This joint venture of networking industry leader D-Link Corporation is focused on delivering convergence to the small-medium business (SMB) and SOHO market segments. D-Link India solutions include multi-function routers, gateways, and IP-PBX devices that handle both voice and data.

SMB and SOHO customers are looking for ways to converge their voice and data networks, but only if there is little risk to doing so. They expect solutions that are cost-effective and easy to use, as well as equipped with a strong feature set for reliable high performance. They also expect to see convergence delivered in a familiar format, using devices such as a router, gateway, and telephone switch.

From the developer's point of view, it can be difficult to design and build such enterprise-quality solutions for the SMB. Because all of the system complexity must be hidden behind the scenes, a lot of work goes into ensuring high performance, reliability, a rich feature set, and ease of use. This in turn can lead to higher costs, longer development cycles and slower time-to-profit.

D-Link overcomes these challenges by using a common hardware platform - based on the Intel® IXP42X network processor family - in all of its convergence products. This programmable, pin-compatible, highly scalable processor family enables D-Link to deliver a variety of familiar networking devices (such as routers, gateways, and IP-PBX switches) with a single design effort. With only one platform to design, D-Link can vary its solutions in software, resulting in lower development costs, faster time to market and improved profitability.

D-Link selected the Intel® XScale® architecture-based network processors specifically because they can deliver so many products from a single design effort. "Different speeds, different performance, different features - all with the same pin out," observes JV Avadhanulu, Director (R&D), D-Link India. "We spent about a month researching all of our options and discovered that the Intel® IXP42X processor family was unmatched; it was the only platform we found with all of those features."

The Intel IXP42X network processor family "met or exceeded all of our expectations," says Avadhanulu. "It also enabled us to reduce our total cost of development by allowing for the use of a common code base to deliver multiple convergence products for our small-medium business customers."