ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- Agere Systems (NYSE: AGR) today announced a next-generation, higher-performance network processor chip, the APP600 series, along with new network processor software that can save telecom service providers millions of dollars in revenues due to network outages. The company also disclosed details about a live demonstration converging streams, cell and frames onto a multiservice, packet-switched network. These announcements are being made to coincide with the upcoming SUPERCOMM 2005 trade show being held June 7-9 in Chicago (Agere Booth # 20025).

The new software for Agere\'s Advanced PayloadPlus® APP550 and the new APP650 network processor chips slash the cost of downtime during telecom resets, saving potentially millions of dollars per year. By using new Agere software running on Agere\'s chips, service providers can dynamically reset the host chip processors controlling their network equipment with no interruption in user traffic.

At Nortel we always make high availability an important feature in our products, said Raymond Allard, System Design Authority with Nortel. Agere\'s APP550 and APP650 carrier-grade software includes the warm start feature that makes possible that high availability. Because of this, Nortel can deliver systems that continue to process traffic even if the software on the host microprocessor is being reset. For our service provider customers, this means lower lost revenues associated with down-time, and service-level agreement revenue opportunities with better availability guarantees.

The APP650 network processor considerably improves processing performance compared with previous generations. The chip features significant architectural improvements over the company\'s 5 gigabits per second (Gbits/s) APP550 network processor, while maintaining the package footprint of the APP550 for a hardware and software compatible solution.

This enhanced chip offers twice the classification and traffic shaping performance of the APP550 with increased data processing capabilities and improved policing and buffer managementUltramapper\"all on one chip. To achieve the same level of classification, competitive solutions require use of expensive content addressable memories (CAM), which can be as costly as the network processor itself. The APP650 uses off-the-shelf, low-cost dynamic random access memory technology to keep solutions costs to a minimum for complex multiservice applications.

This enhancement of the chip\'s classification horsepower is a result of additional Agere patented packet programmable hardware engines (PPE) working in parallel, thereby doubling the overall productivity in the same amount of time, making more efficient use of processing resources.

Other key upgrades of the APP650 include:

   * Multilevel packet extraction and data manipulation, via the
     Pre-Queuing Modifier block, offering pre- and post-queuing data
     modification and manipulation while reducing processing time in
     certain applications by up to 50 percent
   * Improved traffic management and scheduling to allow more flexible
     tunneling of traffic, providing superior quality of service in
     oversubscribed network elements
   * Additional traffic shaping engine offering 100 percent cycle increase
   * Increased policing and buffer manager compute engines from 266
     megahertz (MHz) to 400 MHz (an approximately 50 percent increase)


These additional upgrades contribute to boosting the chip\'s overall productivity in today\'s complex multiservice cell and packet applications. To complement the classification improvements, the traffic management algorithms have been enhanced to support increased processing capabilities for frame-based traffic in severely oversubscribed networks. This boost in performance is a key requirement for service providers who need to support triple play services (voice, video and data) over a low- cost converged network while maintaining peak efficiency.

In addition, the hardware and software compatibility allows customers to evolve their networks and provide new features without a large platform upgrade. This is critical in reducing development costs and minimizing time to market.

Like the APP550, the APP650 is targeted for use in metro aggregation and multiservice edge applications, wireless radio network controllers and media gateways. Also like the APP550, the chip supports Asynchronous Transfer Mode protocols using cells and widely deployed in current equipment, and Internet Protocol protocols using packets that are being deployed rapidly in current and future networks.

Also at SUPERCOMM, Agere will feature a live demonstration of a converged network platform based on Agere\'s PayloadPlus network processor family, Link Layer Processor (LLP), Datamapper\", Hypermapper\", MARS-T and TADM data aggregation framers, ET1011 Ethernet PHY, ET4K Ethernet Switch and SOHO switch based on ET1081 Octal Ethernet PHY that makes possible convergence of Time Division Multiplexing streams, Asynchronous Transfer Mode cells, and Ethernet frames onto a multiservice packet switched network. Also to be shown: IPTV, VoIP, and high-speed digital subscriber line (DSL) access, as well as DS1 (Digital Signal) leased line access and L2 ATM/CES access all converged onto a new multiservice edge platform.

The network convergence demonstration is facilitated by using common network equipment for a wide variety of existing and emerging services which translates to a smaller number of chips, line cards and equipment boxes minimizing capital and operational expenses for service providers. This makes possible realization of personal broadband feasible and affordable.

With network convergence operators would be able to share network infrastructure above and beyond the straight forward transmission pipes extending to the network control and intelligence, said Deepak Kataria, senior manager with Agere Systems. For convergence of cell phones, personal digital assistants and various other consumer devices to happen on a wider scale, the converged infrastructure also must support service convergence without compromising attributes such as quality and reliability. Our demonstration proves that such convergence is real.

The Agere warm start software and APP600 series are available now. The series of chips range in price from $260 to $596 in quantities of 10,000 depending on applications and features.

For more information, customers may visit Agere\'s Web site at www.agere.com <http://www.agere.com> or contact Mr. Takuya Lin at Seraphim,Taiwan distributor of Agere, tel: 26984660 ext. 222 or email to takuyalin@seraphim.com.tw.

Agere Systems is a global leader in semiconductors for storage, wireless data, and public and enterprise networks. The company\'s chips and software power a broad range of computing and communications applications, from cell phones, PCs, PDAs, hard disk drives and gaming devices to the world\'s most sophisticated wireless and wireline networks. Agere\'s customers include top manufacturers of consumer electronics, communications and computing equipment. Agere\'s products connect people to information and entertainment at home, at work and on the roadUltramapper\"enabling the connected lifestyle.

Vendor: