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 Server 2000 Enterprise Edition (64-bit). It will use XML and SOAP to enables faster and easier integration with other applications and legacy systems. The companies expect it will scale to support more than 25 million subscribers. Microsoft and Portal continue to work at a strategic level to align their longer-term product road maps.
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.portal.com

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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.be

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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, and IPv4/IPv6 translation. In addition, KDDI is testing automatic tunneling gateways called "6to4 Relay Routers" that enable users with an IPv4 address to connect to the IPv6 Internet. Currently there are approximately ten open 6to4 Relay Routers globally and one in Japan, including the systems provided by KDDI Labs.
http://www.kddilabs.com
http://www.6to4.jp/e-index.html

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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 field trial. Initial commercial shipments are beginning. Fujitsu said it was excited to be continuing a 20-year relationship with Verizon. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.fnc.fujitsu.com

• Earlier this month, Fujitsu Network Communications unveiled two new capacity enhancements for its next-generation FLASHWAVE 4500 multiservice optical transport platform--support for multiple OC-192 protected interfaces on a single FLASHWAVE 4500 shelf and a new 70G STS switch fabric with the ability to groom up to 1344 STS channels. Combining two OC-192 rings or 1+1 protected connections into a single shelf enables carriers to reduce cost, space, power and heat in their central offices. Earlier versions had required two slots for supporting protected OC-192 interfaces. The new 70G STS switch fabric increases the FLASHWAVE 4500 platform's STS grooming capacity by more than 55% over the size of the existing 45G (864x864 STS) switch fabric.

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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 services across multiple markets. The company said it is on track to meet guidance of 5% revenue growth in 2003. Orange expects its CAPEX-to-sales ratio to be around 11% in the long term.
http://www.orange.com

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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.com

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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 State University.

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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 could occur inside the network (instead of at the edges). PlanetLab, which was first proposed in March 2002, brings together researchers from the University of California (Berkeley), the University of Washington, MIT, and Princeton University and other universities overseas. The goal is for PlanetLab to grow to 1,000 widely distributed nodes that peer with the majority of the Internet's regional and long-haul backbones. Some 95 research projects are currently running on PlanetLab.
http://www.planet-lab.org

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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 supporting IXC Tandem, Class 4/5, PRI Offload, packet/cell switching and Voice over Broadband (VoB) services.
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  Earlier this month, Tekelec completed its transaction with Santera Systems to form a majority owned next-generation switching subsidiary. Santera remains based in Plano, Texas.

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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.com

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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.com

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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, open cubicles, and visitor lounges. The Secure Controller family consists of a Secure Edge Controller and Secure Core Controller. The Secure Edge Controller is designed to be installed at or near the edge of the network to ensure that unauthorized traffic from wireless and wired access networks is intercepted before it has a chance to enter the network core. The Secure Core Controller is designed to be installed at points within the network where large numbers of users access the network through the unit.
http://www.TopLayer.com)

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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 or more VPN sites together. IP Infusion is offering ZebOS VPLS as a modular source code solution to OEMs. The company also released an enhancement to the Linux implementation of 802.1d MAC bridging in its source code. ZebOS Layer 2 Protocol Offering is Linux-based and includes support for 802.1d Spanning Tree.
http://www.ipinfusion.com

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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.com

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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 of the digital home to consumers. These programs will including certification, compliance logos, and marketing initiatives. Founding members include Fujitsu, Gateway, HP, Intel, IBM, Kenwood, Lenovo, Matsushita Electric (Panasonic), Microsoft, NEC CustomTechnica, Nokia, Philips, Samsung, Sharp, Sony, STMicroelectronics and Thomson.
http://www.DHWG.org

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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 in limiting the amount of time children can spend on the Internet while blocking objectionable content. The Firewall monitoring service provides ongoing and automatic software updates as well as detailed logs and notification when potential threats are detected. BellSouth said it also eliminates the need to install security softwall on each PC behind the firewall. The home networking service is offered at $10 per month in addition to DSL charges.
http://www.bellsouth.com

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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.com

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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 said its Plexus 9000 platform enables wireless carriers to be fully compliant with the FCC WNP ruling while avoiding costly changes to their legacy MSCs.
http://www.telica.com

• Telica's Plexus 9000 is a carrier-grade switch that includes elements of a softswitch-based solution, including a media gateway, media gateway controller and signaling gateway, to provide Class 4/5 switching for the PSTN as well as ATM and IP networks.
• 
  
  In March 2003, Telica expanded its Plexus 9000 Class 4/5 switching platform to include packet-based wireless capabilities, including Gateway Mobile Switching Center (GMSC), Soft MSC Media Gateway and an All-IP Wireless Solution. The announcement adds support for applications that can be applied in wireless network architectures; 2G, 2.5G or 3G, including GSM, GPRS, EDGE, CDMA, TDMA, CDMA2000, and UMTS. Telica said the flat topology of wireless networks is proving difficult to scale because of the large number of highly-meshed trunks required between Mobile Switching Centers (MSCs).
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  As a Gateway MSC, Telica's Plexus 9000 can be deployed like a Class 4 switch in a wireline network, using TDM, IP, or ATM-based trunking to support Tandem switching and long distance services. Specific to wireless networks, the Plexus 9000 Gateway MSC, which supports IS-41 and GSM MAP services, accepts calls from the PSTN and routes directly to the intended mobile subscriber's Serving MSC, bypassing the Home MSC entirely. The routing efficiency frees up tens of thousands of legacy MSC ports and reduces PSTN interconnect facilities and associated leased line costs through consolidation. The Plexus 9000 could also operate as a wireless media gateway.
• 
  
  In June 2003, The U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia upheld FCC rules allowing for number portability for mobile telephone subscribers. The ruling, which rejected the arguments of Verizon Wireless and the Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association, would allow consumers to keep the mobile number when switching providers.

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