Editor Contact:
Jason Rodriguez
W. L. Gore & Associates
1-610-268-1930

For Immediate Release

GORE™ SFP+ Assembly — Cost-Effective Alternative to Fiber Optic Modules

Landenberg, PA, October 13, 2008 -- W. L. Gore & Associates (Gore) has drawn on its expertise in electronic cable design to develop the new GORE™ SFP+ Copper Cable Assemblies for the high-performance computing (HPC), enterprise networking and network storage markets. These cable assemblies offer a more reliable, lower power and more cost-effective alternative to fiber optic modules for transmitting 10 Gbps data up to 25 meters. GORE™ SFP+ Copper Cable Assemblies comply with the SFF-8431 standard, while providing reduced jitter, a very low latency, and a maximum signal eye opening. According to Herb Vandeusen, Gore's product specialist for GORE™ SFP+ Copper Cable Assemblies, "Our SFP+ copper cable assemblies have been proven to be a cost-effective solution to high-performance computing applications, specifically in the 10 Gigabit Ethernet and 8G and 10G fibre channel markets."

GORE™ SFP+ Copper Cable Assemblies provide the highest performance with a lower dielectric constant, lower loss, tighter impedance control, and a wider bandwidth. Through the use of a proprietary expanded PTFE dielectric, Gore achieves a smaller cable size for a given conductor or a larger conductor in a specific twinax diameter. These cables are completely RoHS-compliant, even with some exemptions that have been recently eliminated. The connector is made with a high-performance, low-loss RF material to reduce dielectric loss and provide a higher degree of impedance control through the link as well as reduced crosstalk compared to lossy FR-4 designs.

The GORE™ SFP+ Copper Cable Assembly is the latest addition to Gore's line of products for high-performance digital interconnects, which includes DDR and QDR Infiniband, GbX®, AIRMAX VS®, and ERmet ZD® cable interconnects. These cable assemblies are being adopted by major original equipment manufacturers. For more information about Gore's full line of cables and assemblies, visit www.gore.com/electronics.

About W. L. Gore & Associates

With more than $2.5 billion in annual sales and 8,000 employees around the world, W. L. Gore & Associates provides diverse, high-performance solutions in consumer, industrial, electronic, medical, and surgical markets. As well-known for its unique corporate culture as for its products, Gore's 50-year success story rests equally on product and organizational innovation. The company operates more than 45 facilities worldwide with headquarters in Newark, Delaware, USA.

About Blade.org

Blade.org is a collaborative vendor and end-user community focused on accelerating the development and adoption of blade server solutions. The organization provides leadership to the blade market and fosters a thriving industry ecosystem focused on delivering valuable solutions to blade computing customers. More information is available at www.blade.org.

# # #