Unisys Corp’s Timeplex Inc subsidiary has a new family of cell relay switches for consolidating data networks, and according to Computer Systems News, the Timepath technology originated with Doelz Inc which Timeplex acquired in September last year. Cell relay, also called fast packet or Asynchronous Transfer Mode, is popular with metropolitan area networks and broadband integrated service digital networks. It has fixed-size data packets that contain both source and destination information, and cell relay provides bandwidth allocation along with the capability to relay bursts of data at high speeds. The switches are being targeted at organisations with branch locations, and they are claimed to consolidate networks and communication lines, thereby lowering line costs. Timeplex says that one client, British Columbia’s City Savings Bank, has reduced its costs by $120,000 annually as a result of using the system. Timepath switches, which will be marketed through the Timeplex direct sales force and by Unisys, is a departure for the company, which is traditionally a T-1 backbone supplier.
