Acme Packet and Tangerine Target SIP-based Prepaid Calling

Acme Packet, a developer of session border controllers, and Tangerine, a developer of softswitch application platforms, announced a partnership targeting SIP-based prepaid calling. Tangerine Connect is a softswitch-based application platform for small and medium service providers. Supporting pre-paid conferencing, it provides endpoint authorization and call routing and rating functionality. Acme Packet's Net-Net session border controller protects the Tangerine Connect server infrastructure from DoS attacks and helps the application scale with SIP-based call set-up, server load balancing and failover and low latency media flow. The combined solution could scale from a single T1 to 400 T1s.
http://www.acmepacket.com
http://www.tangerineinc.com

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Sylantro Ties SIP Capabilities into Corporate Applications / Databases

Sylantro Systems announced new Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) and Web services-based capabilities that allow applications to communicate and interoperate seamlessly across corporate databases, soft clients such as instant messaging and soft phones, and hosted business communications services. An example of this integrates includes a travel agency call center application. For inbound calls, the application uses Web services and Caller ID to extract customer information from the Sylantro server, then displays this data on the agent's PC monitor. Simultaneously, the application queries the enterprise database (in this case, reservations) and retrieves the most recent itinerary for the caller. This itinerary then appears on the agent's screen as a "pop-up" display.
http://www.sylantro.com

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Webley Introduces SIP-based Audio Conferencing Service

Webley Systems introduced an Internet-based audio conferencing service that uses SIP and speech recognition technology. Conference participants interact using a browser-based Webley SoftPhone client. Online audio conferences can be held instantly without advance notice and without callers needing to log in to a bridge. For billing purposes, conference leaders can capture call detail records (CDR) so they can bill back by client, department or project. Webley said Internet based conferencing would prove to be cheaper. Its new service costs as little as $0.07 per caller per minute, compared to typical domestic conferencing rate of $0.19 to $0.22 per minute and international calling rates of $3 or more. For example, BWW, a North Carolina-based network marketing company that regularly conferences with people overseas, had paid about $336 to conference with nine people in three countries. Webley would charge $42 for the same 60-minute conference, a $294 savings.
http://www.webley.com

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Minerva Offers Portable IP Television Simulation System

Minerva Networks, a provider of IP Television solutions, introduced a portable simulation system that allows network operators and broadband equipment manufacturers to test and evaluate IP TV services. The Minerva TVBook simulates a complete multi-channel digital headend. It sources up to six channels of simulated live TV or six channels of video-on-demand for delivery over any broadband IP network. TVBook features a high-performance notebook PC running Minerva iTVManager television services management software, Kasenna MediaBase video server software with two hours of pre-recorded video content, and two compact IP set-top boxes. Network operators can simulate a broad range of video services including live television, pay-per-view and video-on-demand. Operators can also evaluate back-office management functions including subscriber and set-top box management, channel creation, transaction analysis, service packaging and billing.
http://www.minervanetworks.com.

• Minerva Networks is based in Santa Clara, California.

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Corrigent Announces Co-Marketing Agreement with Larscom

Corrigent Systems announced a co-marketing agreement to combine its packet-based ADMs with Larscom's Orion 7400 SONET Multi-Service Access solution. Corrigent's CM-100 delivers Ethernet and
SONET/SDH-based services over a shared packetized transport network. Corrigent uses a bandwidth management scheme based on standard RPR. Larscom's new, customer-located Orion 7400 platform is based on the EoS standards -- including Generic Framing Procedure (GFP) for multi-vendor compatibility, both Low- (VT 1.5) and High- (STS-1) order Virtual Concatenation (VCAT) for granular and efficient use of SONET bandwidth, and Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS) to dynamically provision bandwidth on demand.
http://www.corrigent.com
http://www.larscom.com

• Corrigent Systems is a start-up based in San Jose, California, with an R&D center in Israel. Orckit Communications is a majority shareholder of Corrigent.

