SAN JOSE, Calif. — Xilinx, Inc., (NASDAQ:XLNX) announced today that VIPswitch, a leading developer of a new class of application-aware Terabit Switch/Routers, has chosen Xilinx Virtex®-II Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) devices for VIPswitch's Open Metro Networks V-MAN 160G optical Terabit switch/router. A vast improvement over the limitations associated with ASICs, VIPswitch selected Xilinx® Virtex-II devices based upon the design flexibility offered by FPGAs and the ability to reprogram the system in the field – even after installation at the customer's facility.

“In adopting FPGAs in our designs, rather than ASICs, we are safeguarding ourselves and our customers against costly future upgrades due to the ever changing requirements in this space,” said Brian Bowyer, senior vice president of product development and program management at VIPswitch. “With Xilinx FPGAs, our switch/router will be the first that can be fully implemented and reprogrammed without relying on an ASIC. The technologically advanced Virtex-II product family enabled us to overcome cost, dissipation, performance and footprint issues that are usually found in traditional FPGAs. It was hard to justify the cost of an ASIC when Virtex-II FPGAs offered the best price, reliability, and the smallest footprint. It really provided just what we needed.”

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