The Ethernet Alliance and the Road to 100G Alliance announced Monday the intent to merge, uniting two organizations focused on advancing high-performance networking. The combined organization will be known as The Ethernet Alliance.
The Road to 100G Alliance formed in June 2007 to focus on interoperability for network systems supporting 40G and greater speeds required to meet growing bandwidth demand.
Road to 100G Alliance chairman Bill Weisinger said the alliance has met its goal of exposing the challenges of developing 100G platforms. Joining the Ethernet Alliance will enable it to better fulfill the rest of its charter: to establish a comprehensive ecosystem of suppliers and users to accelerate the adoption and ongoing development of high-performance networking solutions.
"Given the alignment of our visions and strategies, the combination of our two organizations will greatly advance the development of the high-speed Ethernet ecosystem, benefiting customers worldwide," said Brad Booth, chairman of the board for the Ethernet Alliance.
The Ethernet Alliance is dedicated to promoting industry awareness, acceptance, and advancement of technology and products based on existing and emerging IEEE 802 Ethernet standards. The organization's mission is to accelerate industry adoption and remove barriers to market entry by providing a cohesive, market-responsive industry voice on IEEE 802 Ethernet projects.
In November 2007, the IEEE 802.3 working group authorized the formation of the IEEE P802.3ba task force to begin work on a draft standard for 40 Gigabit and 100 Gigabit Ethernet. Last week, the task force completed review of the first draft of IEEE P802.3ba, which keeps the task force on track for standard ratification by mid-2010.