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HomePNA 3.0 Spec Pushes Home Networking to 128 Mbps

The Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA) finalized its third-generation technical specification for networking over existing telephone wiring inside a home. The final HomePNA 3.0 spec reaches a data rate of 128 Mbps with optional extensions reaching up to 240 Mbps. It also features a deterministic QoS mechanism so that it can be used as a high speed backbone for distributing multiple, feature-rich digital audio and video applications throughout a home. The QoS technology permits users to assign specific time slots for each stream of data guaranteeing that the real-time data will be delivered when it is required with predetermined latency and without interruption, allowing HomePNA V3 to transport data with inherent QoS requirements such as IEEE1394. The new HomePNA 3.0 specification will be presented shortly to the ITU for global standardization. The ITU-T has already adopted global phoneline networking standards G.989.1, G989.2 and G989.3 based on the HomePNA 2.0 specification.
http://www.homepna.org

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STMicroelectronics Announces ADSL Gateway Chip

STMicroelectronics introduced a new ADSL gateway processor and reference design that combines bridge and LAN router functionality in a single chip. The new ST chip is designed for low cost residential gateways with an ability to add on various product features that will allow expandability to new LAN and WAN interfaces such as Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet, ADSL, and Voice-over-IP. ST said a single chip gateway system-on-chip was the next logical step in the evolution of its product line. The company expects the residential gateway market to reach $1.4 billion dollars per year by 2007.
http://www.st.com

• In March 2003, STMicroelectronics introduced a DMT-VDSL chipset that delivers an aggregate data rate in excess of 100 Mbps over short copper loops. ST's new ZipperWire chipset, which is designed for both central-office and customer-premises-equipment, integrates a complete Frequency Division Duplex DMT VDSL modem from the line to the ATM interface in just two chips. ZipperWire can be programmed for granular, symmetric and asymmetric data rates from 64kbps to 100Mbps in both directions with a reach of up to 4,500 feet.
  
• 
  
  In April 2002, STMicroelectronics agreed to acquire Alcatel's Microelectronics business for Euro 390 million in cash. Alcatel Microelectronics was the leading producer of DSL chip-sets used in infrastructure and end-user equipment. As part of the deal, STMicroelectronics became a preferred supplier of Alcatel.

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Telekomunikacja Polska Selects Lucent for Network Upgrade

Telekomunikacja Polska (TP), the incumbent service provider in Poland, selected Lucent Technologies to supply its switching and access solutions for a network upgrade project valued at EUR 15 million. Lucent solutions covered by the agreement will enable TP to replace analog switches to allow network digitalization, ensure full network compatibility with TP's business customers' offices, and provide ISDN services. TP recently awarded a separate extension contract to Lucent for xDSL equipment.
http://www.lucent.com
http://www.telekomunikacja.pl/

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United Airlines Implements Microsoft's .NET Alerts

United Airlines has implemented the Microsoft .NET Alerts service to offer travelers instant flight status information via MSN Messenger, Microsoft Windows Messenger and MSN Mobile service. United Airlines already notifies travelers of flight updates via phone calls, fax or e-mail messages, or wireless text messaging using technology provided by Centerpost Corp.
http://www.microsoft.com

• Microsoft claims more than 100 million people worldwide currently use its instant messaging network.

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Sorrento Supplies Optical Gear for Cox's Las Vegas Network

Sorrento Networks has supplied its GigaMux DWDM and JumpStart CWDM systems to Cox Communications for use in its Las Vegas network. The Sorrento optical network is being used for transport in its Cox's migration to an all-IP/Gigabit Ethernet network.
http://www.sorrentonet.com

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Cable & Wireless Withdraws from US Market

Cable & Wireless announced a major restructuring under which it will withdraw from the U.S. market. Earlier in the year, Cable & Wireless had been optimistic that it could continue to build its business serving multinational enterprises and other carriers in the U.S. However, Cable & Wireless has now concluded that there is not a long-term viable business model, as its U.S. operations continue to consume cash and have had limited interaction with the rest of the Cable & Wireless group. Various options are being considered to withdraw from the market. Cable & Wireless now plans to focus its attention on the UK, where its market share is second only to BT. The larger strategy is to create a group of profitable national telecom companies with strong positions in their primary markets. The restructuring will result in 1,500 layoffs in the coming 18 months.
http://www.cw.com

• In April 2003, Cable & Wireless appointed Francesco Caio as its new CEO, replacing Graham Wallace. Caio formerly served as CEO and founder of Netscalibur and previously CEO of Omnitel and Merloni. Cable & Wireless also named Kevin Loosemore to serve in the newly created position of COO. Loosemore previously was Regional President for EMEA of Motorola and formerly CEO of IBM UK.
  
