Hammerhead Names Ex-Lucent Exec as CEO

Hammerhead Systems, a start-up based in San Jose, California, named Joe Sigrist as President and CEO. Sigrist joins from Lucent Technologies where he was President of the Edge Access Systems division. Hammerhead Systems is developing data communications equipment for service providers.
http://www.hammerheadsystems.com

• Hammerhead Systems was founded was founded in January of 2002 by Rob Keil, a former Cisco/StrataCom executive, and John Yu, formerly of SBC. Hammerhead has secured $18 million in Series A funding from Foundation Capital, Mayfield, Enterprise Partners and Lighthouse Capital.

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Riverstone to Restate 2002 & 2003 Financial, Trading Halted

Riverstone Networks will restate its financial statements for the fiscal year ended March 2, 2002, and the first three quarters of fiscal year 2003. The company cited certain accounting irregularities that called into question the appropriateness and timing of revenues recognized from certain customers. In some cases, it appears that sales to customers in which the company made investments were subject to rights of return and other contingencies that were not accounted for at the time the transactions were originally recorded. The Nasdaq Stock Market halted trading in RSTNE and requested additional information from the company.
http://www.riverstonenet.com
http://www.nasdaq.com

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GlobespanVirata Posts Revenue of $74.4 Million, up 8% Sequentially

GlobespanVirata posted Q2 revenues of $74.4 million, an 8% sequential increase over Q1 2003 and a 62% increase over the same period last year. Net loss and basic loss per share were $12.1 million and $0.09, respectively. Gross margin was 46.7% during Q2 2003. This compares to a gross margin of 50.2% in Q2 2002 and 49.6% in Q1 2003.
http://www.globespanvirata.com

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Intel and Linksys Enter WLAN Marketing Partnership

Intel and Linksys (a division of Cisco) established a technology and marketing program aimed at making it easier for consumers to use wireless networks in homes and small offices. Initially, Intel is conducting engineering testing or "verification" of Intel Centrino mobile technology with Linksys wireless access points and routers that are currently available. The companies also plan to develop technology that will allow notebook PCs based on Intel Centrino mobile technology to detect the presence of Linksys wireless products and configure them with minimal effort by the end user.
http://www.intel.com
http://www.linksys.com

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Sprint Announces its Wi-Fi Plans

Sprint will begin providing Wi-Fi access this summer through approximately 800 hotspots in key locations across the U.S. The hotspots will be either built and managed by Sprint or made available through roaming agreements with Wayport. Sprint is planning to have over 2,100 Wi-Fi locations by the end of the year. Airpath Wireless will provide hosted services to Sprint including credit card authentication services, end user management and integrated customer care. Initially, customers will be able to subscribe to PCS Wi-Fi Access using their credit cards. In late 2003, Sprint expects to integrate usage charges into the customers' monthly PCS Service Plan statement. Pricing will be announced once the service becomes available later this summer. Wayport has nearly 500 Wi-Fi locations in its network, including hotels such as Wyndham Hotels and Resorts, Loews, Sheraton, Hilton and Marriott, as well as the airports including Buffalo Niagara, Dallas-Fort Worth, Seattle-Tacoma, New York LaGuardia, San Jose, Austin-Bergstrom, Oakland and Minneapolis-St. Paul.
http://www.sprint.com
http://www.wayport.net

• Earlier this month, Wayport began offering Wi-Fi access at approximately 75 McDonalds locations in the San Francisco Bay area, and announced plans to launch a pilot Wi-Fi networks in Chicago and across Canada.
• 
  
  Also this month, MCI announced a roaming partnership with Wayport that gives its customers access to corporate networks from Wayport Wi-Fi sites.
• 
  
  In May, Wayport signed an agreement with CNN to offer Wi-Fi service in the 38 airports across the U.S. with access to CNN Airport Network.
• 
  
  In January, AT&T Wireless signed a strategic Wi-Fi roaming agreement with Wayport, giving its subscribers access to Wayport hotspots.
• 
  
  Wayport's other roaming partners include Boingo, iPass and GRIC.

