Ruckus releases new switch for 100GbE edge-to-core networks

Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, has released its new ICX 7850 switch, an edge-to-core solution for enterprise networking, in Asia Pacific.

Ruckus' stackable ICX 7850 delivers high-density aggregation for 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, and 100GbE using existing customer investment in fibre cabling, making it suitable for large, secure enterprise edge networks in education, government and enterprise settings.

The pay-as-you-grow design enables enterprise-scale networks to keep pace with advances in wireless technologies - such as 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), IoT and LTE - to accommodate continued multi-gigabit network growth.

"The ever-increasing need for Wi-Fi connectivity is taxing network cores, but the solution to keeping up with the proliferation of devices and advances in wireless technology does not need to be complex or expensive," says Ruckus Networks wired products vice president Siva Valliappan.

"The Ruckus ICX 7850 switch simplifies multi-gigabit network upgrades and reduces the total cost for enterprises through its ability to scale quickly and linearly to address current and future network demands."

The ICX 7850's advanced stacking capabilities can scale up to 12 switches, which rivals the density of traditional chassis-based data center and enterprise switches.

The hitless stack failover, multi-chassis trunking, and in-service software upgrades eliminate downtime.

The available SmartZone network controller enables configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting for the entire Ruckus ICX switch portfolio and wireless access point network.

This highly scalable approach is easier to manage with reduced power and cooling requirements and a lower total cost of ownership.

"With the introduction of Wi-Fi 6, the approaching avalanche of IoT connections, and the impact of high-bandwidth applications like streaming video on traditional networks, higher performance in your network's wired infrastructure is critical," says ASEAN regional sales director Kho Teck Meng.

"We look forward to working with our partners to help future-proof and protect their customers' investments in network infrastructure."

Many organisations, particularly school districts with older, existing networks that have OM1 or OM2 fibre optic cables require Long Reach Multimode (LRM) optics to achieve the 10 Gbps connections needed for today's bandwidth requirements.

The ICX 7850 provides investment protection and an upgrade path for customers with older fibre infrastructure by providing support for LRM optics with select family members.

"We are seeing a clear shift towards multigigabit access in enterprises, which makes the introduction of the Ruckus ICX7850 very timely," says IDC enterprise networks senior research analyst Brandon Butler.

"More data-intensive devices and applications continue to stress the core of the enterprise network and are driving a move to 100GbE network infrastructure. Ruckus' ICX 7850 and management solutions address these issues and when complemented with the company's SmartZone network controller, the company is able to manage access points and switches in a 'single pane of glass,' simplifying network management and operational efficiency."