21 January 2003 -- Extreme Networks claims that recent tests show that its BlackDiamond 6808 and Summit 48si Ethernet switching platforms provide "superior performance and a better value for IP convergence applications" compared with Cisco
Systems' Catalyst 6500 series and 3550 series switches supporting Cisco's AVVID architecture.
Tests performed by The Tolly Group underscored that Extreme Networks' high performance switching solutions, featuring Quality of Service (QoS), delivered toll-quality voice traffic even during periods of congestion on both the inter-switch links and in the network backbone while Cisco's Catalyst switching platform began to suffer at just 40% of network utilisation.
Network architects using Extreme Networks' multi-layer switching solutions as the underlying network infrastructure can support Cisco AVVID voice traffic alongside data. Notably, the Extreme Networks infrastructure tested by the Tolly Group costs approximately 50% less than the similarly equipped Cisco switching infrastructure under test.
Extreme delivered consistent voice quality, latency and jitter even as congestion levels rose to 100 percent of network utilisation of core switch ports and interswitch links. The Cisco Catalyst product solution did not maintain delivery of priority traffic streams during the same oversubscribed times, even with QoS mechanisms enabled.
AVVID equipment used in this test consisted of the Cisco Call Manager and the Cisco 7960 series IP telephones.