Alcatel Launches Low-Cost Switch for Voice/Data/Video Traffic

Alcatel Data Networks> (Calabasas, CA) is offering a new low-cost, stackable addition to its OmniStack workgroup switch family that offers quality of service (QoS) and virtual LAN features. Expected to ship in May, and starting at $92 per port, the new products aims to aid enterprises in building networks that combine voice, video, and data.

The OmniStack 6024 is a 24-port 10/100 Mbps Ethernet switch with uplink options. Units may be stacked four high for a total of 104 ports. Each unit has two optional slots for stacking modules, fiber-optic Fast Ethernet modules (100BaseFX), or Gigabit Ethernet uplink modules (1000BaseSX, 1000BaseLX). Individual switches are connected together using 4 Gbps stacking connections, which ensures high performance for the entire stack. Within the stack, each unit forwards traffic at wire-speed.

While the switch offers a low price, the real value is in the switch's built-in intelligence. The switch features 802.1p-based flow classification, allowing network managers to give certain traffic types priority over other data. In networks that are integrating voice or video with data, the OmniStack 6024 can give delay sensitive data priority right up to the edge of the enterprise network.

Edited by John Spofford