Hitachi Cable is launching new models of its Ethernet (Note 1) switches for telecommunication carriers this autumn: the chassis-type ''Apresia(R) (Note 2) 8004'' and the box-type ''Apresia(R)6048GT-PSR''. The current series for telecommunication carriers is comprised of the chassis-type ''Apresia(R)8007'' and the box-type ''Apresia(R)6048G-PSR''. By adding new models that meet current customer needs, and through maximization of our distributors' sales channels, we plan to expand the market.

''Apresia(R)'' consists of two series: the ''Apresia(R) 2000/3000 Series'' for enterprises and the ''Apresia 6000/8000 Series'' for telecommunication carriers. The ''Apresia(R)2000/3000 Series'' is used as an authentication switch (Note 3) for the prevention of illegal access, connection of an illegal terminal, and information leakage. This series is also used as a user switch for the wide-area Ethernet service that is required for the VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol), or as an edge switch for a LAN.

As for telecommunication carriers, we launched ''Apresia(R)8007'' in November 2003. ''Apresia(R)8007'' is provided with the EoE (Note 4) function for wide-area Ethernet, which is the first of its kind in the industry. ''Apresia(R)8007'' is a chassis-type switch having two management slots, each of which can have two redundant management cards, and seven slots for line cards. It supports up to seven 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports or up to seventy 1-Gigabit Ethernet ports. We then launched a box-type switch, ''Apresia(R)6048G-PSR'' which is in extensive use in the wide-area Ethernet networks of many Japanese telecommunication carriers.

The need for a mid-range chassis-type switch and a 100-Mbps uplink function is currently increasing among our customers. The new models have been added to the series to meet these needs.

The management card and interface card for ''Apresia(R)8007'' are also used for ''Apresia(R)8004.'' The ''Apresia(R)8004'' chassis-type switch holds up to four line cards. It runs on both DC and AC power supplies.

''Apresia(R)6048GT-PSR'' supports uplink configurations with 10/100-Mbps Ethernet in addition to 1-Gigabit Ethernet.

We aim to increase our share of the market for Ethernet switches for telecommunication carriers by supporting telecommunication carriers' diversified network configurations and taking full advantage of the sales channels of ''Apresia(R)'' distributors with whom we have newly concluded contracts, in addition to our existing channels.

We set the Fiscal year 2005 sales target for ''Apresia(R)'' at 8 billion yen.

*1	Ethernet is a registered trademark of Fuji Xerox Co., Ltd.
*2	Apresia(R) is a registered trademark of Hitachi Cable, Ltd. in Japan.
*3	The authentication switch is a layer-2 switch equipped with a user authentication function that controls the access of client terminals to the network. The Apresia(R) 2000 series supports the user authentication.
*4	EoE is an acronym for Ethernet over Ethernet, a function used by edge switches to accommodate user lines on the wide-area Ethernet network of a common carrier. This function adds to (or ''encapsulates'') a frame sent from the user network an EoE header containing the edge-switch MAC address (EoE MAC address), extended VLAN tag, and TTL (Time to Live). Data is transmitted through the carrier's wide-area Ethernet network using this EoE MAC address. When data is sent from the wide-area Ethernet network to the user network, the EoE header (added at the edge switch at the point the data entered the wide-area Ethernet network) is removed and the user frame is transmitted to the user network. Within a wide-area Ethernet network, only the EoE MAC addresses of edge switches are used for transmission. As a result, the number of MAC addresses the core switch needs to learn is no more than the total number of ports of the switches on the wide-area Ethernet network. This will help provide a highly transparent network service that is not affected by an increase in the user network size. In addition, TTL is added to a user frame in order to prevent an infinite loop, and a traceroute function is used to conduct a route analysis.

<Main Specification: Apresia(R)8004> (The specification is subject to change without notice.)

Item Specifications Basic configuration Chassis with 4 slots Management card x 2 (Two slots for exclusive use) FAN unit x 1 Power input unit (DC)x 2 or AC power unit Interface cards 10 Gigabit Ethernet card (1 port/card) 1-Gigabit Ethernet card (10 ports/card) 10/100-M Ethernet card (48 ports/card) Physical interfaces and maximum number of ports to be accommodated 10-Gigabit Ethernet: Up to 4 ports (Based on 10GBASE-LR, ER, and other IEEE802.3ae standards) 1-Gigabit Ethernet: Up to 40 ports (Based on 1000BASE-SX, LX, and other IEEE802.3z standards) 10/100-M Ethernet: Up to 192 ports Switch capacity 80 Gbps Power supply Redundant power input unit (48V DC)(100/200V AC) Output terminal Contact output terminals VLAN Supports 4,094 VLAN groups of IEEE802.1Q/p Features EoE (Ethernet over Ethernet)function (Encapsulating function) VXC (VLAN Cross Connect)function (VLAN conversion function) Flooding control function (Broad/multicast frame control function) LAG (Link Aggregation)function/Super-LAG function Loop prevention function Ring [MMRP2 (Multi Master Ring Protocol2)] function QoS function Power consumption DC:720VA, AC:880VA(AC100/200)or less Outer dimensions 480 mm (W)x 489 mm (D)x 269 mm (H) Approximate weight 60 kg (maximum configuration, AC power unit loading)

<Main Specification: Apresia(R)6048GT-PSR> (The specification is subject to change without notice.)

Item Specifications Basic configuration Main part Power input unit (DC or AC)x 2 Interface Gigabit Ethernet SPF slots for uplink x 2 or 10/100-M Ethernet x 2 ports (Selectable per port) 10/100-M Ethernet x 46 ports Switch capacity 13.2 Gbps Power supply Redundant power input card (48V DC / 100V AC) Output terminal Contact output terminals VLAN Supports 4,094 VLAN groups of IEEE802.1Q/p Features EoE (Ethernet over Ethernet)function (Encapsulating function) VXC (VLAN Cross Connect)function (VLAN conversion function) Flooding control function (Broad/multicast frame control function) LAG (Link Aggregation)function Loop prevention function Ring [MMRP2 (Multi Master Ring Protocol2)] function QoS function Power consumption 120W or less Outer dimensions 436 mm (W)x 487.5 mm (D)x 43.8 mm (H) Approximate weight 8 kg or less

Manufacturing site

Takasago Works
880 Isagosawa-cho, Hitachi-shi, Ibaraki Pref. 319-1418, Japan

Apresia(R)8004