Allied Telesis Selected for Italian Air Force Military Campus Enhancements

SAN JOSE, Calif., June 1, 2010 - Allied Telesis, Inc., a global provider of secure IP/Ethernet switching solutions and an industry leader in the deployment of converged multi-play networks, has been selected by the Italian Air Force, or Aeronautica Militare Italiana (AMI), for five multiservice charters, or contracts, for an integrated networking solution, which includes the Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x908, AT-x900 advanced layer 3, and AT-x600 gigabit edge switches. Deployment is currently underway in AMI military campuses to enable the highest levels of security, reliability, and manageability for mission-critical applications.

"Our work with military bases around the globe has uniquely positioned us to fulfill the needs of the AMI," said Philip Jopa, Allied Telesis chief technology officer. "Our understanding of the particular requirements necessary to support highly technical and classified applications enables us to deliver the ultra-safe, never-fail networks that support mission-critical needs. By working with the AMI and military organizations globally, Allied Telesis is fluent in the unique market needs of the security and defense sectors."

Critical to meeting the demands of the AMI, the Allied Telesis SwitchBlade x908 advanced layer-3 modular switch incorporates eight high-speed 60 Gbps expansion bays, delivering scalable and versatile switching for persistent applications. Six 10-gigabit fiber uplinks support high bandwidth with low latency required to provide bi-directional, uninterrupted data streaming for communications applications such as video streaming. The SwitchBlade x908 also incorporates the AlliedWare Plus operating system, using an industry-standard command-line interface (CLI) to facilitate centralized network management.

Packaged with the SwitchBlade x908 are the AT-x900 advanced layer 3 and AT-x600 gigabit edge switches. The x900 creates a failure-free network with high availability and redundancy, meeting wire speed standards for IPv4 and IPv6 routing, ensuring interoperability between current and future network standards vital to AMI network expansion. The x600 gigabit edge switch solution provides Network Access Control (NAC) security, ideal for the entry point at the edge of the AMI network.

"Leveraging our experience with secure military networks, we proposed a multilayer core switching solution based on Allied Telesis modular machines," said Antonella Santoro, Allied Telesis southern European sales director. "We were chosen because our enterprise-class network solutions offer high resiliency, advanced security, and innovative, flexible models that minimize the total cost of ownership for our clients."

The AMI multiservice charter selection process began in 2009. Though a competitive proposal process, Allied Telesis was selected in early 2010.