OIF Approves Expanded Tunable Laser Spec

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) approved a multi-source Tunable Laser Implementation Agreement that addresses module physical (electrical) interface, communications interfaces and optical performance parameters for continuous wavelength (CW) tunable laser modules. The new agreement was passed in record time, going from proposal in February 2003 to completion last month. This new IA builds upon the OIF's first tunable laser specification, which was released in November 2002.http://oiforum.com

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AMCC Reports a Rise in Network Silicon Order Bookings

In a presentation at the Smith Barney Citigroup Semiconductor Conference in Monterey, California, Dave Rickey, President, CEO and Chairman of AMCC noted increased order activity since early April. In a press statement, he said "new bookings remain robust as some customers lay in several months of backlog." However, Rickey observed that it was too early to characterize the bookings as a "significant trend" and he did not update the financial guidance that AMCC provided to its investors on 23-April-2003.
http://www.amcc.com

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Jasomi Announces 6 New Deployments for PeerPoint Gateway

Jasomi Networks announced 6 new customer deployments for its PeerPoint network boundary traversal and session controller. New customers include Primus Telecommunications, New York-based WorldWide Telco, Texas-based Addaline.com, Austrian registry nic.at GmbH, LibréTel and Teleplus Consulting. Jasomi's boundary traversal SIP gateway enables companies and carriers to route inbound SIP traffic without bypassing a firewall.
http://www.jasomi.com

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Marconi Demonstrates 480 Gbps Switch-Router in MPLS Interoperability Event

Marconi Corporation demonstrated its BXR-48000, a 480 Gbps switch-router, in a multi-vendor IP/MPLS interoperability demonstration sponsored by the MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance at this week's SUPERCOMM trade show in Atlanta. The demo tests Fast Re-Route techniques, Layer 2 point-to-point services, virtual private LAN services and Layer 3 RFC 2547-bis VPN operation. The BXR-48000 supports multiple fast-reroute techniques from several edge router vendors, enabling it to aggregate numerous edge devices into a common core infrastructure.
http://www.marconi.com
http://www.mplsforum.org

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Marconi Announces GigE Module for Switch Routers

Marconi Corporation introduced a one-port Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) network module for its ASX and TNX families of multiservice switch-routers. The module allows service providers to deliver SLAs by mapping Ethernet traffic to the QoS guarantees offered by ATM networks, allowing them to provide VoIP, Video over IP and VPN services. Operators can also offer transparent LAN services, private line services and DSLAM aggregation with the module.
http://www.marconi.com

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Marconi Enhances Video Conferencing Virtual Presence System

Marconi Corporation announced product enhancements to its ViPr Virtual Presence System for high-resolution, real-time, multimedia communications between geographically dispersed locations. The ViPr System merges video-conferencing and IP-based voice services to deliver DVD-quality video and CD-sharp sound on a platform optimized for point-to- multi-point desktop communications. The ViPr Series II integrates a touch screen, camera, speakers, and other components into a compact, desktop platform. In addition, the enhancements include several SIP-based gateways to simplify ViPr's integration with legacy telephone networks and WANs. Marconi also announced today that it would extend its ViPr market reach from the U.S. federal government to European national governments and to state and local government markets in the U.S. for use in real-time multimedia intelligence briefings, command and control communications and telejustice applications.
http://www.marconi.com

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CoManage Upgrades OSS, Signs Marconi as Reseller

CoManage Corporation released a new version of its TrueSource data integrity product. TrueSource 4.0 includes the new Discrepancy Analytics Engine, which identifies and prioritizes the root causes of discrepancies between asset inventory records in databases and the live network, and offers recommended resolution plans to fix them. CoManage claims that the Analytics Engine can reduce discrepancy repair by an estimated 95% when compared with traditional manual methods. The upgrade also features enhanced support for IP Networks, covering the core, edge and access portions of the carrier network, including IP-VPNs.


Separately, CoManage entered into an agreement with Marconi Corporation under which Marconi's Wireless Business Unit will become a global reseller of TrueSource to wireless service providers worldwide. The companies believe that the TrueSource network inventory data integrity solution will improve the effectiveness and utilization of network resources and the efficiency of provisioning and managing new services on wireless networks.


