have available -- getting more out of their multivendor network and delivering new value to their bottom line." To simplify business-class VoIP integration for current and prospective customers, Avaya has authored a set of application notes that detail the configuration process for Avaya and Foundry Networks equipment.