Sunday, January 12, 2003

Ellacoya Raises $14 Million for IP Service Control System

Ellacoya Networks, a start-up based in Merrimack, New Hampshire, received $14 million in venture financing for continued business operations and the commercialization of its IP Service Control System. Ellacoya's IP Service Control System monitors network usage patterns and manages resources. The company said broadband operators could deploy the platform to identify network traffic by application and ensure that both interactive and P2P users receive the level of service to which they have subscribed even during peak times. New investors Flagship...

Polaris Networks Appoints Surya Panditi as CEO

Polaris Networks appointed Surya Panditi as its new CEO, replacing Ray Kao, who remains Chairman and CTO of the company. Surya previously served as CEO of Avici Systems and most recently of Convergent Networks. He currently serves on the boards of Avici Systems and Internet Photonics. Prior to Avici, Panditi was vice president and general manager of the LAN Infrastructure Business Unit at US Robotics. His other experience includes positions with Intel Corporation, Ungermann-Bass and Telco Systems. http://www.polarisnetworks.comPolaris Networks'...

Legerity Launches High Performance Analog Business Targeting DSL Drivers

Legerity launched a new High-Performance Analog (HPA) business that will initially provide a BatteryDirect technology that allows DSL drivers to be powered directly from their -48V batteries, eliminating the costly need for power conversion down to the -5V to -12V level. http://www.legerity....

Fujitsu Ships its FLASHWAVE 4010 Remote Extension Platform

Fujitsu Network Communications announced commercial availability of its FLASHWAVE 4010 SONET extension platform, a new low-cost and small-sized platform that allows service providers to use SONET for the delivery of high volume services in low-density environments. The FLASHWAVE 4010 platform is available in four configurations: seven DS1 interfaces and an unprotected OC-3 uplink; seven DS1 interfaces and a protected OC-3 uplink; three DS3 interfaces and an unprotected OC-3 uplink; and three DS3 interfaces with a protected OC-3 uplink. The product...

Aperto Networks Introduces Point-to-Point Wireless Bridge

Aperto Networks, a start-up based in Milpitas, California, introduced a new carrier class point-to-point wireless bridge that could be used as an alternative to leased T1/E1 connections for providing Wi-Fi hotspot backhaul. Aperto's PacketWave 600 Series Wireless Bridge, which complements its existing point-to-multipoint wireless system (see below), provides a dedicated air interface at a 20 Mbps data rate to locations as far as 30 miles (48 km) from the carrier's wireless base station. The product uses adaptive coding and modulation, automatic...

ARRIS Receives Additional CMTS Orders from Comcast

Comcast has ordered an additional fifty ARRIS Cadant C4 cable modem termination systems (CMTS) for immediate deployment. The ARRIS Cadant C4 CMTS is a DOCSIS 1.1 and EUR-DOCSIS 1.1 qualified carrier-grade edge router. In Q4, Comcast selected the ARRIS platform for initial deployment in a franchise network in Royal Oak, Michigan. http://www.arrisi....

DataPower Delivers XML Web Services Security Gateway

DataPower Technology, a start-up based in Cambridge, Massachusetts, introduced a network device designed to secure XML-based applications at wirespeed across an enterprise network. Some of the recently announced XML Web Services security specifications include WS-Security, SAML, and XML Encryption. All XML Web services security functions, such as schema validation, XML/SOAP encryption, XML Signature, and others, require extensive XML processing. DataPower said its new XS40 XML Security Gateway is able to parse, validate schema, decrypt, verify...

Aventail Introduces Clientless SSL VPN Appliance

Aventail Corporation introduced a clientless SSL VPN appliance that it positions as an alternative to IP-sec-based VPNs for providing remote users with secure access to any Web, client/server, or file sharing resource. The Aventail EX-1500, which is based on the sixth generation of Aventail's SSL VPN technology platform, uses a combination of SSL and proxy technologies to avoid any direct connections to a network. The VPN appliance offers granular access control via Web browser, Microsoft Terminal Services and other access methods. http://ww...

fSONA Introduces New Longer Range Free Space Optical System

fSONA introduced a new free space optical system (FSO) that carries either Fast Ethernet (100/125 Mbps) or Gigabit Ethernet (1000/1250 Mbps) over ranges up to 4 km (2.5 miles). The signal is fully regenerated and re-clocked (3R) at all data rates to ensure the highest possible signal integrity. In addition to data, the system offers transparent network transport of various video standards including NTSC, PAL, HDTV, SDI, MPEG and DVB-ASI. http://www.fsona....

XO Extends Hosting Contract for Microsoft's bCentral

XO announced the extension of its existing strategic relationship with Microsoft Business Solutions through which XO will continue as the private-label hosting provider for its growing base of Microsoft bCentral subscribers. Microsoft bCentral is an Internet resource for web-based business tools and applications. http://www.bcentral.com http://www.xo....