• 
  
  In January 2003, Cable & Wireless appointed Richard Lapthorne as its non-executive Chairman, to replace the retiring Sir Ralph Robins. At the time, Lapthorne also served as Chairman of Amersham plc, Morse PLC, Avecia plc, Tunstall Holdings Ltd and TI Automotive.
  
• 
  
  In November 2002, Cable & Wireless first announced plans to withdraw from domestic business markets in the US and in Continental Europe -- except for multinational Enterprise and Service Provider customers.
  
• 
  
  In July 2002, Cable & Wireless upgraded the US portion of its global IP network to OC-192 running MPLS from coast-to-coast. Cable & Wireless activated OC-192 in Q4 connecting Washington, DC and New York with London, Paris, Brussels, Amsterdam and Frankfurt. The company then added Anaheim, Atlanta, Chicago, Dallas and Santa Clara. Cable & Wireless said its upgraded network enables it to deliver OC-48/STM-16 IP access services to carriers, content providers, ISPs and large enterprises.
  
• 
  
  In November 2001, Cable and Wireless agreed to acquire Exodus for US$850 million. Exodus was in Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings at the time. Previously, Cable & Wireless had acquired Digital Island and its content delivery network for approximately US$340 million.
  
• 
  
  Cable & Wireless' other acquisitions included MCI's Internet backbone.

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DSL Forum Launches DSLHome Initiative

The DSL Forum launched a new initiative aimed at extending broadband services past DSL modems and into other devices inside the home. The aim of the new DSLHome initiative is to create an architecture that extends QoS and management requirements into a home network for supporting multimedia applications. Key requirements include simultaneous multi-user, multi-destination support; bandwidth options to suit various usage requirements, specific service levels for video, voice, music and gaming applications; security; and a choice of CPE with simplified installation. The DSLHome initiative has two components: new technical work and market promotion. The new technical work includes:

• LAN side DSL customer premise equipment (CPE) configuration specifications
  
• 
  
  Dual port router requirements
  
• 
  
  WAN-side DSL CPE management specifications
  
• 
  
  Interface & System configuration for ADSL on customer premises
  
• 
  
  Privacy and Protection Security
  

Technical documents are currently circulating among DSL Forum members. In addition to this technical work, the DSL Forum will be launching programs to improve users' knowledge of DSL powered home networks. The first outcome of this effort is a pair of home networking user guides, currently under development and scheduled to be released in Q4 2003.


Eleven other industry organizations are supporting DSLHome, including: the Wi-Fi Alliance, the HomePlug Association, the Home Phoneline Networking Alliance (HomePNA), the BCD Forum, the Consumer Electronics Association and others.
http://www.dslforum.org

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Lucent Launches VDSL IP DSLAM That Delivers Ethernet In The First Mile

Lucent Technologies introduced a new IP DSLAM capable of delivering Triple Play broadband services or Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) services by using VDSL transport. Lucent's V-16 IP DSLAM uses both symmetric and asymmetric transport modes for Ethernet over copper connectivity. It also offers Gigabit Ethernet, metallic and optical uplink options, an integrated ISDN/POTS splitter to seamlessly deploy VDSL over any POTS or ISDN network and co-existence with existing ADSL technology. The V-16 IP DSLAM is offered in a compact box supporting up to 16 VDSL ports in a 1 RU sized unit. Up to 8 units can be cascaded and managed as one single network element. Lucent will also offer companion Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) that can support both asymmetric and symmetric VDSL service. Lucent said the new Ethernet-based DSLAM leverages the design expertise gained through its existing Stinger DSLAM line, which is based on ATM.
http://www.lucent.com

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Motorola Forms New Division to Target Consumer Broadband Solutions

Motorola has formed a new business unit dedicated to delivering the company's "connected home" solutions to consumers. The new consumer solutions business, part of Motorola's Broadband Communications Sector group, will focus on the development and retail distribution of Motorola's next-generation home electronics products. Motorola is already a leading supplier of cable modems and digital set-tops. Product lines also include a wireless cable modem gateway, telephony appliance, home networking products, a cable-ready home theater system and other devices for broadband services such as digital music and home monitoring.
http://www.motorola.com

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SUPERCOMM Keynote: "Cable Has it All"

Consumers want choice, value, and entertainment from service providers, according to Patrick Esser, Executive VP of Operations at Cox Communications, who spoke at SUPERCOMM in Atlanta. By offering bundled services over a converged network architecture, Cox believes that it offers the right combination to win customers' business. The cable industry has invested $75 billion since 1996 to upgrade its infrastructure for advanced services. The Cox network alone includes 1.5 million miles of fiber. The company's integrated IT infrastructure allows customers to make one call to a single group for customer service, and allows Cox to deliver one bill for all services. Esser believes that this gives Cox a significant advantage in its ability to compete and add value. He noted that 70% of Cox customers choose cable over DSL for high speed Internet service, and the company expects 1 million phone customers by end of this year.


