3Com Selects Agere Systems Gigabit Ethernet Chips for Next-Generation Network Switches for the Small-To-Medium Business Market

Agere enables higher performance Gigabit Ethernet solution for small and medium businesses 


ALLENTOWN, Pa., May 3  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Small and medium businesses (SMB) now have access to higher performing and more cost-effective networking solutions.

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Agere today announced that 3Com is using Agere's world-leading Ethernet switching products in 3Com's Baseline Plus family of switches.  The switches that leverage the Agere technology are available worldwide.

3Com is using Agere's previously announced Gigabit Ethernet chip set. One is called the ET3K, the only single-chip 48-port Gigabit Ethernet switch device featuring the industry's highest level of integration and performance.

The chip packs 48 ports -- twice as many as the nearest competing alternative -- while exceeding the industry's performance standards. This performance leadership is being demonstrated in the Agere Interop meeting rooms.

The second device, called the Octal TruePHY(TM) 1081, features low power and exceeds industry standard requirements for reach and error-free performance by approximately 40 percent.  Also inherent in the TruePHY architecture is the industry's most advanced cable diagnostics, with the precision and accuracy to pinpoint a break in 100 meters or more standard of category 5 cabling.

The combination of both Agere devices enables the highest level of integration and performance in the industry, resulting in lower total system costs and enabling emerging Internet Protocol applications.

By leveraging Agere's technology, the 3Com Baseline Plus family of switches delivers enterprise-class features and performance.  Networks that implement a 3Com Baseline Plus switching solution will benefit from swifter multimedia data sharing, clearer and faster transmission of videoconferencing, and more flexible and robust quality of service. The switches help SMB networks deliver 10 times the speed of current networks, at a fraction of the cost per bit of information.

"The cost savings corporations need from converging their networks will finally be economically feasible with the new 3Com products based on Agere's technology," said Charlie Kawwas, marketing director with Agere Systems.

For more information, customers may visit Agere's Web site at http://www.agere.com/ or contact one of Agere's regional sales offices. Customers in the U.S. may also call the Agere Systems Customer Response Center at 1-800-372-2447.  Customers in Canada may call 1-800-553-2448.  Customers outside those countries may call 1-610-712-4323.  Fax inquiries may be directed to 1-610-712-4106, or e-mail queries to .  Written inquiries should be sent to Agere Systems, Room 10A-301C, 1110 American Parkway NE, Lehigh Valley Central Campus, Allentown, PA, 18109, USA.

Agere Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for storage, wireless data, and public and enterprise networks. The company's chips and software power a broad range of computing and communications applications, from cell phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk drives and gaming devices to the world's most sophisticated wireless and wireline networks.  Agere's customers include top manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications and computing equipment. Agere's products connect people to information and entertainment at home, at work and on the road-enabling the connected lifestyle. More information about Agere Systems is available from its web site at http://www.agere.com/.

Agere, Agere Systems and the Agere Systems logo are registered trademarks, and TruePHY is a trademark of Agere Systems Inc.

3Com is a registered trademark of 3Com Corporation. All other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective holders.

This release contains forward-looking statements based on information currently available to Agere. Agere's actual results could differ materially from the results stated or implied by those forward-looking statements due to a number of risks and uncertainties. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, our reliance on major customers and suppliers, our ability to keep pace with technological change, our dependence on new product development, price and product competition, availability of manufacturing capacity, customer demand for our products and services, and general industry and market conditions. For a further discussion of these and other risks and uncertainties, see our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2005 and our quarterly report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2005. Agere disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. 

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DATASOURCE: Agere Systems



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Web site:  http://www.agere.com/

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