Kontron Changes the Processing Paradigm of Mobile/IMS Network Applications With its AdvancedTCA Platform Based on two Dual Core Intel® Xeon® Processors

Kontron develops the most densely designed AdvancedTCA processor board with unprecedented network performance and power efficiency

Eching/Germany, June 21, 2006 − Kontron - a market leader in embedded computer technology and a Premier member of the Intel® Communications Alliance - today unveiled its highly anticipated Kontron AT8020 AdvancedTCA processor board at this year’s Globalcomm. Designed to meet the needs of major Telecom Equipment Manufacturers (TEMs), the AT8020 features two Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors LV 2.0 GHz and support for two AdvancedMC modules. The result is an open modular processing platform that will increase the number of deployments of AdvancedTCA solutions at the heart of every computer-intensive mobile-IMS network element — from the transcoding of live multimedia mobile content on a Multimedia Resource Function Processor (MRFP) to concurrent processing of subscriber data on Home Subscriber Locator (HLR) systems.

Feature set of the Kontron AT8020 AdvancedTCA processor board
The Kontron AT8020 AdvancedTCA processor board provides exceptional system performance powered by two Dual-Core Intel® Xeon® processors LV 2.0 GHz featuring multi-core technology and 2MB 2nd level cache. This computer-intensive platform is extremely appealing for a wide range of mobile network applications that require high processing power such transcoding of mobile multimedia content and concurrent processing for HLR systems.

Also unique to this board design is its 2 mid-size AdvancedMC sites for customization, up to 16 GB of DDR 400 Registered ECC SDRAM, and a flexible mezzanine switch fabric featuring a CrossSwitch for SAS and Ethernet. The AT8020 is designed with a Network Timing Subsystem for clocking support to integrate with a wide assortment of telecom I/O AMC modules such as T1/E1, OC-3 and others.

The Kontron AT8020 is built with the Intel® E7520 chipset with 667 MHz FSB and support for PCI Express™. Included are two rear 10/100/1000 Mbps Ethernet (Base Interface), Dual-Dual 1000Base-BX Ethernet (Option 3), 1x serial RJ45, 1 x USB 2.0 (front) and 1 X 10/100BaseT, and SAS via RTM.

Key benefits of Intel Dual-Core Technology
The dual-core Intel Xeon processor is targeted for ultra dense environments that require lower power consumption and is optimized to deliver a highly energy efficient performance. This makes the Kontron AT8020 an ideal and scalable platform to deliver more performance per watt and remain within the AdvancedTCA power envelope of 200 watts.

More about Kontron Open Modular Solutions
Kontron shortens the application design process by ensuring that each open modular building block is fully interoperable and designed to be both the right technology and the right architecture in mind to suit any development needs. Kontron pre-integrated open modular solutions are customizable and also feature options for best-in-class carrier-grade OS and middleware software solutions. Kontron offers a diverse selection of AdvancedTCA processor, switch and carrier platforms, plus complementary field-replaceable AdvancedMC processor, storage, and I/O modules.

Product Pricing and Availability
Pricing: OEM pricing upon request
Availability: Q4, 06.

Kontron and Intel management about the importance of the product launch
“Several leading vendors of IMS-based network applications have already shown tremendous interest in the launch of the AT8020,” said Norbert Hauser, Vice President Marketing Kontron. “Its early success is clearly driven by the integration of Intel® dual-core technology onto the AdvancedTCA open hardware standard. As a Premier member of the Intel® Communications Alliance, Kontron is pleased to work with Intel to provide its dual-core, multi-processor Kontron products based on the Intel architecture.”

“Dual core technology in a low-power design will bring a new level of performance density to the communications market segment,” said Ton Steenman, general manager, Infrastructure Processor Division, Intel. “By utilizing the Intel® Xeon® processors LV 2.0 GHz, the latest AdvancedTCA product introduction from Kontron will benefit TEMs and OEMs with expanded I/O and processing performance at an attractive thermal envelope.”