August 1, 2006 -- MIDDLETOWN, Pa. -- Phoenix Contact announces a major expansion to its standard function (SF) unmanaged switch line. New SFN (narrow) switches use third-generation switch technology to lower installed costs between 20 and 70 percent compared with current market offerings.The new SFN 5- and 8-port switches provide low-cost, fully industrially hardened, entry-level switch functions with five or eight ports (10/100 Mbps) in a narrow housing width.
These include a complete range of 100Mbps glass fiber configurations which support SC or ST style connectors.Each SFN switch includes the unique ability to add optional security frames that can be used to block unused RJ45 ports and lock in existing cables. This “physical layer 1” security restricts network access by unauthorized personnel, and yet is easy for plant floor personnel to implement.For added performance in times of heavy network traffic, all SFN switches have the ability to read “Quality of Service” prioritized messages and process critical control messages before normal priority messages.
The new SFN switches, combined with the current SF switches, provide the widest breadth of cost-effective Ethernet available today.Phoenix Contact, with U.S. headquarters in Middletown, Pa., is a subsidiary of Phoenix Contact GmbH & Co.
KG of Blomberg, Germany, which operates 40 subsidiaries around the globe and employs more than 7,500 people. Phoenix Contact has implemented and maintains a Quality, Environmental and Occupational Health and Safety Management System that is registered to: ISO - 9001:2000 (Quality Management System), ISO - 14001:2004 (Environmental Management System) and OHSAS - 18001:1999 (Occupational Health & Safety System).
