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NEC Delivers Enhanced Scalability and Performance for Software Defined Networking

ProgrammableFlow Network Suite version 6.3 advances scalability of SDN support for OCP approved 10 and 40 gigabit switching

Irving, Texas - March 15, 2016 - NEC Corporation of America (NEC), a leading provider and integrator of advanced IT, communications, networking and biometric solutions, today announced the immediate release of the next generation (V6.3) of its highly successful ProgrammableFlow Networking Suite, including the award winning SDN ProgrammableFlow Controller (PFC) and UNIVERGE PF6800 Network Coordinator (UNC). The new release supports a packet processing pipeline capability designed to work with low cost OCP (Open Compute Project) approved network equipment, ensuring an efficient, high-performance and flexible network architecture.

The new release delivers improvements in network security, operational cost savings, and optimizes the ability to manage and control networks. The key benefits of release 6.3 are:

  • Non-blocking spine leaf network designed specifically for data center networks provides high performance network built on a low cost, power efficient, open platform.
  • Secure network isolation of data traffic with up to 64,000 virtual networks, supporting fine grained network segmentation and multitenancy.
  • Support for massive scalability - up to 10,000 switches - in a federated controller network, an increase of 2,000 switches from the previous release.
  • Zero touch network policy provisioning from the NEC ProgrammableFlow Controller increases service agility and reduces the network administrative burden.
  • High Availability - up to 16 way path redundancy network control provides high levels of reliability for mission critical applications.

  • "With the release of Programmable Flow 6.3, NEC continues to respond to the evolving SDN requirements of its customers," said Brad Casemore, director of research for datacenter networking at IDC. "In addition to Programmable Flow's new enhancements to scalability, security, automated provisioning, manageability, and availability, NEC's acceptance of OCP Switch Specifications allows Programmable Flow customers to benefit from OCP's ongoing initiatives in open networking."

    "ProgrammableFlow Network Suite has always had innovative features that provide inherent, (built-in) investment protection for customers and this release continues that commitment," said Don Clark, Director of Business Development for NEC. "This new functionality provides greater performance, availability and resiliency that delivers the performance our customers expect and even easier administration for SDN."

    NEC will be showcasing the ProgrammableFlow Network Suite at the upcoming Open Networking Summit (ONS) in Santa Clara, California March 14-17. A Trailblazer sponsor of the Summit, NEC will be exhibiting at booth #15 and will have speaking sessions that feature network architect and planner, Yukio Ito.

    The ProgrammableFlow Network Suite was the first commercially available SDN solution to leverage the OpenFlow protocol enabling complete network virtualization, allowing customers to easily deploy, control, monitor, and manage multi-tenant network infrastructure.

    Endorsed by customers, ProgrammableFlow provides the first comprehensive suite that includes both physical and virtual switches as well as an SDN controller and applications. Ideally suited for corporate and service provider data centers, the ProgrammableFlow Controller provides a cost-effective, high-performance, highly scalable SDN platform.

    Updates will be released for all NEC series switches to support the new functionality of release ProgrammableFlow Network Suite version 6.3, including the UNIVERGE PF5300 series switches which won Best of Interop in Tokyo last summer.

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    About NEC Corporation of America
    NEC Corporation of America (NEC) is a leading technology integrator providing solutions that improve the way people work and communicate. NEC delivers integrated Solutions for Society that are aligned with our customers' priorities to create new value for people, businesses and society, with a special focus on safety, security and efficiency. We deliver one of the industry's strongest and most innovative portfolios of communications, analytics, security, biometrics and technology solutions that unleash customers' productivity potential. Through these solutions, NEC combines its best-in-class solutions and technology, and leverages a robust partner ecosystem to solve today's most complex business problems. NEC Corporation of America is a wholly-owned subsidiary of NEC Corporation, a global technology leader with a presence in 160 countries and $25 billion in revenues. For more information, please visit www.necam.com.

    © 2016 NEC Corporation of America. NEC is a registered trademark of NEC Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Other product or service marks mentioned are the trademarks of their respective owners.

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