Broadcom Demonstrates FCoE HBA Functionality and True Ethernet Convergence Over a Single 10GbE Port

Broadcom Enables the Convergence of FCoE, iSCSI and Layer 2 Ethernet with 500K IOPS Performance Regardless of the Traffic Mix

IRVINE, Calif. - Broadcom Corporation (Nasdaq: BRCM), a global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications, today announced that it will demonstrate complete convergence of standard Layer 2 (L2) Ethernet with Fiber Channel over Ethernet (FCoE) and iSCSI storage traffic over a single 10 Gigabit Ethernet (10GbE) port at its analyst day event in Santa Clara, Calif., on December 15th. The Broadcom® demonstration showcases network and storage processing convergence over an existing Ethernet infrastructure at a performance level of 500K IOPS (input/output operations per second) for FCoE host bus adapter (HBA) functionality. These exceptional performance levels are maintained regardless of the mix between FCoE and iSCSI traffic, resulting in superior FCoE HBA performance with lower CPU utilization and system power consumption.

Highlights/Key Facts:

-- Broadcom’s proven 10GbE NetXtreme® II controller technology now allows
customers to fully utilize network and storage processing convergence
over their existing Ethernet infrastructure with outstanding performance
of 500K IOPS for FCoE HBA functionality.
-- It provides hardware-based acceleration and offload technology that
supports HBA functionality for both FCoE and iSCSI using on-chip
protocol processing. On-chip processing frees CPU resources,
increases bandwidth, and utilizes the existing Ethernet network
infrastructure.
-- The proven 10GbE NetXtreme II controller technology provides a full
offload architecture that results in a number of advantages when
compared to on-load or stateless architectures, including:
-- Significantly lower CPU utilization that provides for better
application scaling.
-- Up to 40 watts reduction in system power consumption.
-- Enhanced interoperability.
-- More secure operation.
-- With convergence over Ethernet, customers are no longer required to
procure and maintain separate infrastructures for networking and
storage. For example, multiple storage infrastructures are traditionally
required if NAS, iSCSI and Fibre Channel technologies are all used. The
Broadcom architectural solution simultaneously supports both full
offload and HBA functionality of iSCSI and FCoE, with concurrent NAS
functionality, using only a single Ethernet port. Additional benefits
of convergence over Ethernet include:
-- A single port for storage and networking traffic (i.e. FCoE, iSCSI,
NAS, TCP Offload Engine (TOE), management and standard Layer 2
Ethernet).
-- A reduction in the number of network interface cards (NICs) and
storage HBAs are required in a server using a single controller.
-- Significantly reduced associated power and cooling costs.
-- Lower network infrastructure management overhead.
-- Less cabling and fewer switch ports required in the network.
-- Simpler network scalability for data center growth.
-- With full support of an FCoE HBA storage solution, Broadcom is enabling
IT managers to retain their existing Fibre Channel storage and backup
infrastructure, which in turn, protects their company’s existing
networking investment and provides the ability to leverage Ethernet
management and quality of service (QoS) practices inside the iSCSI and
Fibre Channel space.


Supporting Quotes:

Vinod Lakhani, Senior Director & General Manager, Broadcom’s High-Speed Controller line of business

“Our standards-compliant convergence demonstration over Ethernet further highlights our unique ability to deliver high performance, production-ready technologies that enable next generation convergence in the enterprise. With our NetXtreme II family of highly integrated solutions, we can now provide advanced levels of convergence, such as FCoE, that OEMs require.”

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About Broadcom

Broadcom Corporation is a major technology innovator and global leader in semiconductors for wired and wireless communications. Broadcom products enable the delivery of voice, video, data and multimedia to and throughout the home, the office and the mobile environment. We provide the industry’s broadest portfolio of state-of-the-art system-on-a-chip and software solutions to manufacturers of computing and networking equipment, digital entertainment and broadband access products, and mobile devices. These solutions support our core mission: Connecting everything®.

Broadcom is one of the world’s largest fabless semiconductor companies, with 2008 revenue of $4.66 billion, and holds over 3,650 U.S. and over 1,450 foreign patents, more than 7,750 additional pending patent applications, and one of the broadest intellectual property portfolios addressing both wired and wireless transmission of voice, video, data and multimedia.

A FORTUNE 500® company, Broadcom is headquartered in Irvine, Calif., and has offices and research facilities in North America, Asia and Europe. Broadcom may be contacted at +1.949.926.5000 or at www.broadcom.com.

Cautions regarding Forward Looking Statements:

All statements included or incorporated by reference in this release, other than statements or characterizations of historical fact, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on our current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry and business, management’s beliefs, and certain assumptions made by us, all of which are subject to change. Forward-looking statements can often be identified by words such as “anticipates,” “expects,” “intends,” “plans,” “predicts,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” similar expressions, and variations or negatives of these words. Examples of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the functionalities provided by Broadcom NetXtreme II controller solutions. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future results and are subject to risks, uncertainties and assumptions that could cause our actual results to differ materially and adversely from those expressed in any forward-looking statement.

Important factors that may cause such a difference for Broadcom in connection with its NetXtreme II controller solutions include, but are not limited to:

-- Our ability to timely and accurately predict market requirements and
evolving industry standards and to identify opportunities in new
markets;
-- Intellectual property disputes and customer indemnification claims and
other types of litigation risk;
-- Changes in our product or customer mix;
-- The timing of customer-industry qualification and certification of our
products and the risks of non-qualification or non-certification; and
-- The gain or loss of a key customer, design win or order.


Additional factors that may cause Broadcom’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to the list that can be found at http://www.broadcom.com/press/additional_risk_factors/Q42009.php.

Our Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, recent Current Reports on Form 8-K, and other Securities and Exchange Commission filings discuss the foregoing risks as well as other important risk factors that could contribute to such differences or otherwise affect our business, results of operations and financial condition. The forward-looking statements in this release speak only as of this date. We undertake no obligation to revise or update publicly any forward-looking statement, except as required by law.

Broadcom, the pulse logo, Connecting everything, the Connecting everything logo and NetXtreme are among the trademarks of Broadcom Corporation and/or its affiliates in the United States, certain other countries and/or the EU. Any other trademarks or trade names mentioned are the property of their respective owners.