CoManage also announced the opening of its European Sales and Support Center west of London. Sales offices in the US include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Denver, San Francisco and Washington, DC.
http://www.comanage.net

• Some key features of CoManage's TrueSource software include: Parallel discovery, for automatically finding network equipment and connection components making up logical services; Assimilation, for automatically assembling connection components into end-to-end service views and identifying stranded connection resources; and Reconciliation, for automatically identifying discrepancies between the network and various OSSs, including the inventory system. TrueSource supports IP, MPLS, ATM, DSL, Frame Relay, Ethernet, SONET and DWDM services running on equipment from Cisco, Lucent, Nortel, Alcatel and other manufacturers.

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Broadcom's GbE and ADSL Silicon Selected for Occam's Loop Carrier System

Occam Networks is using Broadcom's ADSL and Gigabit Ethernet silicon technologies for delivering and aggregating broadband traffic on its new BLC 6000 Loop Carrier System. The design utilizes the Broadcom BCM6410/20 BladeRunner ADSL Central Office (CO) chipset, which enables high-speed access capability from the CO or remote terminal (RT). Aggregation and transport of the user traffic is powered by a family of Broadcom Gigabit Ethernet devices, which include the BCM5691 StrataXGS GbE multi-layer switch chip, the BCM5421S GbE PHY) device, and the BCM5703S GbE MAC. These Gigabit Ethernet chips enable the uplink, switching, and backplane capabilities in the BLC 6000 System.
http://www.occamnetworks.com
http://www.broadcom.com

• In May 2003, Occam Networks announced its new BLC 6000 Broadband Loop Carrier System for delivery of voice, data and video services using Gigabit Ethernet transport. Occam's BLC 6000 is a modular loop carrier system designed to eliminate the need for additional pieces of access equipment such as a DSLAM, Ethernet switch, Optical Add Drop multiplexor and VoIP gateway. The platform supports TDM services, such as lifeline POTS and T1s, as well as an IP Service Delivery model for the delivery of video and softswitch-controlled voice services. IP support includes Internet Group Multicast Protocol (IGMP) and Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). The BLC 6000 System can scale from 24 to thousands of subscribers, sharing blades across a variety of chassis sizes. It also supports both copper and fiber services to the subscriber, enabling carriers to build fiber-to-the-curb networks immediately and later upgrade to fiber-to-the-home without switching loop carriers. Occam Networks also features unique Ethernet Protection Switching (EPS) and Service Quality Management (SQM) technologies, which the company says ensures carrier-quality IP voice over Ethernet with the reliability of SONET and voice quality as good or better than TDM.

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MCI Selects Nortel Packet Voice Technology for Converged Network Transition

MCI has deployed Nortel Networks Succession superclass softswitches and Passport Packet Voice Gateways to create a next generation packet voice network and move toward its goal of a single voice and data network on a common IP core. Under the phase of the transition, MCI has evolved existing Nortel Networks DMS circuit switches to Succession Communication Server 2000 superclass softswitches. In addition, the service provider will have deployed 51 Passport gateways by the end of June. MCI expects to carry 25% of its domestic voice traffic over the packet voice network by the end of the year. By 2005, the company plans to move 100% of its traffic to an all IP core. MCI said that it anticipates increased network efficiency and operational savings from the architecture change, while providing additional value to its customers, such as complete service bundles that include voice, data, and multimedia. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.mci.com
http://www.nortelnetworks.com

• Nortel defines a superclass softswitch as one that meets all criteria for service provider circuit-to-packet migration - local, tandem and long distance capability on a single platform; full business and residential telephony service sets; regulatory features like "Lawful Intercept" and "Number Portability;" third party interoperability; and carrier-grade reliability and scalability.

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TiMetra Unveils its Next Generation Service Routers

TiMetra Networks, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, unveiled its family of scalable, carrier-class routing platforms for the delivery of new, private data services as well as Internet access. TiMetra believes the introduction of highly granular VPN services requires a fundamental design shift in routing platforms, similar to the change from multiprotocol corporate routers circa 1995 to Internet-class IP routers circa 1998. Rather than retrofit core routers for advanced services such as MPLS tunneling, destination-based billing and VPLS, TiMetra sees an opportunity for "service routers." TiMetra's platform is built using its own fully programmable 10 Gbps Network Processor Array, which is flexible enough for service providers to implement custom service capabilities. TiMetra said its custom network processor represent a significant improvements over ASICs and off-the-shelf network processors. The 10 Gbps Network Processor Array silicon has thousands of ingress and egress queues to enable line rate QoS, accounting/billing, provisioning and diagnostics -- all on a per-service basis for thousands of services per physical port. The 10 Gbps deep packet inspections would allow service providers to offer highly granular Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Integrated OA&M functionality lets providers verify, manage and troubleshoot IP/MPLS data services. A unique Service Mirroring capability can be used to troubleshoot services and capture traffic without having to overlay network analyzers or deploy technicians to remote POPs.


