Force10 Networks today announced that Vonage Networks, a subsidiary of Vonage Holdings Corp. and the leading provider of broadband telephone services to residential customers in the U.S., is deploying the TeraScale E-Series switch/routers to increase the capacity of its nationwide network and build in the scalability to support an increase in VoIP calls over the next several years. Leveraging the industry-leading density and innovative architecture of the Force10 TeraScale E-Series, Vonage is upgrading its network with a combination of high density Gigabit Ethernet and 10 Gigabit Ethernet to accommodate increasing traffic demands.



"We currently complete a high number of calls per week and are seeing an increase that requires a scalable and reliable infrastructure that enables us to grow with demand," said Michael Tribolet, executive vice president of operations for Vonage Networks. "With Force10, we have a high density, resilient solution that gives us the capacity to support the growth of our VoIP network for years."

Vonage is deploying the Force10 TeraScale E-Series to increase network capacity in points of presence (POPs) nationwide, including New York, Los Angeles, Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Nashville, Denver and Atlanta. In addition to adding more capacity, Vonage is simplifying the architecture and management of its network by deploying the Force10 TeraScale E-Series in the core, collapsing its distribution and aggregation layers into a single layer. Force10's robust FTOS software not only enables network simplification by providing full Layer 2 and Layer 3 functionality but also delivers the fast convergence times Vonage requires to complete VoIP calls.

Force10's FTOS software works in conjunction with the unique three CPU architecture of the TeraScale E-Series to increase the reliability and resiliency of Vonage's network. Protected memory and processing units for switching, routing and management functionalities ensure that a failure or attack on one process does not impact other processes while full component redundancy ensures that calls are not dropped in the event of a failure.

With a five Terabit per second backplane and industry-leading density, the Force10 TeraScale E-Series delivers the scalability Vonage requires to accommodate network traffic. The TeraScale E-Series supports 672 line-rate Gigabit and 56 line-rate 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports, enabling Vonage to process more traffic on a single system. Additionally, the five Terabit backplane of the TeraScale E-Series provides the system capacity to accommodate future density increases as well as the transition to 40 or 100 Gigabit Ethernet without a backplane or chassis upgrade. Together, the high density and backplane of the TeraScale E-Series deliver the scalability that ensures long-term investment protection.

"Vonage has pioneered the broadband phone industry, and its growth is driving demand for a scalable network that can efficiently accommodate significant increases in calls," said Marc Randall, CEO and president of Force10 Networks. "The TeraScale E-Series combines an innovative architecture with the industry's highest densities to bring Vonage a high level of investment protection and ensure smooth network expansion well into the future."

Using an existing high-speed Internet connection, Vonage enables customers to make and receive phone calls worldwide with their current phone. Vonage delivers quality phone service bundled with enhanced IP communications services that have typically only been available through digital telephone service. Leveraging its advanced, high capacity network, Vonage delivers an innovative and cost-effective alternative to traditional telephony services.

Worldwide, service providers are leveraging the high density and unmatched resiliency of the TeraScale E-Series to build more scalable and reliable service delivery networks. In Europe, True (formerly TrueServer) has deployed the TeraScale E-Series in a 10 Gigabit Ethernet network upgrade that includes the first 20 Gigabit Ethernet link to an Internet exchange. In Asia, Hanaro Telecom, SRS Sakura Internet, BIGLOBE and Japan Cablenet are leveraging the TeraScale E-Series to expand network capacity and increase the reliability of its service delivery. In the U.S., Equinix and Stealth Communications have deployed the TeraScale E-Series in the core of their networks to build high performing, scalable Internet exchanges.

Force10's TeraScale E-Series leads the industry in density, performance and resiliency. The TeraScale E-Series supports 1,260 Gigabit and 56 line-rate 10 Gigabit Ethernet ports in a single chassis and can process one billion packets per second, the highest in the industry. And, with support for an industry-leading one million access control lists (ACLs), the TeraScale E-Series provides scalable protection against denial of service attacks.

For further information on how Vonage is leveraging the Force10 TeraScale E-Series to increase network resiliency, please refer to the case study at http://www.force10networks.com/applications/profiles-vonage.asp.