Apr 30 2008
SMC Networks today announced its continuing commitment to ensuring that its products are environmentally-friendly - while in use, while in transit and after disposal.
"Our product lines have seen huge gains in efficiency over the past couple of years, even as the technology gets faster and better," said Iain Kenney, SMC Networks' Director of Product Marketing. "The gains have been especially evident in Ethernet switching, where we've gone to more integrated technology-single-chip architecture, intelligent power designs for optimal Power-over-Ethernet and a simplified components design-and we see great savings both in the energy and the physical space usage, so it's not only good for the earth, it's good for companies' bottom-lines."
SMC Networks stresses efficiency in its product development specifications, but it doesn't necessarily take the easy route to power savings. "Some manufacturers implement energy saving processes in their products that can increase the likelihood of full or partial device failure, or that can reduce overall networking efficiency for the sake of power," said Kenney. "We're mindful that the underlying network still needs to be reliable and optimized for efficiency, so, for example, where many manufacturers will shut down unused switch ports or components to conserve energy, SMC worked to find ways to reduce overall power consumption while leaving all ports and components on and available for smoother operation, longer life and better overall network performance."
Demonstrating its commitment to ‘green networking' and to the SMB, SMC has developed product lines, not just token products, of fully-managed, Layer 2 switches that meet standards-SMC's internal standards as well as industry and government standards for environmental friendliness. The company's newest Ethernet switch families, the SMC61XX 10/100 switches and SMC81XX 10/100/1000 are excellent examples of single-chip architecture switches that use minimal power, leveraging tier 1 chipsets for optimal performance and efficiency. SMC's environment-focused switch product lines include seven switches at this point: the SMC6110L2, SMC6126L2, SMC6124PL2, SMC6150L2, SMC8126L2, SMC8124PL2, and SMC8150L2, and will continue to grow as the company's research and development in green networking continues. SMC's commitment to the environment transcends ‘green' product lines, though-it has been developing environment-friendly switches for some time now, and its full line of switches have benefited from the work of SMC's Environmental Policy Team, which was established well before 2003.
As a standards-focused vendor, SMC strives to meet-and exceed-the highest standards in the industry, exceeding more often than not. Always concerned with the effect of today's technology on tomorrow's environment, SMC Networks strives to reduce its products' ongoing energy usage, reduce the impact of its manufacturing processes on the environment and to focus on minimizing, and, ultimately, finding alternatives to, hazardous substances used to fabricate components used in its electronics components. The company's products, which are marketed across the globe and in use around the world, are and have been in compliance with the European Union's Directives on Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), and also with the European Union's RoHS Directive (restriction of the use of certain hazardous substances in electrical and electronic equipment) since before the directives were in force. Having embraced the WEEE and RoHS Directives, meeting or exceeding their requirements in advance of their 2006 deadlines, SMC Networks has applied the same high standards put forth by the EU's RoHS Directive to all of its products, no matter where in the world they ship. Not content with just meeting the RoHS minimum requirement of reducing five out of six restricted substances, SMC has ensured that it reduces levels of all six substances stipulated under RoHS, for reduction of lead, cadmium, mercury, hexavalent chromium, polybrominated biphenyl (PBB) and polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. All of SMC's products meet the standards, having reduced and, in some cases, eliminated these toxins. In fact, SMC is also already in compliance with the new China and Korea RoHS standards.
"SMC's commitment to the environment is, and always has been, strong. We constantly strive to develop products that are efficient and that have minimal negative impact on the environment-even standard workhorse products like out 24-port unmanaged Gigabit switches consume less than a lean 24 watts when fully populated," said Iain Kenney, SMC Networks' Director of Product Marketing. "SMC's overall commitment to product efficiency and clean waste is consistent with the company's interest in protecting human health and the environment, while reducing overall cost of ownership for our customers."