Centec Networks

Centec Networks (盛科网络, Suzhou Centec Networks Co., Ltd.) is a Chinese fabless semiconductor company focused on Ethernet switching silicon. Founded in Suzhou, Jiangsu, in the mid-2000s, the company designs merchant switch chips and related software that power data-center, carrier, and enterprise network equipment. Rather than building branded networking boxes for end users, Centec positions itself as a chip and platform supplier to network equipment makers, system integrators, and original design manufacturers, many of which use its silicon to build switches, routers, and software-defined networking (SDN) appliances. Centec's product families span Ethernet switch chips for access, aggregation, and data-center leaf/spine roles, along with reference designs, SDKs, and network operating system support that let customers bring products to market faster. The company has been associated with the SDN and white-box networking wave, in which open, merchant silicon replaces proprietary ASICs, and it has marketed its chips as enabling high port density, low latency, and programmable forwarding pipelines. As a privately held Chinese chip designer, Centec operates in a market long dominated by Broadcom and other international vendors, and it is often discussed in the context of China's push for domestic semiconductor self-sufficiency in networking. Its customers and partners are primarily business-to-business, so the Centec name is far better known among network hardware engineers and telecom equipment vendors than among consumers. The company remains active as a networking silicon specialist headquartered in Suzhou.

Centec Networks was established in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, in the mid-2000s as a fabless semiconductor design house focused on Ethernet switching. Its founding premise was to supply merchant switch silicon to network equipment makers, a segment historically dominated by large international vendors. By offering chips plus reference designs and software development kits, Centec lowered the barrier for equipment vendors and startups to build switches and SDN appliances. Through the 2010s the company rode the software-defined networking and white-box networking trend, in which operators and hyperscale data centers sought open, programmable hardware instead of fully proprietary systems. Centec marketed its chips as supporting programmable forwarding pipelines and open protocols, and it built a customer base among Chinese and international network equipment vendors, integrators, and OEM/ODM manufacturers. Centec's growth has also been tied to China's broader effort to build a domestic semiconductor supply chain for networking and telecommunications. As a privately held company, it has not disclosed detailed financial results publicly, and its brand recognition remains concentrated among networking hardware professionals rather than end consumers. The company continues to operate as a networking silicon specialist based in Suzhou.

• Founded in Suzhou, Jiangsu, China, as a fabless Ethernet switch chip designer

• Expanded into SDN/OpenFlow-ready merchant switching silicon during the software-defined networking wave

• Built a customer base among network equipment vendors, integrators and OEM/ODM manufacturers

Domestic Chinese merchant-silicon alternative for Ethernet switching, serving network equipment vendors and white-box/SDN builders.

• Ethernet switch chip families (access, aggregation, data center)

• SDN/OpenFlow-capable switching silicon

• Reference designs and software development kits for switch vendors

• 2019-09-26

  Centec Networks launches TsingMa switching chip[1]盛科网络发布TsingMa交换芯片tech.sina.com.cn

  Reported: 2019-09-26

  Centec Networks launched TsingMa (CTC7132), its sixth-generation core switching chip designed for 5G transport and edge-computing applications.

1. 1盛科网络发布TsingMa交换芯片tech.sina.com.cn