IBM Corp is to sell its high performance networking chip technology on the open market – the first time the chips have been offered to outside customers. The Ethernet, Asynchronous Transfer Mode and Token Ring chips, along with associated ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) chips, and IBM’s ATM switching technology, will all be marketed to networking hardware companies. Specifically, the chips on offer include the 10/100 Mbps Ethernet MAC Chip, ATM 25 Mbps Controller Module, and the Token Ring chipset, mostly for PCI and EISA buses. The High Performance Cell Switching chipset offers data, voice and video transmission at speeds of up to 155 megabits per second (mbps). IBM’s current merchant microprocessor sales consist of PowerPC chips, Intel iAPX86 family products in partnership with Cyrix, advanced microcontrollers and high-performance memory. The networking chips are being sold through IBM’s Microelectronics Division direct sales force, based in East Fishkill, New York, as well as through distributors. They are available immediately. http://www.chips.ibm.com/
