Joint demonstration to feature Laserwire in a QSFP based ConnectX-2 Virtual Protocol Interconnect Adapter Card at Supercomputing 2009

SUNNYVALE, Calif., and PORTLAND, Ore., Nov. 17 -- Finisar Corporation, a technology leader in fiber optic solutions for high-speed networks, and Mellanox, a leading supplier of end-to-end connectivity solutions for datacenter servers and storage, today announced a joint technology demonstration at Supercomputing 2009 (SC09). This first public demonstration combines Finisar's 10GbE Laserwire QSFP adapter with Mellanox's ConnectX-2 Virtual Protocol Interconnect (VPI) Adapter Card delivering multiprotocol options on a single board. The joint demonstration will be held in both Finisar's booth #1812 and Mellanox's booth #1301 this week at the Oregon Convention Center.

Finisar's new QSFP adapter is part of the Laserwire family, the industry's first serial active optical cable designed to accelerate and support 10 Gb/s Ethernet server connectivity. Laserwire utilizes fiber optic technology for the transmission of data, thus reducing the weight, density and power consumption of passive copper cable connections The Laserwire family includes adapter modules for SFP+ and XFP allowing true plug and play with legacy equipment in today's datacenter.

Mellanox's ConnectX-2 VPI adapter card provides fabric flexibility with InfiniBand and Ethernet connectivity, while expanding the performance potential of applications within datacenter, high-performance computing, and embedded environments. ConnectX-2 VPI's unified I/O technology provides a one-wire solution for any networking, clustering, storage, and management application with an enhanced quality of service to deliver high application productivity.

Mellanox's ConnectX-2 VPI adapter devices will also drive dual-port LAN-on-Motherboard designs based on the QSFP host connector utilizing lightweight Laserwire cables (via the QSFP adapter) for 10GbE and Quadwire cables for 40 Gb/s InfiniBand QDR.

"By providing a Finisar QSFP to Laserwire adapter option into Mellanox's ConnectX-2 VPI cards, we are able to jointly deliver a solution important to the evolution of next generation high-speed server interconnects," said Jan Meise, director of strategic marketing at Finisar Corporation. "Providing the largest portfolio of active optical cables with Laserwire, Quadwire and C.wire, Finisar is proud to work with Mellanox on driving towards solutions for next generation low power datacenters."

"Mellanox ConnectX-2 VPI adapter cards combine superior interconnect bandwidth and latency performance with I/O infrastructure agility to provide a robust connectivity solution for datacenters and high-performance, high-transactional computing environments," said Bill Lee, senior product marketing manager at Mellanox Technologies. "Coupled with Finisar's active optical cable solutions for InfiniBand and Ethernet, ConnectX-2 VPI provides a single adapter solution and enhances the ease of use for converged server interconnects."

For more information about Supercomputing 2009, visit http://sc09.supercomputing.org/.

About Mellanox

Mellanox Technologies (NASDAQ: MLNX; TASE: MLNX) is a leading supplier of end-to-end connectivity solutions for servers and storage that optimize datacenter performance. Mellanox products deliver market-leading bandwidth, performance, scalability, power conservation and cost-effectiveness while converging multiple legacy network technologies into one future-proof solution. For the best in performance and scalability, Mellanox is the choice for Fortune 500 datacenters and the world's most powerful supercomputers. Founded in 1999, Mellanox Technologies is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., and Yokneam, Israel. For more information, visit Mellanox at www.mellanox.com.

About Finisar

Finisar Corporation (NASDAQ: FNSR) is a global technology leader for fiber optic subsystems and components that enable high-speed voice, video and data communications for networking, storage, wireless, and cable TV applications. For more than 20 years, Finisar has provided critical optics technologies to system manufacturers to meet the increasing demands for network bandwidth and storage. Finisar is headquartered in Sunnyvale, Calif., with R&D, manufacturing sites, and sales offices worldwide. For additional information, visit www.finisar.com.

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Source: Finisar Corp.