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Network Processing Forum Extends Benchmarks for IPv6

The Network Processing Forum (NPF) released new benchmarking specifications for measuring the performance of network processing elements. Specifically, the NPF extended its IP forwarding benchmark to include both IPv6 and a more robust set of routing tables in an updated IP Forwarding Application Level Benchmark Implementation Agreement (IA). The NPF also released two new benchmarking Implementation Agreements focused on fabrics: the Performance Testing Methodology for Fabric Benchmarking IA and the Switch Fabric Benchmark Test Suites IA.
http://www.npforum.org

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Metalink Plans for a Five Fold Speed Boost over 802.11x

Metalink is developing a wireless LAN technology that it claims will deliver a five-fold boost in link speed compared to the currently available 802.11x WLAN technology. The company expects to be ready to demonstrated its WLANPlus chipsets before the end of the year. Metalink is a developer of QAM-based VDSL silicon.
http://www.metalink.co.il

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Qwest Partners with DIRECTV and Echostar to Offer Satellite in Bundle

Qwest Communications signed a strategic marketing agreement with DIRECTV to offer satellite TV as part of its consumer bundle of consumer services. Initially, Qwest will offer satellite TV services available to its customers in single family homes in Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, and Seattle through DIRECTV. The company expects to rollout these services to more markets throughout the remainder of 2003 and into 2004. The partners are exploring ways to further enhance this relationship with next-generation services as well as migrating to a more integrated model in the first half of 2004 where Qwest will be the primary interface for various customer interactions including service and billing. The companies said it is increasing important for service providers to deliver a bundle of residential entertainment and communication services, including video, to stay competitive in the trend toward bundled services.


Separately, Qwest signed a strategic marketing agreement with EchoStar Communications under which it will offer the DISH Network satellite TV services available to its customers in single family homes in Colorado and Nebraska. The company expects to rollout these services to more markets throughout the remainder of 2003 and into 2004. Qwest also plans to work with EchoStar to integrate billing, ordering and customer support functions.


Qwest currently offers multi-channel video entertainment to approximately 64,000 customers using a variety access methods, including VDSL, satellite and HFC.
http://www.qwest.com
http://www.hughes.com

• DirecTV U.S. added 633,000 gross subscribers in Q2, and after accounting for churn, 181,000 net subscribers, giving it a total of 11.56 million total subscribers. Hughes said the monthly ARPU at DIRECTV U.S. increased by $2.80 to nearly $61.

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Calix Ships its 1,000th Platform for Telco Voice, Data, And Video

Calix, a start-up based in Petaluma, California, has shipped over 1,000 of its flagship products, the C7 simplified services platform, which facilitates the delivery of voice, data and video services to business and residential subscribers over copper and fiber access media. Calix said more than 80 service providers worldwide have deployed its platform. As of the end of Q2, 2003, Calix had shipped over 100,000 ports, including POTS, DSL, Ethernet, DS1, DS3, and OC-3/12/48 SONET, into production service provider networks.
http://www.calix.com

• The Calix C7 platform terminates up to 480 copper connections, including POTS, DSL and Ethernet. Integrated POTS splitters allow support for baseband POTS and DSL on the same line. The platform also terminates up to 480 fiber connections, enabling the selective migration of copper-based subscribers to FTTH connections. In addition to existing DS1 and DS3 services, the Calix C7 supports SONET transport and both 10/100 Ethernet and Gigabit Ethernet services.
• 
  
  In February 2003, Calix named Carl Russo as its president and CEO, replacing company founder Michael Hatfield, who will now focus on key technology and business development issues. Previously, Carl Russo was president and CEO of Cerent, which was acquired by Cisco Systems in August 1999 for $6.9 billion in stock. Cerent developed an optical access and transport platform. Prior to founding Calix, Michael Hatfield was founder and COO at Cerent, and held a variety of senior management positions at AFC and DSC (later acquired by Alcatel).
  
  Also in February 2003, Calix announced $50 million in new Series E funding. The company has raised over $260 million since its founding in 1999.

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Comcast and Time Warner to Trial Microsoft TV Software

Comcast, the leading cable operator in the U.S., will launch a trial of Microsoft TV software for delivering new digital TV services to its customers. Initially, Comcast will conduct a limited trial of the Microsoft TV Interactive Program Guide (IPG) beginning this fall in Seattle using Motorola DCT2000 set-top boxes. Microsoft TV is a family of standards-based client (set-top box) and server software that can be used for as video on demand, On-Demand Storefronts, interactive program guides, managed content services, digital video recording, enhanced programming, e-mail, instant messaging and other services.