AT&T Enhances Dial-up Internet Service

AT&T introduced an Internet "Family Plan" that allows subscribers to sign up for one unlimited Internet account for $23.99 per month, and get two additional unlimited 'guest' accounts for free. The service is offered to the company's long distance and local customers. http://www.att....

BellSouth Trials Navini's Broadband Wireless in Daytona

BellSouth is launching a trial of Navini Networks' wireless broadband technology in Daytona, Florida. Trial participants use a small desktop wireless unit, connected to either an Ethernet or USB port on their PC, which provides a high-speed, wireless link between a BellSouth transmission tower and users' computers. The trial will be in the 2.3 GHz WCS band, for which BellSouth holds FCC licenses throughout the Southeast, and will offer speeds similar to wireline DSL with approximate download speeds of up to 1.5 Mbps. BellSouth said it is considering...

Monaco Telecom Deploys Alcatel for Video over DSL

Monaco Telecom is ready to launch video-on-demand services via DSL-streamed television within the Principality, starting this month. The service will offer a range of on-demand cinema, available via television sets, to more than 200 Monaco residents for an initial period of six months. Alcatel is supplying the network equipment. http://www.home.alcatel.com/vpr/vpr.nsf/DateKey/13012003_...

Motorola Bids to Acquire Next Level Communications' Outstanding Stock

Motorola made an unsolicited tender offer to acquire all of the outstanding publicly held shares of its subsidiary Next Level Communications, a provider of integrated broadband access platforms. Motorola currently owns 74% of the outstanding common stock of Next Level. Motorola is offering to acquire the balance of Next Level's common stock at $1.04 per share in cash, representing a 14.4% premium over the closing price on January 10, 2003 and a 28.6% premium over the average closing price for the last 90 trading days. The aggregate consideration...

NTL Emerges from Chapter 11 -- $11 Billion in Debt Converted to New Equity

NTL, a leading cable operator in the UK, completed it financial recapitalization plan and emerged from Chapter 11 proceedings. NTL and its subsidiaries have been reorganized into two separate companies: NTL Incorporated (comprising the UK and Ireland businesses) and NTL Europe (including all assets in continental Europe as well as other minority investments and interests). Approximately $10.9 billion in debt has been converted into equity in the two reorganized companies. In conjunction with the emergence from Chapter 11, the company and certain...

Broadwing to Write Down Value of its Broadband Unit, Considers Sale

Broadwing Inc. plans to take non-cash, pre-tax asset impairment charge of approximately $2 billion for Q4 2002 to write-down the value of its broadband unit, Broadwing Communications. Broadwing said it has directed its financial advisors, Lehman Brothers and Banc of America Securities, to consider strategic alternatives for the company, including the possible sale of Broadwing Communications' operating assets. The company noted progress in other areas of its ongoing financial restructuring, including securing a financing commitment of $350 million...

India's Reliance Infocomm Selects Nortel Networks for Optical Backbone

Nortel Networks was named as key supplier for the Reliance Infocomm nationwide converged network, which is described as India's most extensive optical and broadband project. Reliance has been awarded 18 telecom licenses with approval to operate national and international long distance services. It plans to build an optical backbone extending 60,000 km connecting cities, towns and villages across India. The network includes Nortel Networks OPTera Long Haul 1600 optical line system, OPTera Connect DX optical switch, OPTera Metro 4000 multiservice...

Cisco to Provide Metro Ethernet for China's Zhejiang Telecom

Zhejiang Telecom, a subsidiary of China Telecom, will deploy Cisco Systems' Metro Ethernet Switching products throughout Zhejiang province in eastern China. The deployment will use the Cisco Catalyst 6509, Catalyst 4006 and Catalyst 3550 switches. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.cisco....

Consumer Group Lobbies Against Powell Plan for Local Access

The Consumer Federation of America published an open letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain and the panel's ranking Democrat, Ernest "Fritz" Hollings urging law makers to block a draft proposal currently circulating inside the FCC that would lift restrictions on incumbent service providers. The group said the shift in policy, which reportedly is now backed by FCC chairman Michael Powell, would "turn back the clock and promote monopolies in local phone markets." The CFA argues that Powell's draft proposal unlawfully rewrites...

NetScaler Secures $13 Million for its Web Application Control

NetScaler, a start-up based in Santa Clara, California, received $13 million in venture capital to support its web application control solutions for enterprises and service providers. NetScaler's web application traffic control systems provide network managers with a single point of control over their web infrastructure. The NetScaler product line uses a "Request Switching" technology that combines application-level security, protection, optimization and switching into a central point of web application control. The company said it has signed...