Interop: Miercom Launches 'Certified Green' Testing Program

Network testing and consulting firm Miercom on Wednesday unveiled its new "Certified Green" testing program and also announced that switches from Cisco Systems are the first products to receive the certification. Interop Online Stay on top of breaking news and blog coverage from Interop in Las Vegas,
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Under the program, Miercom will test IT vendors' networking hardware to determine if it's as efficient as possible in terms of energy consumption. Miercom said it will also conduct detailed lab tests and provide qualitative product assessments for user organizations that want the Certified Green seal.

Miercom said the program could provide incentives for networking equipment suppliers to design, develop, and deploy products that lower energy costs and consumption, comply more readily with increasingly stringent environmental regulations, and reduce waste.

To deliver its Certified Green program, Miercom is working with Ixia, a provider of IP performance test systems and service verification platforms for Internet Protocol-based infrastructure and services.

Miercom said its Certified Green program combines detailed measurement criteria with "a holistic view" of a product's environmental impact. The program will focus on certifying products based on power efficiency, power usage and management, heat dissipation, cooling requirements, energy efficiency, and overall efficiency.

Miercom said that Cisco's Catalyst 3750-E, 3560-E, 3750, 3560, and 2960 Series switches are the first products to be designated as Certified Green under the program.

The company said tests revealed that the Cisco switches feature efficient power draw and intelligent power management capabilities, and use high-efficiency power supplies.

"I would like to congratulate Cisco on being the first company to receive recognition under this new program," Miercom CEO Rob Smithers said in a statement.