Unlike some others in the industry, Cox does not believe that telecommunications faces a one dimensional, commodity-driven future. It's not just price, said Esser, it's about bundling, value proposition, and convenience. Cox is working to offer new solutions and services to its customers, including home networks, remotely accessible home security systems, and a home healthcare monitoring and advisory system. Esser said that Cox wants to work in partnership with systems vendors, and is looking to the industry for a variety of solutions, including ways to ease the transition from a circuit switched to VoIP telephone network.


Separately today, Cox Communications provided statistics regarding the influence that telephone and bundling offerings have on its customer relationships. Highlights include:

• 77% of Cox Digital Telephone customers chose Cox's long distance service offerings over competitors.
  
• 
  
  47% percent of its Digital Telephone customers purchase a full bundle of voice, video and data services from Cox.
  
• 
  
  Over 40% percent of Cox's homes passed can order the company's telephone service today.
  
• 
  
  Phone and high speed Internet service reduces customer churn rates. Customer churn among two-product video subscribers is 25% lower than among video-only subscribers. Among three-product customers, churn is 53% lower.

Cox said that it continues to explore cost-effective ways to expand its phone service footprint and leverage its existing nationwide IP backbone network, including VoIP technology.


The cable industry's network infrastructure has turned out to be much more capable than anyone expected, according to Dr. Richard R. Green, President & CEO of CableLabs. In seven years, the cable industry has gone from offering no Internet services to current subscriber levels of 12 million in the US and 18 million globally. Green said that this success was due to the establishment of standards and close cooperation with networking companies. CableLabs considers DOCSIS the most notable and successful of its standards efforts, which has resulted in modems provided by scores of manufacturers, a decline in modem prices from $400 to $40, and a simple and reliable setup process for customers, making self-installation a reality for most new subscribers. DOCSIS continues to evolve, with v1.1 and 2.0 allowing the delivery of voice service and security. DOCSIS 2.0 also offers symmetric upstream and downstream connections, and the first modem certifications have already taken place.


CableLabs will continue to work with system and component vendors to development new standards, including:

• PacketCable, for primary line voice service via VoIP, and multimedia services like conferencing and gaming. Time Warner has already deployed PacketCable services in Maine.
  
• 
  
  OpenCable, a standard interface for digital TV and set-top boxes, including the ability to integrate full set-top functionality directly into TVs. The first OpenCable TVs will appear by year end.
  
• 
  
  CableHome, to simplify home networking.

http://www.cox.com
http://www.cablelabs.com

• Cox Communications ended Q1 2003 with 782,546 Digital Telephone subscribers, an increase of 52% in one year.
  
• 
  
  In May 2003, Juniper Networks announced that Cox Communications had deployed its T-series routing platforms in its national IP backbone. Juniper's T320 platforms serve as peering points in Cox's new IP backbone. The peering is used to manage bandwidth growth at regional data centers by re-directing IP traffic.
  
• 
  
  During Q1 2003, Cox added 154,433 high-speed Internet customers, ending the quarter with 1.6 million high-speed Internet customers, representing year-over-year growth of 56%. Penetration in California is now 24%, despite heavy marketing of SBC's DSL service in the region. The company believes it is capturing 7 out of every 10 high speed Internet customers in the markets it serves. Cable modem service is available in 96% of the Cox footprint. The company also added 64,126 Cox Digital Telephone customers, ending the quarter with 782,546 telephone customers, representing year-over-year growth of 52%. Cox said it will continue to push its circuit-switched technology in the markets it serves, while continuing to evaluate VoIP for its expansion markets.

