Force10 Networks Donates Notebook Computers and Printers to Horatio Alger Scholarship Recipients

Force10 Networks®, the pioneer in building and securing reliable networks, today announced that it will donate new wireless-enabled laptop computers for the second year in a row to students receiving the Horatio Alger scholarship. This year Force10 is also donating printers for each student. Force10 Networks, in its ongoing promise to foster innovation and give back to the community, strongly believes that reliable access to the Web is critical for academic and personal success in today’s information-driven economy.

“Access to higher education is key for the scholars to realize their full potential, and access to online information is now critical to academic achievement,” Force10 Networks CEO Marc Randall said recently in announcing the donation at the 61st Annual Horatio Alger Awards luncheon in Washington, D.C. “This group of recipients has shown a remarkable level of accomplishment in spite of adversity, and it is with honor that we are able to contribute to their dreams and success alongside the Horatio Alger Association.”

Each year, the Horatio Alger Association awards college scholarships to a select group of high school seniors who have persevered through adverse circumstances and have shown their commitment to serving others through continued education and their own life experiences. In addition to the $12 million in financial aid for college tuition, fees, on-campus housing and text books, the Association also provides counseling, internship and job placement assistance to chosen individuals.

As the world continues to move and communicate online through Web 2.0 technologies such as blogs, wikis and social networking sites, participation in that world is becoming more important to success. The laptops and printers provided by Force10 will enable this year’s class of 108 scholars to interact in this online world as well as utilize online learning and research materials to further their academic success.

“As the world becomes digitally dominated, so do academic environments,” said Terrence J. Giroux, executive director of the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans, Inc. “Force10’s contribution will provide each scholar with the confidence and tools to be successful, both in school and in life.”

As one of the largest college financial aid programs in the country, the Horatio Alger Association works with secondary school students who have overcome environments of crime, poverty or substance abuse to achieve excellence in their personal and academic lives. For additional information about the Association, its programs or a list of scholarship awardees, please visit www.horatioalger.org.

For more information on Force10’s community involvement, please visit http://www.force10networks.com/company/corporate_citizenship.asp.

About Force10 Networks

Force10 Networks is the pioneer in building and securing reliable, high performance networks. With its no compromise approach to networking and advances in high density Gigabit and 10 Gigabit Ethernet switching, routing and security, Force10 delivers the innovative technologies that allow customers to transform their networks into strategic assets at the lowest total cost of ownership. For additional information, please visit www.force10networks.com.

Force10 Networks and E-Series are registered trademarks, and C-Series, P-Series, S-Series, TeraScale and FTOS are trademarks of Force10 Networks, Inc. All other company names are trademarks of their respective holders.

Contacts

Force10 Networks Inc.
Peter Ruzicka, 408-965-5151
pruzicka {at} force10networks(.)com
Jennifer Arculeo, 408-965-5194
jarculeo {at} force10networks(.)com