For Immediate Release: April 5, 1999
PHOBOS SHIPS INDUSTRY'S FIRST FIBER NICs FOR APPLE POWERPCs
New 100 Mbps NIC Connects Fiber to the Mac Desktop; Video Production, Prepress
and Graphic Design Studios to Benefit from Fiber Bandwidth Boost
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (April 5, 1999) - Phobos Corp., manufacturer of
high-performance networking products, today announced it is shipping
the industry's first fiber Network Interface Card (NIC) for Apple
PowerPCs. Phobos' new NIC, the P100-FX, enables users in video
production, pre-press, graphic
design studios and other bandwidth intensive Macintosh-oriented
industries to rapidly transmit large quantities of data using fiber
bandwidth. "Phobos is the first company in the industry with a fiber
NIC for Apple PowerPCs. Mac users can now gain a substantial
bandwidth boost from a fiber optic networking connection, and for a
very competitive price," said Chris Bodily, Director of Product
Marketing at Phobos. "Phobos is offering early support for Mac users,
who in the past have been kept waiting for the technology until long
after it is available on the Windows platform." The Phobos P100-FX
NIC uses VF-45 interconnect technology to interface to a
fiber optic network. The VF-45 interconnect design is a
standards-compliant, small form factor fiber interface currently used
in the Volition brand Cabling System from 3M and numerous networking
equipment manufacturers. Fiber networking provides virtually
unlimited bandwidth, increased cable lengths and reduced emissions
and interference, compared to traditional copper wiring systems.
Using the VF-45 interconnect technology, Phobos provides all of the
benefits of a fiber network connection at a much-reduced price.
Phobos' P100-FX NIC ships with a VF-45 interface on board. Patch
cables are available for traditional SC and ST fiber connectors.
"Phobos is offering an affordable Fast Ethernet NIC for the Mac
user," said John Riccardi, 3M Volition Global Business Manager.
"Phobos' new product developments provide network managers even more
flexibility in building an affordable fiber LAN all the way to the
PC." The P100-FX NIC is a 100 Mbps Fast Ethernet card based on IEEE
802.3u standards. It is designed with three LEDs to display link
integrity, speed, and transmit/receive activity. In full-duplex, the
card runs at speeds up to 200 Mbps. The P100-FX fiber NIC is
compatible with Mac OS versions 7.6 and above. The card is also
shipping on other platforms including HP-UX, IRIX, Linux, Solaris,
NetWare, Windows NT, and Windows 95/98.
Pricing and Availability
The P100-FX is available immediately at a US suggested retail price
of $179 through Phobos' worldwide network of distributors, VARs and
resellers. Lifetime warranty and free technical support are also
standard for the card. For additional information, please contact
Phobos at 801-474-9200. About Phobos Corporation Founded in 1992,
Phobos Corporation provides high-performance network solutions to
enterprise users in the LAN marketplace. Phobos' products include
high performance 10/100 and Gigabit Ethernet network interface cards
for multiple platforms and PhobosLink software to give users
cost-effective control of their network functions.
Phobos Corporation is located at 2060 East 2100 South, Salt Lake City, UT
84109; (801)-474-9200, fax (801) 474-9201, http://www.phobos.com
