Champion Unveils SFP Alternative

CHICAGO -- Champion Computer Technologies, a provider of optical, copper, solid state storage, and wireless network hardware upgrades, today introduced CCTx, an Optical to Copper Gigabit Ethernet interconnect platform that leverages industry standard SFP (Small Form Factor Pluggable) modules. CCTx offers substantial discounts for SFP-based optical links versus the standard discounts select Network OEMs offer for security-coded industry standard optics. CCTx leverages the industry wide migration to copper gigabit ports which can result in a 70% savings on port costs versus the identical speed optical ports on some Network OEM’s blades. CCTx comes in an appliance size form factor with 2 or 4 ports or a single rack mount configuration with 12 or 24 ports, the most number of built-in copper to optical links available today.

Champion Computer Technologies developed CCTx to extend its offering of Gigabit Transceivers that save its customers thousands of dollars on their optical networks. Rather than purchasing SFPs such as a short haul SFP, long haul SFP, or long reach SFP from the Network OEM, a network administrator connects the 10/100/1000 Base-T port on a switch to the copper port of CCTx. A single silicon chip manages the connection to the optical port, minimizing the risk of failure. The optical port is configured using any of Champion’s optical transceivers that can link with any industry standard optical connection including another CCTx or Champion GBIC. CCTx is designed so that the entire connection will not be established until both the copper and the optical connections are made, which means that administrators can manage the copper gigabit port on their switch using the same Operating System parameters as they would as if it were an optical port. CCTx is a hardware only connection and meets the 802.3ab specifications including support for Jumbo frames.

CCTx accommodates all of Champion’s SFP products including standard and extended reach multimode optics, long, intermediate, and extended range single mode optics, and future releases of CWDM and DWDM technology. A 100FX SFP that transmits 10 KM is also planned. An optional management module includes an embedded web server for quick configuration and reporting as well as a SNMP-based management that is more comprehensive than today’s network OEM’s switches reporting.

“We’re bringing the same cost savings, flexibility, and support to Optical SFPs through CCTx that we have done with our GBICs, memory, and other network upgrades,” said Charles Weinberger, president of Champion Computer Technologies. “We’ve helped Network Communication companies, Internet Service Providers, Enterprise companies, and Educational Institutions enhance their competitiveness when building high speed networks. CCTx is a reliable platform customers can depend upon to lower infrastructure costs while still offering great performance.”

Champion Computer Technologies (CCT)