Extreme Networks has launched a new member of its Summit X-series switches aimed at rivalling Cisco's Catalyst 2960 series switches, and HP ProCurve's 2600 series.

Called the X150, "this is a 'value' edge 10/100Mbit/s switch ideal for stable networks having few adds, moves and changes", said chief marketing officer Paul Hooper adding that, "the switch comes in 24/48 port varieties with or without PoE."

As well as the new switch, firms looking to save costs throughout the deployment and operation cycle of networks may be interested by new firmware modules network vendor Extreme Networks is introducing for its ExtremeXOS switch firmware.

Tagged as 'Lifecycle Automation Services' by Hooper, the modules are designed to, "handle deployment issues to speed the process of getting hardware out of the box – into the rack - and through to full production."

Extreme see the lifecycle occurring across multiple phases but will focus on the deployment, operation and optimisation cycles, although Hooper said, " clearly there are architecture and design phases at the head end and end-of-lifecycle and decommissioning phases at the back end."

Hooper said Extreme would provide the nine modules as scriptable templates, "free of charge, which can be modified and iterated as the enterprise sees fit. " Enterprises focusing on energy costs may find the 'power conservation module' useful which could reduce energy costs by turning off power over Ethernet endpoints like IP phones, when not in use. "For example telemarketing operations, or retail stores where the floors shut down overnight, you can program the network so that the switch controls devices depending on the time of day."

Firms concentrating on security issues would be more likely to look at the security modules, like for example, ones to stop 'route down' problems and 'IP address sweeps' and also one for 'broadcast storm mitigation' and protecting against TCP-based scans.