OREANDA-NEWS. May 13, 2011. NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE:6701) today announced that its "ProgrammableFlow PF5240 switch" (*1) was awarded Best of Interop (*2) in the Infrastructure category at Interop Las Vegas 2011, one of the world’s largest network computing events.

Announced in March 2011, NEC’s "UNIVERGE PF Series (ProgrammableFlow)" represent the world’s first next generation network products equipped with OpenFlow (*3) technologies.

The following key features and architecture are weighted heavily in the selection process:
- Operation procedures, including network design method and mobility of virtual services, can be fundamentally changed by OpenFlow’s innovative centralized management technology for networks.

- ProgrammableFlow serves as a hybrid switch featuring a unique function and architecture that adopts both legacy L2/L3 (IPv6/IPv4) functions and OpenFlow functions.

- ProgrammableFlow can virtualize Layer 2 and Layer 3 network routes, and is dividable across multiple tenants by using controller functions, without dealing with physical layout.

"NEC is honored to receive this prestigious award resulting from our dedicated focus on providing customers with a simplified, open and scalable network with ProgrammableFlow," said Masasto Yamamoto, Senior Vice President. "NEC will continue to promote its UNIVERGE PF Series and is planning to expand these products to telecom carriers."

"ProgrammableFlow PF5240 switch" (UNIVERGE PF5240) will be shown at Interop Tokyo 2011 between June 8 - 10.

 Note:
Product announcement:
"NEC Introduces the World’s First Next Generation Network Products Adopting OpenFlow Technologies"
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*1  ProgrammableFlow Switch PF5240 switch is known as ProgrammableFlow Switch UNIVERGE PF5240 in Japan.
*2  Best of Interop is hosted by InformationWeek Analytics. For more information on Best of Interop categories and awards, visit  http://www.bestofinterop.com/
*3:OpenFlow

 Technologies and interface specifications that are defined by the OpenFlow Consortium, which was founded in 2008 and led by Stanford University in the United States. NEC has been a member since the consortium's establishment.