Intel Internet Exchange Architecture Competency Center Opens in Japan

SANTA CLARA, Calif., March 7, 2001 - Intel Corporation today announced the opening of the Intel® Internet Exchange Architecture (Intel® IXA) Competency Center, in Intel K.K. Communication Technology Group in Tsukuba, Japan. The center's mission is to promote the development of networking and telecommunications solutions using Intel IXA, which provides a comprehensive framework for rapidly deploying intelligence into networks. The center will enable manufacturers to work closely with Intel to more quickly and cost-effectively develop Intel IXA-based communication solutions.

Increasing Internet traffic and the rise in use of technologies such as streaming media and other data intense applications are driving a need for increased bandwidth. This increased demand, combined with the rollout of Japan's Fiber-To-The-Home (FTTH) initiative, are expected to cause a rapid shift to fiber optic networks which provide higher capacity and reduced costs.

"The formation of an Intel Internet Exchange Architecture Competency Center in Japan will help to accelerate the deployment of Intel IXA-based FTTH solutions such as residential gateways and other end user Internet access equipment," said Tom Franz, vice president and general manager of Intel's Network Processing Group. "This new center will allow Intel to increase advanced engineering and technical support for networking equipment vendors developing and deploying Intel IXA solutions."

"Today's announcement expands Intel's commitment to the Japanese communications industry and builds on the efforts of our Wireless Competency Center opened last year," said John Antone, president, Intel Japan K.K. "These two new centers will help Intel K.K. enable dynamic Internet services in Japan."

Japan's FTTH deployment is the most advanced in the world. It is expected that optical fiber will be delivered to most Japanese homes within a few years. Intel K.K. is a committee member of the Hikari Service Architecture Consortium, which is working on service models and technical conditions of a fiber-optic service infrastructure. The Intel IXA Competency Center will work with Japanese communication carriers and industry parties to enable the growth of the network society in Japan.

The center will also support Japanese Universities' study and research of advanced communications technology. Intel will provide the Osaka and Tsukuba Universities with network system development kits and networking expertise based on Intel IXA.

* Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.