Allied Telesyn's SwitchBlade innovation wins technology commendation award
Posted 13-Jun-2003

Just six months from its launch date, Allied Telesyn's innovative core switching technology is on target for a massive US$20,000,000 revenue boost for 2003.

Christchurch 13 Jun 03: Last night Allied Telesyn Research collected the prestigious Technology New Zealand Innovation Technology Commendation Award at the annual Trade New Zealand Export Awards Dinner held at the Christchurch Convention Centre.

The award follows notable recent recognitions for the company including a Highly Commended win at the Hi Tech Awards in November last year, and a top ranking position in the Delloite Touche Tohmatsu Technology Fast 500 for achieving 383% growth in 2002. Allied Telesyn is the 47th fastest growth company in the Asia Pacific region and 7th in New Zealand.

These significant achievements demonstrate the quality talent of the local Allied Telesyn Research team for inventing world class products that are both positively affecting business growth and adding value to the New Zealand economy.

"Winning the Technology Commendation Award for the SwitchBlade product is a tremendous demonstration of exceptional local talent succeeding in a multinational environment and competing on the world stage," says Scott Coles, Managing Director. "Our team produced an innovative top level networking product that is seriously market competitive on the grounds of performance, technology, features, price and product support."

SwitchBlade is a complex new high speed networking product developed to build core networks in large enterprises. It was invented by Allied Telesyn Research in Christchurch in response to world market demand for a master switch solution capable of managing modern heavy traffic network services.

"The product manages and controls the links between branches, offices and homes and enables 'wire speed' uninterrupted delivery of advanced multimedia services including voice, video and Internet," explained Allan Miller, Product Manager. "Advanced features, performance, technology and support make it one of the most powerful networking products available today."

Organisations such as utilities companies, education establishments, hospitals, military and government departments are attracted to the product for its ability to manage congested network traffic between offices, users and servers. It also manages networks for delivering data and multi media services such as telephony and video conferencing.

One utility company in North Italy, for instance, is using SwitchBlade to roll out voice, video and Internet services to its home customers over the metropolitan area network. SwitchBlade also enables this company to interconnect telecommunications networks and offer carrier services.

"SwitchBlade is the most complex product developed by Allied Telesyn Research to date and a key strategic asset for the Allied Telesyn Group, as it is typically employed in core applications and sold as a solution comprising other Allied Telesyn products," says Allan.

Since its release in late 2002 and launch in Europe and North America in January this year, SwitchBlade has gained significant market share and sales increase for the company. For the first two months of this year sales in Europe totalled US$3million, and forecast revenue from this product is expected to be US$20million for 2003.

In the last year, the support of SwitchBlade and next generation products has also lead to an increase in the number of full time employees at Allied Telesyn Research by about 100 staff.

The product continues to be extremely important to Allied Telesyn Research with on going development to provide the most advanced features and performance ever developed by the company.

Scott Coles says "A core team of 80 worked on the project and presented extraordinary effort to perfect the SwitchBlade product and get it to market. It has touched every corner of the 250 strong research and development arm of the company and winning the award is fantastic recognition for such achievement."

For more information about the SwitchBlade, view the multimedia presentation.

About the Awards

The Technology Commendation Awards are sponsored by Technology New Zealand, a group within the Foundation for Research Science and Technology, which manages a number of schemes designed to assist companies with research and development projects. The Awards are designed to recognise the contribution made by individuals and companies towards growing their business and improving the New Zealand economy through the use of new technology. For information visit www.frst.govt.nz.

About Allied Telesyn, Inc.

Allied Telesyn, Inc. leads the world in network technologies for the access edge. Since the company's inception in 1987, Allied Telesyn has been developing IP based network products for use in video, voice and data networks at the metro edge, in education, government agencies and across the enterprise. Allied Telesyn's access, aggregation and core transport technologies range from simple Ethernet adapters, hubs and media converters to robust multi layer Gigabit Ethernet switches and routers, wireless systems, DTM and WDM transport solutions for delivering real time voice, video and data. Allied Telesyn's comprehensive support and professional services programs are suited to meet the growing demands of today's switched broadband infrastructures. For more information, please see www.alliedtelesyn.com.

For further information and/or photography please contact:

Communicate IT Ltd
Shelley Grell
Tel: 03 381 6656
Mobile:021 747 355
Email: shelley@communicateit.co.nz

Allied Telesyn Research Ltd
Scott Coles, Managing Director
Tel: 03 339 3000
Email: scott.coles@alliedtelesyn.co.nz