TiMetra's product line includes the 20 Gbps SR-1, occupying 1.5RU of rack space, the 60 Gbps SR-4, occupying 1/7 rack, and the 400 Gbps SR-12, occupying 1/3 rack. The platform scales to density of 600 Gigabit Ethernet or 960 OC-12/STM-4 ports per rack. All three routers use a common set of interface modules and Small Form-factor Pluggable (SFP) Optics. The SR-Series supports Ethernet interfaces ranging from 10/100Mbps to 10Gbps and TDM-based interfaces from T1/E1 to OC-192/STM-64.
http://www.timetra.com

• In May 2003, Alcatel announced plans to acquire TiMetra for approximately US$150 million in stock. TiMetra has been active in the IETF in the development of Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS), which provide bridged, multi-point WAN connectivity for corporate networks. The companies said TiMetra's platform is complementary to the existing Alcatel 7770 Optical Broadband Exchange (OBX), an IP router for the core of service provider networks. The companies expect the acquisition to close this summer.
• 
  
  TiMetra was founded in 2000 and received $56 million in total funding from Redpoint Ventures and Accel Partners.
• 
  
  TiMetra is headed by Basil Alwan. Prior to founding TiMetra, Alwan was VP & GM of Nortel Networks Enterprise Products Division (EPD), a team of 300 developers and staff primarily focused on scalable Layer 3 switched networks. He joined Nortel through the Bay Networks acquisition of Rapid City Communications, where he was VP of Product Management and Marketing.

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Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems Seeks Growth in North America

T-Systems, Deutsche Telekom's IT and network integration business, is opening a new headquarters for the Americas in New York City. T-Systems' growth strategy is based on a "Follow Our Customers" philosophy. It is targeting network solutions for the North American operations of multinational corporations that already do business with T-Systems in Europe.
http://www.t-systemsus.com

• In April, Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems division extended its IP-VPN MPLS network services into North America. T-Systems is offering custom-built MPLS solutions that address and adapt to specific requirements at each site in terms of availability, class of service mix, service level agreement and support parameters. Four "application-aware" classes of service are available. The service runs entirely over an IP backbone.

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Sycamore and Siemens Announce Integrated Optical Solutions

Siemens and Sycamore Networks have reached several milestones in their joint efforts to integrate Siemens' DWDM long haul transmission, SDH systems, and network management systems with Sycamore's SN 16000 intelligent optical switch. Highlights of the completed development work include:

• transport integration of the Siemens DWDM transmission system SURPASS hiT 7500 and Sycamore's SN 16000 intelligent optical switch, thereby eliminating the need for back-to-back client transponders at switching locations. This reduces the number of O/E/O (optical to electrical to optical conversion) transponders
• 
  
  integration of Sycamore's SILVX NMS and Siemens TNMS, enabling service providers to manage the SN 16000 for tasks such as fault management, performance management and service provisioning by using their existing Siemens TNMS system
• 
  
  protection scheme inter-working between Siemens SDH Add/Drop Multiplexers and Sycamore's SN 16000 intelligent optical switch, enabling carriers to inter-work Siemens' 2F/4F BSHR protection scheme with any other traditional ring or dynamic mesh protection scheme supported by the SN 16000.

Siemens said the joint work with Sycamore represents "a great step within our next generation optics strategy."http://www.usa.siemens.com
http://www.sycarmorenet.com

• In June 2002, Sycamore Networks announced a major re-organization in which it halted the development of its standalone transport systems, including the SN 8000 and the SN 10000. The company vowed to focus its business on the intelligent optical switching market with its SN 3000 and SN 16000 product lines. Sycamore also unveiled a strategic alliance under which Siemens Information and Communications Networks resells its optical switches on a global basis.

