A fundamentally important aspect of high-speed channel design at 10 Gbps is that significant optimization of the physical channel is required. Path degradation in channels, from ISI effects, causes poor signal quality and must be minimized or eliminated. This paper explores how equalization, statistical analysis, and accurate linear and nonlinear models can be used to optimize high-speed channels. A case study based on a 10 Gbps BladeServer Ethernet backplane will serve to illustrate how an integrated approach using equalization, accurate physical models, and statistical simulation can be used to optimize the design of an industrial application.