MRV Debuts HighI Port Density 8 GBPS Fibre Channel Solution For Test Lab Automation
November 19th, 2008
FLEXIBLE NEW MEDIA CROSS CONNECT SYSTEM SUPPORTS
PHYSICAL INTERFACES FROM T1/E1 TO 10GBPS
CHATSWORTH, CA ? NOV. 19, 2008 ? MRV COMMUNICATIONS, INC. (Nasdaq: MRVC), a leading provider of products and services for out-of-band networking, physical layer switching, WDM and optical transport, metro Ethernet, fiber optic components, 10GE and other service aware networking products, today announced a new Media Cross Connect? (MCC) physical layer chassis and interface blade for high-density 8 Gbps Fibre Channel test lab automation applications.
The high-speed chassis features an 8.5 Gbps backplane for 8 Gbps Fibre Channel applications as well as other emerging, high-speed protocols. The new interface blade will use SFP+ technology to provide high-density 8Gb Fibre Channel support. The chassis also supports all existing MCC interface blades ranging from T1/E1 copper to 10 Gbps fiber protocols. MRV is also planning an 8-Gbps SFP+ interface blade for use in its existing MCC chassis to allow its embedded base of users to test high-speed storage networks.
The MCC family is the missing link in complete test lab automation, offering the ability to implement ?wire-once? technology in the test lab environment to manage all tests and test configurations dynamically through software. This automation saves operational as well as capital expenses by allowing equipment to be shared throughout the lab and eliminating the need to manually reconfigure physical connections.
The support for 8Gbps Fibre Channel makes the MCC product family the most complete solution for the storage equipment manufacturing industry. Earlier this year, MRV announced the SAS/SATA SFP for its interface blades, adding to its existing support of 2/4Gb Fibre Channel and Fibre Channel Over Ethernet (FCoE).
?It is always a challenge for storage equipment manufacturers and systems providers to expand and evolve their products to keep pace with technology,? said Noam Lotan, president and CEO of MRV Communications. ?At MRV we not only want to provide support for the latest technology, we strive to protect the investment of our customer?s installed base. With the current financial atmosphere, we cannot expect customers to throw away the old and replace it with new.?
The MCC product roadmap allows budget dollars to be spent on implementing lab automation in new areas of the organization, saving additional capital and operational expenses, as opposed to being used to replace existing systems.
?With the advent of blade servers and other compact computing form factors, boosting the performance and density of the MCC is an important move by MRV because it makes it easier for manufacturers to scale their test systems to match real network conditions,? said Nariman Teymourian, chairman and CEO of Gale Technologies.
Gale Technologies, formed by the merger of EdenTree Technologies and QuikCycle, is a leading lab and test management software provider and a reseller of MRV?s MCC products to dynamically automate and manage all steps in the network testing lifecycle.
Availability
The new systems will be shipped before the end of the year, followed by the debut of the 8 Gbps SFP+ module for existing systems in early 2009.
About the MCC
The Media Cross Connect (MCC) product line from MRV is a physical layer switch that replaces the manual patch panel providing the missing link to true test automation. Using the MCC users can program connections from any port to any other port within the system. Modularly designed, the MCC is available in 72, 144 and 288 port versions. The MCC allows engineers to change test configurations with a single software command eliminating the laborious process of patching and re-patching cables dramatically simplifying the test set up and reconfiguration process. The MCC allows test equipment to be shared among test beds reducing capital expenses in the lab. Test lab automation reduces the time it takes to complete each test, allows 24/7 testing, saves engineering hours and costs and shortens the time-to-market of new products. To learn more about MRV?s solutions for labs visit www.mrv.com/tap.
About MRV Communications, Inc.
MRV Communications, Inc. (?MRV?) is a leading provider of network equipment and services, and optical components. MRV?s networking business provides equipment used by commercial customers, governments and telecommunications service providers, and includes switches, routers, physical layer products and out-of-band management products as well as specialized networking products for aerospace, defense and other applications including voice and cellular communication. MRV?s optical components business provides optical communications components for metropolitan, access and Fiber-to-the-Premises applications, through its wholly owned subsidiary SourcePhotonics, Inc. MRV markets and sells its products worldwide through a variety of channels, including a dedicated direct sales force, manufacturers' representatives, value-added-resellers, distributors and systems integrators. MRV also has operations in Europe that provide network system design, integration and distribution services that include products manufactured by third-party vendors, as well as internally developed and manufactured products. Publicly traded since 1992, MRV is listed on the NASDAQ National Market under the symbol MRVC. For more information about MRV and its products, please call (800) 338-5316 or visit our websites at www.mrv.com and www.sourcephotonics.com.
About Gale Technologies, Inc.
Gale Technologies, representing the merger of EdenTree Technologies and QuikCycle, has been providing lab management and automation solutions to network equipment manufacturers, service providers, and enterprises since 2000. Gale's Lab Manager, AutoLab and AutoTest software, the Lab Operating System? and leading software platform for managing, configuring and scheduling lab resources, is used by industry-leading companies including Cisco Systems, Hitachi Data Systems, Ericsson, British Telecom, Telus, Verizon and AT&T, helping them to reduce testing time and costs, increase leverage of equipment investments, and improved time to market delivery. Gale brings an unprecedented level of speed, efficiency, repeatability, and productivity to network labs, by eliminating manual reconfigurations, enabling remote access, device provisioning, test case management, and storing test configurations and results. For more information, please visit our website at www.galetechnologies.com or contact us at 1.866.450.3336.
Media Relations
MRV Communications, Inc.
David Rodewald
(805) 494-9508
pr@mrv.com