5/7/2007 -- Extreme Networks struck again last week, announcing a new carrier Ethernet switch -- the BlackDiamond 12802R -- which plugs a gap in its product lineup.

Billed as a cost-effective and functional alternative to competitive offerings from Cisco Systems Inc., Alcatel-Lucent and Foundry (among others), Extreme hopes the 12802R will appeal to carriers who don't need all the bells and whistles of a high-end carrier switching platform.

The idea, says Glen Hunt, a principal analyst for carrier infrastructure with consultancy Current Analysis, is that the 12802R is designed for smaller providers in metro areas where a switch built for higher-density applications is overkill, but where fixed configuration switches just don't provide the flexibility and features these carriers need.

"The new model is optimized for small PoPs," Hunt said. "The 12802R is designed to address the requirements of smaller residential and business PoPs, while providing the same carrier-grade Ethernet services that are available on the company's larger 12804R platform."

Extreme's newest BlackDiamond deliverable is a winner in at least two accounts, according to Hunt.

"[T]he 12802R enables service providers to address the requirements of lower-density applications cost-effectively without sacrificing features and carrier-grade reliability," he said. "The new platform also gives Extreme the opportunity to highlight the overall 12000 series' capabilities, such as hierarchical quality of service...[which] controls bandwidth on a per-subscriber or application basis and provider backbone bridge (PBB) support." Hunt indicates.

The 12802R also "strengthens [Extreme's] commitment in regard to emerging provider backbone bridge-traffic engineering (PBB-TE) support," Hunt added.

The 12802R will almost certainly shore up Extreme's competitive position, Hunt suggested -- although it's probably too much to expect that it will knock competitors off their feet. Take Cisco, for example, which can counter Extreme's 12802R value proposition by stressing its own competitive differentiators, including a lower cost per port.

"Cisco should stress its leadership position and its overall IP NGN product portfolio. Products such as the 7600 have CapEx advantages based on its current generation of Ethernet interfaces, which have lowered its cost per port," Hunt said. "Additionally, Cisco can point out that it has added the 7604 model and the ME6500, which is priced around $30,000, and both are optimized to deliver carrier Ethernet support for triple-play services for small PoPs and Internet gateways." --Stephen Swoyer