APCON Showcases its INTELLAFLEX Aggregation
and Filtering Solution at INTEROP Fall 2009

Company also exhibiting updated interface options and its flagship IntellaPatch Series 3000 switches for enterprise IT environments

NEW YORK, November 17, 2009 - APCON, a leading manufacturer of integrated switching solutions, is featuring its new IntellaFlex™ aggregation and filtering product at Interop Fall 2009 (booth #345). IntellaFlex, which is designed to work in conjunction with the company's popular IntellaPatch^® Series 3000 switching chassis, is also being shown with two updated user interfaces, WebX and NetVis.

"Our products are designed specifically for the monitoring challenges faced in today's complex enterprise networks," said Richard Rauch, president and CEO of APCON. "At a time when many IT departments are facing budget constraints, a solution like IntellaFlex enables them to make better use of existing tool investments - sharing tools across the network and between different groups of users."

IntellaFlex Aggregation and Filtering Solution

IntellaFlex allows users to aggregate multiple data links from network SPAN, Tap or mirror ports, and filter and direct the desired traffic to specific monitoring devices. In this way, users are able to electronically share expensive monitoring devices (such as analyzers and IDS) - often across multiple locations - while preventing over-subscription and data loss.

Supporting up to 144 ports in 4RU, IntellaFlex offers the highest port density in a single chassis - accommodating large enterprises that typically have hundreds of SPAN ports and Taps in their networks. IntellaFlex also offers the highest port aggregation density, with a maximum of 120 1G ports or 32 10G ports in a single chassis.

"In today's economy, IT managers share in the enterprise effort to reduce costs wherever possible," said Rauch. "IntellaFlex eliminates the need for trunking multiple devices to realize the benefits of aggregation and filtering. Thus, it promises capital equipment cost savings, while contributing directly to the continued uptime of every critical network."

New Interfaces Available

APCON has long provided a variety of interface options for users of its switches. It continues this tradition with IntellaFlex, which can be controlled from either of two newly updated single-switch embedded interfaces, WebX or NetVis.

WebX Version 4 is the standard embedded switch interface that allows for quick and instant interconnections between devices. The WebX look and feel is now more intuitive, and users will also find several new features especially beneficial. The first of these is a screen that allows users to define filters based on common Layer 2-4 parameters, and then store, recall and apply these filters when making aggregated connections. Second is a screen that features an intuitive "dashboard" that enables users to track all existing connection activity.

An additional feature that is frequently requested is the ability to create "reservations" - that is, the ability for users to schedule end-to-end connections for a specified time, thus making the most efficient use of expensive monitoring equipment. Another useful feature, diagramming, gives users the convenience of planning multi-port connections that can be "batched" together. WebX stores the diagram and assigns the ports for designated connections that can be executed immediately or reserved for a future time.

NetVis, also an embedded single-switch interface, provides an alternative design that offers a streamlined patching screen where ports are set into two logical groups - such as SPANs/Taps and Tools - to simplify the process of making connections. While this interface does not offer the diagram feature, it shares all of the other updates, including filters, the dashboard and reservations.

IntellaPatch Series 3000 Matrix Switches

IntellaPatch Series 3000 is APCON's flagship switching product line. Designed for today's most demanding enterprise data center environments, these chassis offers high density blades - 1RU high with 36 ports each - that deliver exceptional functionality while providing data center space savings. Users can now have 144 ports of non-blocking, any-to-any connectivity in a 4RU chassis, delivering 100 percent visibility to thousands of critical network segments.

A key feature of the Series 3000 is its fault-tolerant controller cards with automatic failover. Unlike switches with single controllers that can halt network operations during a failure, the high availability failover capacity of the Series 3000 allows it to be used in-line, in the production network of an enterprise. Series 3000 chassis are modular, offering hot-swappable power supplies and field-replaceable fans, as well as hitless software upgrades and a host of advanced diagnostic features.

Series 3000 switches allow secure, remote web access for multiple users. Security features include TACACS+, RADIUS and SNMP v1/2c/3 support; SSL and SSH encryption, and logic preventing SPAN port loops.

Enterprise Users Respond to New Offerings

APCON's Rauch said IntellaFlex has quickly caught the attention and interest of large enterprise customers. "Companies in the telecommunications and financial services markets, for example, are in need of cost-effective solutions that streamline network monitoring and contribute to increased uptime. We have more than a dozen orders in hand from these customers - both domestic and international - and expect this number to grow strongly into the foreseeable future."

About APCON

APCON is the leading provider of packet aggregation switching systems, which enable any IT group to consolidate and share an inventory of monitoring and security devices. Organizations in over 30 countries currently depend on APCON solutions in their network infrastructures. Customers include Fortune 500 companies, banks and financial service firms, telecommunication and service providers, government and military organizations, and computer equipment manufacturers. For more information, go to www.apcon.com.

Background information on APCON and images are available at: www.apcon.com/press.

###

Press Contacts
APCON, Inc.
Lissa Gienty
503-682-4050
lissag@apcon.com

PRP, Inc.
Bill Trainer
503-720-3472
bill@theprpinc.com

Photos

• ACI-3036
• ACI-3036 and ACI-3072
• ACI-3072
• ACI-3144
• ACI-3288
• APCON Series 3000 Family
• IntellaFlex 32/4 Blade
• EnterPoint Software