sunflash-Distributed to mailing list sun/NC/north-carolina sunflash-Send requests, problems to owner-sunflash@suntri.east.sun.com ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Florida SunFlash SunATM & SunFastEthernet SunFLASH Vol 61 #15 January 1994 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 61.15 SunATM & SunFastEthernet SMCC introduces Industry-leading networking solutions, including the lowest-cost, highest-performance ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network adapter cards from any vendor and the first 100 Mbps Ethernet ("Fast Ethernet") network adapter card available from any computer systems vendor. (163 lines) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- SMCC made the following announcement, January 19, 1994, regarding the availability of the SunATM and SunFastEthernet products. Please contact your local Sun Reresentative first. For any SunATM product marketing questions, contact Art Edmonds at (415)336-0662 and for SunFastEthernet questions, contact Tony Lee at (415)336-0687. SUN TO PROVIDE SOLUTIONS FOR NETWORK-INTENSIVE, MULTI-MEDIA APPLICATIONS Unveils breakthrough ATM products and Fast Ethernet MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. - January 19, 1994 - While companies and public policy makers discuss the virtues of the National Information Infrastructure, Sun is providing the technology that makes this data super highway a step closer to a reality. Industry-leading networking solutions were introduced today by Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), including the lowest-cost, highest-performance ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) network adapter cards from any vendor and the first 100 Mbps Ethernet ("Fast Ethernet") network adapter card available from any computer systems vendor. These products offer the network capabilities necessary to deliver today's bandwidth-intensive applications, such as graphics and multi-media, across the global network. "By providing early access to these emerging technologies, Sun continues to empower customers and keep them at the leading edge of the information age," said Eric Schmidt, president of Sun Technology Enterprises. "Businesses looking to the future and the National Information Infrastructure will recognize that Sun today is providing many of the solutions promised by the NII." These new Sun" products are compliant with all the latest industry standards. With aggressive pricing, Sun has proven that these emerging technologies are not only viable but affordable solutions. These networking solutions will help stimulate providers of network services and equipment to supply new tools and applications. The SunATM SBus card supports data transfer rate of 155 megabits per second (Mbps) over multimode fiber or category 5 unshielded twisted pair (UTP) wiring. At $995 for the UTP version, SunATM sets a new price/performance benchmark for the industry. The SunFastEthernet SBus card with its Media Independent Interface (MII), delivers either 100 Mbps or 10 Mbps transmission speeds through compatible hubs over twisted pair wiring. The product is priced at just $795. Industry's Highest Performance, Lowest-cost ATM Networking Boards The SunATM boards are half the price of ATM products from other computer systems vendors. ATM is ideally suited for a variety of applications, users and network topologies due to its speed, scalability and isochronous attributes. ATM is currently being deployed by early adopters to meet the growing network bandwidth needs that are caused by the increasing number of users coupled with the deployment of bandwidth-intensive multi-media applications, integrating graphics, images, text, voice and video. In addition to cost and performance advantage, SunATM products also offer the highest level of functionality. The products support AAL5 (ATM Adaptation Layer) over SONET (Synchronous Optical NETwork) and SDH (Synchronous Digital Hierarchy) physical layer framing structures. SunATM products, which include the Q.93B signalling software, are industry's first products to offer standards-based interoperablity as well as Switched Virtual Circuit (SVC) capability. TCP/IP over ATM, also bundled with the board, allows customers to run their current TCP/IP applications and benefit from ATM's performance. SunATM is compliant with the latest relevant ATM Forum specifications. SMCC had a leading role in the formation and organization of this industry coalition, which is comprised of more than 400 companies worldwide. The group defines ATM interoperability specifications and is promoting industry-wide cooperation to help ATM proliferate. First Systems Vendor to Offer 100 Mbps Ethernet Adapter The SunFastEthernet SBus card is a cost-effective, high-speed networking solution for the many current Ethernet users looking for a simple, natural, and affordable upgrade option that would allow them to deploy applications containing graphics, image, audio, and text. Fast Ethernet provides 10 times the speed of existing 10BaseT Ethernet at the lowest overall cost of other upgrade options. SunFastEthernet uses the core CSMA/CD (Carrier Sense Multiple Access with Collision Detection) protocol of IEEE 802.3, enabling customers to preserve their investments of the existing network infrastructure, applications, and expertise. SunFastEthernet adapter features auto-sensing, allowing applications to run at either 10 Mbps or 100 Mbps speeds, transparently, when used with an appropriate external transceiver module. The product conforms to the specifications defined by the Fast Ethernet Alliance, an open industry group of which SMCC is a key member. As a result, SunFastEthernet assures interoperability with all switch/hub products from other members of the alliance, including Grand Junction Networks, 3Com Corp, and SynOptics Communications. Pricing and Availability The multimode fiber version of the SunATM SBus card is priced at $1,295 (U.S. list) and the UTP category 5 version is priced at $995. Both cards can be ordered immediately from all SMCC channels. Shipments will begin in May 1994 and August 1994, respectively. The SunFastEthernet SBus card is priced at $795 and can be ordered immediately from all SMCC channels. The product will be shipped in May 1994. These new Sun networking boards can be used on any SPARC" platform, running Solaris" 2.3 software or higher, with available SBus slots. Sun Microsystems Computer Corporation (SMCC), the world's leading supplier of open client-server computing solutions, is an operating company of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Sun is the exclusive computer supplier to World Cup Soccer 1994. SMCC has its headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.S (c) 1994 Sun Microsystems, Inc., Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, SunATM, SunFastEthernet, and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. All other products are referred to herein by the trademarks as designated by the companies who market those products. 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