30 July 2002 -- The Amsterdam Internet Exchange (AMS-IX), one of Europe's largest Internet exchange points, has upgraded its network backbone with a standards-based 10 Gigabit Ethernet solution using Foundry Networks Inc's non-blocking BigIron Layer 3 switches. The AMS-IX network is the first on the European mainland to offer a single peering connection at 10 Gigabit Ethernet.
AMS-IX is an independent association of 132 Internet Service Providers (half of which are international) who exchange national and international IP traffic with one another (peering). Currently 70-80% of their Internet usage goes through the AMS-IX network.
AMS-IX has four locations in Amsterdam: SARA, NIKHEF, Global Switch and Telecity. At each, Foundry's BigIron Layer 3 switches are connected via Gigabit Ethernet and now also via 10 Gigabit Ethernet on dark fibre.
"Foundry was the first to ship Gigabit Ethernet products in 1997 and now Foundry is the first member of the 10 Gigabit Ethernet consortium to have developed a 10 Gigabit solution according to the standards [shipping since December 2001]," says AMS-IX CEO Job Witteman. "For us in particular that is very important, because we work for many different service providers and have to support a great diversity of equipment."
"Foundry also has 10 Gigabit Ethernet deployments at Telecom Ottawa, the University of Southern California Information Sciences Institute, University Health Network, and The London Internet Exchange," says Foundry's president and CEO Bobby Johnson.