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Infineon Introduces New QAM-VDSL Modem-on-Chip, Announces Design Win with Huawei

Infineon Technologies introduced a new Modem-on-Chip (MoC) solution for access line card and customer premises equipment (CPE) designs. Infineon's chip incorporates the digital transceiver, analog front end (AFE) and line driver for a VDSL modem. The new VDSL5100i chip also features Infineon's Adaptive Hybrid technology, which enables filterless designs, thereby reducing the number of external components and associated cost, for both line card and CPE devices. Infineon said its VDSL chip provides an aggregate data rate of more than 100 Mbps, including asymmetric data-rates of 70/40 Mbps and symmetric data-rates of 50/50 Mbps over single-pair copper wires. It also features a software-controlled band plan and transport protocol selection for both native Ethernet as well as ATM traffic. Infineon claims its Long-Reach technology, which utilizes Band 0 frequencies, can extend the range of VDSL services to up to 13,200 feet (4 km).


Separately, Infineon announced that Huawei Technologies has designed a multi-range VDSL system based on its new QAM VDSL5100 chip set.
http://www.infineon.com/news

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Eleven DSL Suppliers Commit to DMT VDSL

Eleven DSL semiconductor and system vendors announced their commitment to discrete multi-tone (DMT) modulation as the line code for standard-compliant very-high-bit-rate digital subscriber lines (VDSL). The companies noted that over 36 million ADSL lines deployed worldwide at the end of 2002 were using DMT modulation. The companies claim the technology will scale to more than 70 Mbps downstream and over 50 Mbps upstream on existing telephone lines. The backers of DMT VDSL include Alcatel, Analog Devices, Broadcom, Ericsson, Ikanos Communications, Intel, LSI Logic, Nokia, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments and Thomson Multimedia.
http://www.ikanos.com

• Companies advocating QAM-based VDSL include Infineon Technologies and Metalink. Broadcom was an early supporter of QAM VDSL, but recently switched sides and announced its support for DMT line coding.
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  The TiE1.4 committee is meeting later this month to consider whether DMT or QAM should be adopted as a standard. A "VDSL Olympics" is currently underway, with both sides presenting their technical arguments as to which is best.

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Infineon Offers Ethernet Switch-on-a-Chip, EoVDSL

Infineon Technologies introduced a Layer2+ Ethernet Access Switch Switch-on-Chip solution for access
switch designs handling standard Ethernet, Ethernet-over-Fiber, and VDSL links. Infineon's "Purple" Switch-on-a-Chip silicon could be used in seven different switch configurations, ranging from 48
Fast Ethernet (FE) + 2 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) ports up to 8 GbE ports. The range of applications supported by the Purple Switch-on-Chip include IP-DSLAM/DLCs, high port count workgroup switches, GbE aggregators, LAN Access Switches, cellular base stations and Packet over SONET/SDH systems.


In addition, Infineon previewed a Layer 2+ Ethernet over VDSL (EoVDSL) switch evaluation and demonstration system that combines the Purple Switch-on-Chip and its EoVDSL PHYs. The EoVDSL design includes a chassis, power supply, and LED front panel. It features 24 single-port EoVDSL PHYs, as well as two Plug and Play GbE Copper or GbE Fiber uplink modules. The main board is expandable up to 48 EoVDSL PHYs.
http://www.infineon.com

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Bell Labs Sets Its Sights on Services

Bell Labs will focus more of its efforts on solving the direct technical issues of Lucent's customers. The increased direct customer interaction is expected to enhance the field support capabilities of Lucent Worldwide Services (LWS) and shorten product development cycles for new technologies being developed inside the lab. An example of Bell Labs' efforts includes a "Bandwidth Recovery" research
service that will help carriers recover stranded capacity in their SONET/SDH, ATM and MPLS/IP networks. Specifically, Bell Labs is developing algorithms code-named Mobius for optimizing existing SONET/SDH infrastructure. Another bandwidth recovery technology, known as iOptimize, performs MPLS and ATM optimization by using network engineering software. Mascot, a third Bell Labs technology targeted at services, employs a collection of algorithms to reduce network-switching overhead. Bell Labs is also working on carrier service research in the areas of distributed denial of service (DDoS) Internet attack prevention, bandwidth migration, database reconciliation, Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) route stabilization, and operations optimization.
http://www.bell-labs.com
http://www.lucent.com

• Bell Labs was founded in 1925. Its long list of communications breakthroughs includes transistors, lasers, cellular telephony, communications satellites, the Unix operating system and digital encryption. Eleven scientists have received the Nobel Prize for their work at Bell Labs.

