Microsoft and Portal Software Announce Telecom Billing Alliance

Microsoft and Portal Software announced a strategic alliance aimed at transforming legacy telco billing systems for future Web services. More specifically, Microsoft will integrate Portal's billing and subscriber management software platform with its own .NET technologies. This would provide the communications industry with a .NET-connected solution for rolling out and billing new voice, data and content services. The new "BillingAgility" is a billing and subscriber management solution built on Microsoft Windows Server 2003 (64-bit) with the SQL...

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Belgium National Research Network Upgrades with Juniper

BELNET, the Belgium national research network, has deployed Juniper Networks M-series routing platforms in 14 POPs of its GigaNet network throughout Belgium, including two super POPs in Brussels. BELNET supports more than 150 research and educational institutions. The network will now support multicast and IPv6 functionality. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.juniper.nethttp://www.belnet...

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KDDI Tests IPv6 Network between Japan and the U.S.

KDDI has launched an IPv6 trial network between its labs in Japan and U.S. locations, in cooperation with Japan's government funded WIDE Project. The transpacific IPv6 network is being used to test an IPv6 application called "QualityMeeting," which can transmit VGA-quality video and CD-quality audio using the company's proprietary Bandwidth Adaptive Rate Control and Audio Video Error Concealment technology. KDDI is also testing a portal system that provides IPv6 equipment hostname registration, a portal for access to a user's IPv6 equipment,...

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Verizon Chooses Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 4500 ADM

Verizon has selected Fujitsu as one of its suppliers of next generation optical add/drop multiplexers. More specifically, Verizon has selected Fujitsu's FLASHWAVE 4500 core transport system, the FLASHWAVE 4300 aggregation system and the FLASHWAVE 4100 access system. Verizon will be utilizing the FLEXR GT craft interface software and the NETSMART 1500 element management system to manage the Fujitsu FLASHWAVE 4000 product family. The selection is the culmination of Verizon's NGADM RFP process, which included rigorous lab testing and a comprehensive...

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Orange Unveils New Group Strategy

Orange SA, the largest mobile operator in both the UK and France, unveiled a new corporate strategy that emphasizes customer intimacy, capitalizing on its intelligent network and developing key industry alliances. Orange is implementing a common technology platform across the entire Orange Group, adding intelligence to the network infrastructure to deliver new services and applications quickly. Orange also intends to form an alliance with TIM (Telecom Italia Mobile), Telefonica Moviles and T-Mobile to deliver seamless voice, data and mobile internet...

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FutureSoft Receives Investment from IIML and Intel Capital

FutureSoft, a developer of communications and embedded software solutions, announced strategic investments from IL&FS Investment Managers Limited (IIML) and Intel Capital. FutureSoft plans to scale up its IP business targeting global original design manufacturers (ODMs) and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). The company is based in Chennai (Madras), India and has offices in the US and the UK. http://www.futsoft....

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NTT Com to Expand IPv6 Across Asia-Pac and North America

NTT Communications is expanding its IPv6 coverage to include Australia, Hong Kong, South Korea, Taiwan and the U.S. The service provides direct connection to the NTT/VERIO Global IPv6 Backbone, offering IPv6 Internet access over leased circuits. ISPs can use the NTT Comm backbone to provide IPv6 services in their local areas. NTT first launched a commercial IPv6 service in Japan in April 2002. NTT Europe introduced an IPv6 gateway service in February 2003. http://www.ntt.com/The North American Global IPv6 Summit is being held this week at San Diego...

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PlanetLab Creates Testbed for Internet Applications/Services

PlanetLab, an initiative led by the academic community in partnership with HP and Intel, is building a global test bed for new Internet applications and services. PlanetLab consists of 170 Linux-based computers distributed at 60 research centers around the world. The computers are configured in an overlay network to the public Internet using their own intelligent routers and servers. The goal is to enable new applications that are decentralized, with pieces running on many machines spread across the global Internet. Some form of application processing...

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AtlasONE Malaysia Selects Santera's Switch

AtlasONE Malaysia, an emerging provider of telecommunications services in Malaysia, will be utilizing Santera's SanteraOne platform for delivering Class 5 traffic over its soon to be launched next-generation network. The deployment will be supported by CommVerge Solutions, a network integrator. The network will initially service the Klang Valley district of Greater Kuala Lumpur, before a phased nationwide expansion. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.santera.com/The SanteraOne platform is a carrier-grade integrated voice and data switch...