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Worldwide DSL Subscribers Up 15% to 41 Million

The DSL Forum announced that DSL subscribers increased by 5.5 million, or 15%, in Q1 2003 to reach 41.3 million worldwide. According to research by Point Topic, the figures represent a 90% increase compared to one year ago. Of current "mass-market" broadband technologies, 57% of customers subscribe to DSL, while 38% use cable and 5% connect with Gigabit Ethernet. Other highlights include:

• The largest number of DSL subscribers are in Japan and the USA, each with approximately 7 million.
  
• 
  The fastest growth during the period took place in mainland China and Hong Kong (30%), followed by Western Europe (20%).
  
• 
  The world's highest DSL penetration level is 29%, in South Korea.
  
• 
  DSL service is now available in 54 countries.

The DSL Forum predicts 60 million DSL subscribers at the end of this year, and 200 million by the end of 2005.
http://www.dslforum.orghttp://www.point-topic.com

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Huawei to Sell Avici Routers in China

Avici Systems and Huawei Technologies have entered into an OEM agreement under which Huawei will sell Avici's routing products in China. Huawei will offer the routers under its own label as part of its networking portfolio.
http://www.avici.com
http://www.huawei.com

• In January 2003, Cisco Systems filed a lawsuit against Huawei Technologies alleging unlawful copying of Cisco's intellectual property. In particular, the suit alleges that Huawei unlawfully copied and misappropriated Cisco's IOS software, including source code, copied Cisco documentation and other copyrighted materials, and infringed numerous Cisco patents.
  
• 
  
  Earlier this week, Avici announced a new series of “Any Service Any Port�? multi-service line cards for its routing platforms. The software configurable cards are based on an Intel network processor and support ATM, Frame Relay, POS/PPP and MPLS interfaces on the same card.

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SUPERCOMM: SUPERQuest Awards

At this week's SUPERCOMM trade show in Atlanta, the following companies won SUPERQuest
Awards for excellence in network design, infrastructure products, and most promising new technologies.

Backbone Edge/Core

Winner: Yahoo! BB

Product Name: VoDSL

Key Supplier is UTStarcom

Runner Up: WilTel Communications

Product Name: EWAN

Key Supplier is Riverstone Networks

OSS/BSS

Winner:
WilTel Communications

Product
Name: DNA

Key
suppliers include BEA Systems, Inc., Vertel, and ACE
Communications

Network
Infrastructure

Winner:
Grant County Public Utility District

Product
Name: ZIPP Network

Key
suppliers include Telco Systems and Cisco Systems

Runner
Up: D-Link Systems, Inc.

Product
Name:  DCS-2000 Surveillance Camera

D-Link
is an original hardware manufacturer

Access Networking Equipment

Winner:
Celite Systems

Product
Name: CS200/400 DSL Headends

Runner
Up: Actelis Networks

Product
Name: MetaLIGHT 1500 release 2.1 

Backbone/Edge
Networking 

Winner:
Laurel Networks, Inc.

Product
Name: ST200 Service Edge Router 

Runner
Up: Avici Systems Inc.

Product
Name: Multi-Service Connect platform 

Optical
Networking 

Winner:
ANDA Networks

Product
Name: EtherEdge 4000 

Runner
Up: ADC Telecommunications, Inc.

Product
Name: Fiber Management Tray 2RU 

IP
Application Service Support Equipment 

Winner:
Lucent Technologies

Product
Name: 5E-XC Web Portal Solution 

Runner
Up: SupportSoft, Inc.

Product
Name: SupportSoft HomeNet 

Management
Systems and Software 

Winner:
Verisign, Inc and Telespree Communications

Product
Name: Self-Service Set-UP 

Runner
Up: Atreus Systems

Product
Name: Service Creation Suite 

Network
Transport Infrastructure Systems and Services 

Winner:
Foundry Networks

Product
Name: BigIron MG8 

Runner
Up: Telco Systems, Inc.

Product
Name: EdgeLink OTM1000CPC

Application
Layer Systems and Technologies

Winner:
Convedia Corporation

Product
Name: Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) and Text to Speech (TTS) 

Runner
Up: Sylantro Systems Corporation

Product
Name: Enterprise Edition 

Security 

Winner:
Nortel Networks

Product
Name: WLAN 2200 Series 

Runner
Up: Juniper Networks

Product
Name: Adaptive Services PIC (ASP)

http://www.supercomm2003.com

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