DOD buys high-speed ATM interface

The Defense Department recently became the first customer for Marconi Corp.'s new 10 gigabits/sec Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM) port card, a high-speed interface for the company's multiservice switch router.

The new ATM interface enables DOD network operators to move information securely at high speeds, using advanced encryption technologies.

The tool also provides operators with options for managing growth in legacy frame relay and ATM services, as well as for high-bandwidth applications, including high-definition video, distributed computing and network storage, according to a spokesman for the London-based company.

The U.S. Naval Research Lab validated the 10 gigabits/sec ATM interface last year and DOD's purchase was finalized last month, a Marconi spokesman said. He added that DOD would not allow the deal's terms to be disclosed, but he said that the interfaces should be installed by the end of this month.

The 10 gigabits/sec ATM interface combined with Marconi's BXR-48000 broadband switch router enable operators to offer new services that manage huge volumes of data traffic, such as virtual private networks, video on demand, real-time financial transactions and recordkeeping, and networked security applications, said Joe Pajer, executive vice president of Marconi's broadband routing and switching group.