Enables multi-gigabit networks with pay-as-you-grow model suitable for education, government and enterprise environments

Sunnyvale, Calif. – February 13, 2019 – Ruckus Networks, an ARRIS company, today announced the availability of its new ICX 7850 switch: an edge-to-core solution for the next decade of enterprise networking.

Ruckus’ stackable ICX 7850 delivers high-density aggregation for 10GbE, 25GbE, 40GbE, 50GbE, and 100GbE using existing customer investment in fiber cabling, making it suitable for large, secure enterprise edge networks in education, government and enterprise settings. The pay-as-you-grow design enables enterprise-scale networks to keep pace with advances in wireless technologies – such as 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6), IoT and LTE – to accommodate continued multi-gigabit network growth.

“The ever-increasing need for Wi-Fi connectivity is taxing network cores, but the solution to keeping up with the proliferation of devices and advances in wireless technology does not need to be complex or expensive,” said Siva Valliappan, Vice President of Wired Products, Ruckus Networks. “The Ruckus ICX 7850 switch simplifies multi-gigabit network upgrades and reduces the total cost for enterprises through its ability to scale quickly and linearly to address current and future network demands.”

Simple, Pay-As-You-Grow Model and Management

The ICX 7850’s advanced stacking capabilities can scale up to 12 switches, which rivals the density of traditional chassis-based data center and enterprise switches. The hitless stack failover, multi-chassis trunking, and in-service software upgrades eliminate downtime. The available SmartZone™ network controller enables configuration, monitoring, and troubleshooting for the entire Ruckus ICX switch portfolio and wireless access point network. This highly scalable approach is easier to manage with reduced power and cooling requirements and a lower total cost of ownership.

“We are seeing a clear shift towards multigigabit access in enterprises, which makes the introduction of the Ruckus ICX7850 very timely,” said Brandon Butler, Senior Research Analyst, Enterprise Networks, IDC. “More data-intensive devices and applications continue to stress the core of the enterprise network and are driving a move to 100GbE network infrastructure. Ruckus’ ICX 7850 and management solutions address these issues and when complemented with the company's SmartZone network controller, the company is able to manage access points and switches in a ‘single pane of glass,’ simplifying network management and operational efficiency.”

“Ruckus’ ICX 7850 switch outperformed our existing core network chassis with easy installation and a much smaller footprint,” said Matt Mercer, Director of Network Services, Troy University. “Our new network, powered by the ICX 7850, is now able to deliver demanding student services for the next decade.”

Security and Encryption

The ICX 7850, along with all switches in the Ruckus portfolio, support the latest security standards and encryption technologies. ICX switches have been deployed in the U.S. federal government for over two decades and comply with the most stringent security standards and federal certifications including FIPS, Common Criteria, CSfC, and JITC. The ICX 7850 also supports Media Access Control Security (MACsec), a Layer 2 security technology, based on symmetric cryptographic keys, to provide point-to-point security on Ethernet links between nodes.

Adapts to Existing Infrastructure

Many organizations, particularly school districts with older, existing networks that have OM1 or OM2 fiber optic cables require Long Reach Multimode (LRM) optics to achieve the 10 Gbps connections needed for today’s bandwidth requirements. The ICX 7850 provides investment protection and an upgrade path for customers with older fiber infrastructure by providing support for LRM optics with select family members.