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VPIsystems Teams with Cisco on Optical Network Configuration Software

VPIsystems will provide its optical network configuration software to Cisco Systems and its customers to help optimize network designs. VPI's software captures carrier's network requirements and detailed product specifications to automatically calculate a deployable, optimized network design and create a list of required equipment. http://www.VPIsystems....

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Ikanos to Show 150 Mbps EFM Solution using VDSL-DMT

Ikanos Communications plans to demonstrate an Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) solution at an aggregate rate of 150 Mbps over a single copper pair using VDSL-DMT silicon. The demonstration coincides with a meeting of the IEEE's 802.3ah EFM Task Force, which is considering the issue of line codes for EFM. http://www.ikanos....

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Top Layer Debuts New Family of ASIC-based Security Switches

Top Layer Networks, a start-up based in Westboro, Massachusetts, announced a new family of ASIC-based access control security switches for wired and wireless networks. Top Layer's Secure Controller switches force users to authenticate themselves prior to gaining any network access. Top Layer's idea is to help networks stay secure even in those locations where physical security is not sufficient to prevent unauthorized access, such as university classrooms and computer labs, common work areas at hospitals, and within enterprises at conference rooms,...

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IP Infusion Adds VPLS to its Routing Suite

IP Infusion has added support for Virtual Private LAN Services (VPLS) to its ZebOS Advanced Routing Suite. The company said its VPLS implementation supports the IETF VPLS draft submitted by Marc Lasserre and Vach Kompella. VPLS allows multiple customer sites connected across a MPLS network to share a single bridged domain. So, all customer sites appear to be on the same LAN regardless of their geographical location. Unlike Layer 2 VPN (draft Martini), VPLS supports multipoint-to-multipoint VPNs, allowing service providers to quickly connect three...

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GoBeam Offers Flat-Rate Softswitch PBX Service

GoBeam, an integrated service provider based in Pleasanton, California, began offering flat rate pricing on its vPBX managed voice and Internet service. Pricing begins at $36.95 a month per station with unlimited outbound calls for local and domestic long distance and unlimited inbound calls on GoBeam's virtual PBX. All call forwarding associated with the service's "Find Me" feature is included in the flat rate. All vPBX installations receive free DID porting, which enables customers to keep their existing phone numbers. http://www.gobeam....

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Consumer Electronics Companies Form Digital Home Working Group

Seventeen consumer electronics, computer, and mobile companies have formed a new Digital Home Working Group (DHWG) dedicated to the simplified sharing of digital content among networked devices. The vision is to establish content interoperability, based on open industry standards, between PCs, TVs, set-top boxes, printers, stereos, mobile phones, PDAs, DVD players, digital projectors and other devices. The Digital Home Working Group will endorse a baseline of interoperability standards and then promote a set of programs to communicate the benefits...

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BellSouth Launches Wireless HomeNetworking Service

BellSouth began offering three new residential services for its DSL customers: BellSouth FastAccess Wireless HomeNetworking Plus service, Parental Controls Plus and Firewall Monitor. The first service helps consumers set-up either a wired or wireless network serving up to four PCs. The service's wireless gateway combines a DSL modem, home networking router and a firewall. Parental Controls Plus and Firewall Monitor are included as part of BellSouth Wireless HomeNetworking Plus service at no additional charge. Parental Controls Plus assists customers...

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Agere Provides Traffic Management Chips to Laurel

Agere Systems has supplied its PayloadPlus traffic management and network processor chips for use in Laurel Networks' ST200 Service Edge Router. Laurel has used Agere's chips since the product's introduction. The customer announcement was made at this week's Network Processor Conference. http://www.agere....

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Telica Supports Number Portability for Wireless Carriers

Telica is now offering Wireless Number Portability (WNP) and Wireline Local Number Portability (LNP) support on its Plexus 9000 platform. Specifically, the Plexus 9000 supports WNP for standards-based ANSI-41 and GSM mobile networks, extending from 2/2.5G through to 3G evolution phases. In a wireless carrier's network, the Plexus 9000 acts as intermediary between its MSCs and other wireless carrier networks, performing the necessary queries, routing, and signaling manipulation to ensure that calls are sent to the ported subscriber's network. Telica...

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