Napatech Software Optimized for Silicom’s Latest Intel FPGA-Based SmartNICs

Press Release

COPENHAGEN, Denmark – March 11, 2021 – Napatech™ (OSLO: NAPA.OL), a leading provider of programmable SmartNICs, in a partnership with Silicom, today announced availability of its Link-Virtualization™ FPGA-based SmartNIC software for Silicom’s latest generation of Intel FPGA-based SmartNICs. The combination of Napatech’s software and Silicom’s SmartNIC increases the application, networking, security, and storage performance of servers deployed in virtualized datacenters.

Napatech’s Link-Virtualization software is a production-grade, turn-key solution that harnesses the capabilities pioneered by hyperscale cloud service providers, and makes them readily available to cloud, 5G telecom, and enterprise datacenter networks of every size.

The software is optimized for Silicom’s C5010X SmartNIC which was created from the recently announced Intel FPGA SmartNIC C5000X-PL platform, as well as the Silicom N5010 SmartNIC for high performance networking acceleration. The latest generation of Intel FPGA-based SmartNIC platforms are available with an array of hardware options and combinations including Intel Stratix 10 FPGAs, Intel Ethernet 800 Series controllers, and Intel Xeon D processors.

The combination of Napatech’s Link-Virtualization software and Silicom’s Intel FPGA-based SmartNICs provides a unique and compelling choice for server connectivity to modern datacenter operators, with benefits that include:

• Performance: Line-rate networking with ultra-low latency for 10, 25, and 100GbE.
• Agility: Programmable FPGAs for hardware performance at the speed of software DevOps innovation.
• Efficiency: Releasing valuable CPU resources for applications and services that generate revenue.
• Security: Offload and acceleration of compute-intense security processing workloads.
• Economics: The optimal combination of performance, features, programmability, and cost.
• Orchestration: Automated management, provisioning, and configuration at scale.
• Sustainability: An open, standard design in an environmentally friendly size and power configuration.

Leading use cases supported by the solution include full and partial Open vSwitch (OVS) offload, live migration, hardware quality of service, VM-to-VM network and application performance monitoring, network telemetry, service chaining, and custom workload integration.

Seamus Crehan, President, Crehan Research said: “This combination of Intel’s processors and FPGAs, Silicom’s SmartNIC designs, and Napatech’s SmartNIC software delivers a very compelling solution at a time when the SmartNIC market seems to be reaching an inflection point for broader customer adoption.”

Shaike Orbach, Chief Executive Officer, Silicom said: “Silicom’s commitment to its strong partnership with Intel led to our C5010X and N5010 product designs which include both the SmartNIC hardware and the IP shells required for the implementation of a variety of applications and offloads in the Cloud and 5G core spaces. The inclusion of Napatech’s FPGA-based software, together with our latest SmartNICs offering, is significant for addressing the vision all three companies have for datacenter programmable SmartNICs.”

Ray Smets, Chief Executive Officer, Napatech said: “We are very pleased to have established this relationship with Silicom, and expanded our software ecosystem partnership with Intel. In combination, this allows Napatech to extend our reach into high-growth cloud and telecom markets where the demand for programmable SmartNICs and our software is increasing. The collaboration between Napatech, Silicom, and Intel unites the expertise required to solve some of the most complex data center challenges faced by our customers today.”

Patrick Dorsey, Vice President of Product, Intel Programmable Solutions Group said: “Intel’s strategy for SmartNICs is to go beyond delivering products alone, to optimize hardware and software into platforms that simplify deployment of accelerated cloud and enterprise data center and communications network workloads. The collaboration between Intel, Silicom, and Napatech is a powerful example of how Intel has created platforms featuring our leadership in FPGAs, Xeon D Processors, and Ethernet Controllers that have attracted an innovative ecosystem of hardware and software partners to offer disruptive products and solutions to our customers.”

Intel, the Intel logo, and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries.

About Napatech
Napatech helps companies to reimagine their business by bringing hyperscale computing benefits to IT organizations of every size. We enhance open and standard virtualized servers to boost innovation and release valuable computing resources that improve services and increase revenue. Our programmable SmartNICs are based on a broad set of FPGA software for leading IT compute, network, and security applications that are supported on a wide array of FPGA hardware designs. Additional information is available at: www.napatech.com.

No Forward-Looking Statements
This press release may contain forward-looking statements which are only predictions and may differ materially from actual future events or results due to a variety of factors, including but not limited to, business conditions, trends in the industry and markets, global economic and geopolitical conditions, macro-economic factors, and other risks and uncertainties set forth in Napatech’s reports. The matter discussed in this release is based on current expectations and maybe subject to change. Napatech will not necessarily update this information. For details, visit us at: www.napatech.com.