Phil Hochmuth

While some network vendors are jumping out of the blade server market, others are expanding their reach into blade systems with new partnerships.

3Com has announced a chassis-based version of its TippingPoint security switch that combines traffic-inspection duties with the scale of high-end data switching, up to 10G Ethernet.

Application acceleration is a broad term, encompassing devices such as wide area network (WAN) optimization gear, Layer 4-7 switching, compression, caching, TCP/IP and SSL offload and application security and firewalling capabilities. George Kurian, Cisco

Enterasys Networks will become a private company, as it agreed to a US$386 million buyout offer by two private investment firms last month. Enterasys, which makes LAN switches and routers, firewall, intrusion-detection and other network security gear, will be acquired by The Gores Group and Tennenbaum Capital Partners for US$13.92 per share.

Cisco recently announced technology and a business unit focused on integrating two-way radio, cellular, VoIP and other communications methods into an IP backbone.

Force10 recently announced line cards that pack up to 16 ports of 10G Ethernet into a single chassis slot on its flagship E1200 series switches. The Ethernet switch maker says the card can be used to build a backbone switch capable of handling a maximum of 224 10G Ethernet links.

With its recent IP Interoperability Communication System launch, Cisco Systems introduced IP integration for two-way radio, push-to-talk cellular and VoIP technologies. The bridging of first-responder communication systems during critical events is the first application, says Cisco Senior Vice President and Chief Development Officer Charles Giancarlo. But Cisco could have bigger plans with the technology as part of its new Security, Safety Systems business unit.

The true value of convergence won't be realized until self-contained corporate VoIP networks are linked in to the larger IP world through carriers, network professionals said at last week's Fall VON 2005 Conference & Expo.