YOKNEAM, Israel, April 29, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

EZchip Semiconductor Ltd. (NASDAQ:EZCH), a leader in high-performance network processors, is highlighting new opportunities for its NPS, Network Processors for Smart networks, brought about through powerful new trends in the networking market. EZchip's NPS, already publicized as providing distinct performance acceleration for SDN and NFV networks (for details visit http://www.ezchip.com ) is now also gaining momentum as the powerful silicon core for white box networking solutions. By utilizing the NPS, a wide variety of network applications can be attained with off-the-shelf white boxes at unprecedented performance and functionality. White boxes represent new market opportunities for the NPS and add on to the established markets of proprietary networking equipment for carrier and data-center networks already addressed by the NPS. EZchip will discuss the NPS in the context of white boxes in the upcoming Network Virtualization and SDN World on May 27-30 in London, and at the Linley Group Carrier Conference on June 10-11 in Santa Clara, California.

As new network architectures based on SDN and NFV are emerging as the way forward for carrier and data-center networks, a related trend for white box systems is gaining momentum. As opposed to proprietary networking equipment provided by the established vendors, white boxes are systems from non-branded manufacturers (ODMs) that build off-the-shelf hardware. The particular networking function of the white box is determined through the software downloaded to the white box and is typically provided by application software vendors. White boxes may be deployed as servers, top-of-rack switches, network appliances and more. As SDN and NFV fuel the migration to software-based virtual network functions, they also unleash broad opportunities for white boxes on which the software network functions can run. Underscoring the promise of SDN and NFV to reduce OPEX and CAPEX, white-box networking further drives down cost and sets off an ecosystem of hardware and software vendors.

The key to enabling the migration to white-box networking is the availability of powerful merchant chips that are used at the core of the white box. The use of merchant chips such as the NPS provides richer functionality at higher throughput, while enabling a wider range of virtual functions that can be deployed on the white box and bring greater value to the network operator.

Utilizing EZchip's NPS at the core of white-box systems gives ODM vendors and software application vendors great differentiation versus alternate systems that are typically based on non-programmable switching silicon with limited functionality or on CPUs with limited performance. NPS marks a unique combination of NPU performance coupled with CPU functionality.  High throughput of 400 Gigabit-per-second, C-programming, Linux^® operating system and 7-layer packet processing accelerate data-plane processing and unlock virtual functions to unprecedented functionality and performance levels. These functions include switching, routing, advanced classification, traffic management, ACLs (access control lists), stateful flow tables, load balancing, security (firewall, IPsec & SSL VPNs), DPI (deep packet inspection), network monitoring, application recognition, subscriber management, TCP termination, and network overlay termination.  

"While white-boxes underscore that in the networking market the main value lies in the silicon and the software, EZchip's NPS stands out as the most powerful network processing silicon, ideal for white box solutions," said Amir Eyal, VP Business Development of EZchip. "Optimized proprietary hardware will continue to dominate high-end systems such as edge routers for the foreseeable future. NPS is therefore targeting both the white boxes from the ODM vendors and the proprietary platforms from the recognized networking equipment vendors. With network bandwidth and functionality continuously growing, EZchip is well positioned to benefit from both approaches. EZchip is engaged with diverse software and hardware vendors to enable the delivery of NPS based white boxes to empower a wide range of applications in carrier and data-center networks. This is in addition to our on-going engagements with the networking equipment vendors that we target with the NPS for their next generation networking products."

About EZchip 

EZchip is a fabless semiconductor company that provides high-performance network processors for networking equipment. EZchip provides solutions that scale from a few to hundreds of Gigabits-per-second. EZchip's network processors provide great flexibility and high performance coupled with superior integration and power efficiency for a wide range of applications in carrier, cloud and data center network equipment. For more information on our company, visit the web site at http://www.ezchip.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and may include financial projections and estimates and their underlying assumptions, statements regarding plans, objectives and expectations with respect to future operations, products and services, and statements regarding future performance. These statements are only predictions based on EZchip's current expectations and projections about future events based on its current knowledge. There are important factors that could cause EZchip's actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results, level of activity, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Those factors include, but are not limited to, the impact of general economic conditions, competitive products (including in-house customer developed products), product demand and market acceptance risks, customer order cancellations, reliance on key strategic alliances, fluctuations in operating results, delays in development of highly-complex products and other factors indicated in EZchip's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). For more details, refer to EZchip's SEC filings and the amendments thereto, including its Annual Report on Form 20-F filed on March 27, 2014 and its Current Reports on Form 6-K. EZchip undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent occurring events or circumstances, or to changes in our expectations, except as may be required by law. 

Contact:

Daureen Green, Marketing Communications
dgreen@ezchip.com, Tel: +972-4-959-6677

SOURCE EZchip Semiconductor Ltd