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Lucent Unveils Compact iGEN Voice Switch

Lucent Technologies unveiled a compact switch for delivering Class 5 switching and other key voice features in the small central offices of independent telephone companies, CLECs and cable companies. The new iGEN Compact Switch scales from 32 to 10,000 subscribers. It features a "switch-on-a-pack"
architecture that integrates all of its functionality into a single shelf, rather than multiple cabinets used by smaller legacy switches. It provides key support for GR303, V5.2, ISDN, SS7, AIN, cable and telephone applications.
http://www.lucent.com/igen

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AT&T Now Serves 3 Million Residential Local Customers

AT&T reached the 3 million customer milestone for residential local access lines. AT&T noted that the
competitive local service market is flourishing only where state regulatory commissions set reasonable
rates for unbundled network elements. AT&T said it is hopeful that a number of state commissions that are reviewing wholesale rates, including those in Georgia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania and Texas, will set rates that will foster the growth of local service competition.


Including business lines, AT&T now has more than 7 million local access lines in service.
http://www.att.com

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Agilent Introduces Compact System for Remote Testing of Fiber Optic Networks

Agilent introduced its accessFIBER 53000 Series compact remote fiber test unit for management and monitoring of physical fiber networks. The system gathers data from remote fiber optic test probes placed throughout a service provider's network to provide real time visibility into fiber breaks and troubleshoot problems such as unstable links and fiber degradation. The accessFIBER Remote Fiber Test Unit provides details to pinpoint the exact location of fiber breaks and enables electronically distributed work orders to rapidly handle repairs. The system's user interface visually indicates a problem's urgency within a fiber optic network by magnifying areas of a map-like screen as items detected become increasingly critical. Agilent says that the unit is one-tenth the rack size of other solutions.
http://www.agilent.com

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AT&T to Raise Bar on Customer Service, Launch Wi-Fi

Speaking at the opening of Supercomm 2003 in Atlanta, David Dorman, CEO of AT&T, said his company will invest $500 million towards "improving the customer experience" on its networks. This targeted spending, which is part of the existing capital expenditures already budgeted for 2003, is aimed at making AT&T into "an easier company to do business with." While customers already perceive AT&T as reliable and stable, Dorman said the vision is to put customers in charge of ordering, provisioning, adjusting and monitoring custom services "with a minimum of hassle." On this front, AT&T will significantly outspend its competitors. In particular, AT&T will simplify its contracts, reduce provisioning time, improve billing accuracy, and roll out electronic bonding capabilities that link large corporate customers' purchasing, inventory, maintenance and accounting systems directly into AT&T's provisioning, repair and billing computer systems. Additionally, within a year AT&T aims to give its Frame Relay customers the ability to implement network-based IP-VPNs using web-based tools to self-provision services within one hour. AT&T also announced plans to offer a corporate VPN Tunneling Service through Wi-Fi hotspots at airports and hotels nationwide. AT&T will aggregate hotspots globally using multiple providers. It will also introduce GPRS, 3G and CDMA access to corporate VPNs by partnering with major mobile operators. Dorman said large enterprises will be able to save 10 to 25% by moving to AT&T's network-based IP VPNs. As for the health of the industry, Dorman said the "ever receding imminent recovery" means that overall spending on communication services remains weak. Dorman believes that AT&T's size and relatively strong balance sheet will enable it to take market share from its competitors. He forecasts continued consolidation among major service providers but downplayed any speculation that AT&T might be involved in any such deals.
http://www.att.com

• AT&T's BusinessDirect E-bonding uses XML to link enterprise customers into AT&T's network support systems.
• 
  
  A new application, called AT&T BusinessDirect Map, allows enterprise customers to "point-and-click" on a map to get network status reports and to manage related facilities.
• 
  
  AT&T, along with Intel, IBM, Apax Partners and 3i, is an investor in Cometa Networks, which plans to provide broadband, wholesale, wireless Internet access based on 802.11 technology nationwide.

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