6/13/2005 -- Last week, Foundry Networks unveiled NetIron XMR, a new router platform it says is designed to disrupt the status quo—at the service provider’s edge.

NetIron XMR describes a scalable family of MPLS-based routers that, officials claim, deliver Gigabit Ethernet and 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports at a fraction of the cost of competitive offerings. Analysts say Foundry’s new offering is the real deal that has the potential to be quite disruptive in an already competitive marketplace—provided Foundry can execute, of course.

“Foundry has incorporated advancements in switch fabric design, system redundancy and traffic management to establish its next generation of scalable, secure and high-availability networking solutions which it offers at significantly lower price points than of many of its competitors,” comments Glen Hunt, a senior analyst with consultancy Current Analysis. “Foundry now needs to show customer traction with the new product family.”

According to Hunt, Foundry’s XMR platform, along with Extreme Networks’ 10K and Force10’s E-series routers, is one of the top three high-capacity 10-Gigabit Ethernet switch routers to recently enter the market. Foundry’s top-of-the-line XMR 16000 can accommodate up to 64 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, or 320 Gigabit Ethernet ports. It boasts high-density traffic handling capabilities, the full suite of unicast and multicast IPv4 and IPv6 routing protocols, and aggressive per system and per port pricing.

“The XMR is a full featured IP router—a big move for Foundry and one that will lead it into direct competition with Cisco and Alcatel with their 7600 and 7450 ESS platforms respectively,” Hunt notes. “Foundry has targeted applications such as long-haul backbones, as an IPv4/IPv6/MPLS multi-service router, as a metro Ethernet router to support complex MPLS-based services, and as a solution for MSOs needing a full suite of unicast and multicast to deliver applications like broadband TV and VOD.”

Hunt, for the record, clearly views Foundry’s new offering as a disruptive force. “Foundry is raising the bar on carrier class Ethernet solutions with the introduction of the XMR family for the service provider segment and the companion RX family for enterprises,” he concludes. “The price points for the family will also serve to form a new competitive edge to this market segment that will help accelerate the speed of adoption for Ethernet-based services.” -Stephen Swoyer