Intel To Support Advanced Switching* For The PCI Express* Interconnect Standard In Future Communications Products

SANTA CLARA, Calif., June 26, 2003 - Intel Corporation plans to adopt the proposed Advanced Switching* specification based on the PCI Express* interconnect technology in its future communications "building-block" products to offer equipment makers the cost and time-to-market benefits of a modular, widely available architecture.

Intel plans to incorporate the complementary technologies into a wide array of its communication products, including network and storage processors, Ethernet controllers and chipsets that support embedded Intel® architecture. The company plans to roll out new building blocks and development tools based on the PCI Express architecture by the end of 2003 and on the Advanced Switching specification in the first half of 2005.

Advanced Switching is being proposed as a standards-based extension of the PCI Express technology. It builds on the performance of the PCI Express architecture by providing the advanced communications features to meet the requirements of upcoming generations of networking, storage and embedded solutions.

The PCI Express architecture, widely adopted as the successor to PCI technology, is the general-purpose, chip-to-chip interconnect, meeting the requirement for greater I/O performance in both computing and communications applications.

"The PCI Express and Advanced Switching technologies are essential to realizing the promise of the convergence of computing and communications by providing for the first time a common interconnect approach that will enable feature-rich, cost-effective solutions," said Eric Mentzer, vice president and Intel Communications Group chief technology officer. "We expect Advanced Switching to be broadly adopted throughout the communications industry to address evermore demanding switched-interconnect and data-fabric requirements."

Advanced Switching Features
The Advanced Switching specification is being proposed as a standards-based switched interconnect and data fabric that provides advanced communications features for interconnecting components and system boards in low-to middle-range communications, storage and embedded applications. Advanced Switching will provide a comprehensive array of features, including enhanced high-availability functions; peer-to-peer and multicast networking; congestion and system management; scalability; and support for virtually any networking protocol.

Advanced Switching will be the first interconnect technology to bring the benefits of a widely accepted, modular specification that enables lower development costs, reusability of technology and shorter time to market. Until now, technologies for interconnecting components and system boards in networking, storage and embedded solutions have been costly, time-consuming and largely proprietary.

Intel is a member of the Arapahoe Work Group, a consortium of leading communications and storage companies supporting the proposed Advanced Switching specification.

More information for developers about PCI Express and Advanced Switching technologies in communications is available at www.express-lane.org.

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