ProLabs Undergoes Significant Development, Appointing Ward Williams as Global CEO and Launching a New SFP+ Transceiver Module

MINNEAPOLIS, May 3, 2016 /PRNewswire/ --

Last month, ProLabs, the leading global provider of compatible network infrastructure and connectivity products, announces the appointment of Ward Williams as Chief Executive Officer alongside the introduction of a 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver.

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The transceiver, which will allow data center and network managers the ability to extend the life of their copper cabling infrastructure, is the first in the range of ProLabs' copper products - 2.5/5G Copper SFP transceivers for the data center and G.Fast copper transceivers for the telecom industry, which interface with a standard Ethernet switch, will also be launched later in the year.

Williams, who has been ProLabs' Chief Commercial Officer since 2014, previously worked at TE Connectivity, where he was most recently VP of global sales and marketing for the datacomm business unit. Williams will function between the US and UK and his key responsibilities will include implementing the company strategy and leading ProLabs' senior management team.

Stewart Holness, Chairman of the Board, commented "I am delighted to confirm Ward in the role of CEO.  He has extensive industry experience and a track record of strong leadership within ProLabs, particularly demonstrated over the past two years. We are very much looking forward to the next phase in ProLabs' development and growth."

Williams replaces Nick Moglia, who has held the position of CEO at the company since 2013. Moglia, taking on the role of Executive Director, will remain on the company board as a key player in ProLabs' business strategy, whilst taking a step back from the company's day-to-day management.

Williams commented, "We are in the midst of a very exciting time for ProLabs and it is a great honor to be taking over as the company's CEO." He added, "The last two years have been especially successful for the firm and Nick leaves the company in a very strong position for the future."

One such exciting development is the new 10GBASE-T SFP+ transceiver, which pushes the limits of copper based technology, providing 10 gigabits of data transfer over distances of 30 meters or less, and replaces the need for direct attach cables that have limitations up to 10 meters. With platform advancements bringing down the price and power consumption for 10GBASE-T switches, there are a lot of affordable switches entering the market from various manufacturers. This is why ProLabs has launched the first compatible product of its kind, as a leader in the small form pluggable (SFP+) transceiver compatible market.

Giacomo Losio, Head of Technology at ProLabs said, "As 10GBASE-T network equipment becomes increasingly available, data center decision makers will want to take advantage of the convenience and flexibility provided by deploying 10 Gb/s technology, over balanced twisted-pair copper cabling, and leveraging their investment in installed copper infrastructure."

Ward Williams added, "Following the opening of our newly integrated headquarters and test and measurement facility in January of this year, we are thrilled to announce this exciting new addition to our offering. ProLabs' capability to provide compatible 10G copper SPF transceivers proves that we are truly leading the market, ahead of almost all OEMs, making remarkable headway in closing the window between original and compatible innovation."

For its launch, the 10G copper transceiver will be compatible with Cisco, Dell, Brocade, Arista, Juniper, Extreme and IBM. ProLabs products allow the interoperability of over 50 OEM providers without affecting warranties; all ProLabs products are 100% tested, designed to comply with industry standard MSA (Multi-Source Agreements) and come with lifetime warranties.

These announcements follow a period of strong growth and development for ProLabs. Within the last 12 months, ProLabs have also extended their product offering in other directions, including multi-coded products (transceivers programmed to work compatibly with multiple vendors), and 100G products. Its products are distributed globally and are trusted by multinational and independent providers alike in the data center space as well as the telecoms and enterprise industries.

About ProLabs 

ProLabs is the leading global independent provider of optical network infrastructure products. The company offers an extensive range of high-quality products including optical and copper transceivers, direct attach cables (DAC), active optical cables (AOC) and cabling and media converters. With an unrelenting commitment to quality, service and support, the company is the only mid-tier provider offering customization and lifetime product warranties. ProLabs' global headquarters are located in South Cerney, UK, with offices in the Netherlands, Asia, Minneapolis, MN USA and San Francisco, CA USA. For more information, visit http://www.prolabs.com.

SOURCE ProLabs