Separately, Time Warner Cable agreed to perform a trial of the Microsoft TV Interactive Program Guide (IPG) software using Motorola DCT2000 set-tops. The trial will take place in Beaumont, Texas, where Time Warner has approximately 100,000 subscribers.
http://www.microsoft.com
http://www.comcast.com

• In June 2003, Microsoft unveiled a new digital TV software platform aimed at cable operators. Microsoft TV Foundation is positioned as an end-to-end solution to help cable operators promote services such as video on demand (VOD), while providing viewers with an interactive program guide (IPG). Microsoft's TV Foundation can run on a range of set-top devices, including the Motorola DCT1700, DCT2000, DCT2500, DCT5100 and DCT6000 product lines. Companies announcing support for the platform include Motorola, SeaChange, Concurrent Computer Corp, MetaTV, Two Way TV and Advanced Digital Broadcast. In addition, Sigma Designs, National Semiconductor and selected application developers are working with Microsoft TV to develop future products and technologies. Cablevisión, Mexico's largest cable operator, intends to roll out services powered by Microsoft TV beginning in the second half of this year. The company expects to have 450,000 subscribers in Mexico City using the system within the next year. Cablevisión will deploy the services on Motorola digital set-tops.

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Broadcom Unveils Latest Wireless Network Processor

Broadcom introduced a new wireless network processor that includes a 200MHz MIPS32 processor, 54g MAC/baseband, integrated 10/100 Ethernet and USB interfaces, and 2.4 GHz radio. Broadcom said its new chip enables secure 802.11g wireless LAN access points, routers and gateways to be produced in smaller form factors and at lower costs than previously possible. The wireless network processor includes hardware-based AES acceleration for upgradeability to the future IEEE 802.11i security standard.
http://www.broadcom.com

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Luminous Appoints Former Marconi Exec to Head Operations in China

Luminous Networks appointed Yudan Jin as general manager and president of Luminous China. Jin previously served as president of Marconi, Asia Pacific. He has also held several senior level positions at 3Com, Beijing, China Hewlett-Packard and the Ministry of Electronic Industry (MEI). Luminous has its China headquarters in Shanghai and recently opened a new sales and support office in Beijing.
http://www.luminous.com

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Fujitsu Offers Slimline DWDM Chassis for Access Networks

Fujitsu Network Communications announced new enhancements for its FLASHWAVE 7420 managed wavelength services platform, including a new slimline chassis and variable-rate transponder. The FLASHWAVE 7420 slimline chassis is a compact (two-service slot) version of the standard (eight-service slot) chassis. It can be mounted in both 19" and 23" racks and is only three rack units (5.25") in height. The slimline chassis supports distances up to 120km without regeneration; optional integrated EDFAs and regenerators enable signal transport up to 300km. Channel cards are interchangeable between the slimline and standard FLASHWAVE 7420 chassis, reducing sparing costs. The new variable-rate transponder interface provides protocol transparent, multi-rate 3R (re-amplification, re-shaping and re-timing) capabilities for Fibre Channel (1 Gbps & 2 Gbps), ESCON), FICON, Coupling Link, Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, SONET/SDH, ATM or other popular rates from 8 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps. All other rates from 8 Mbps to 2.5 Gbps, including FDDI, Sysplex Timer and various proprietary signals, are also supported via integrated optical 2R (re-amplification and re-shaping) capabilities. Both normal and extended reach versions are available to support network spans up to 200 km.
http://www.fnc.fujitsu.com

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UTStarcom Partners with NEC to Enter Brazilian Market

UTStarcom is partnering with NEC to provide its broadband solutions in Brazil. The deal is one of several partnerships between the two companies aimed at bringing high-speed voice, data, and video services to Latin America. NEC Brazil has actively participated in the broadband market since the inception of a growth in demand in mid 2002. The company has 35 years in operation in Brazil. The partnership will offer UTStarcom's AN-2000 IB IP-DSLAM platform to provide a "triple play" solution for carriers.
http://www.utstar.com.
http://www.nec.com.br

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StoneFly Networks Raises $12 Million for IP Storage

StoneFly Networks, a start-up based in San Diego, closed $12 million in Series C funding for its IP-based storage provisioning appliances. StoneFly's Storage Concentrator products are based on the iSCSI standard. The products were launched in June 2002. The new funding was led by Rustic Canyon Partners. Existing investors, including Crescendo Ventures, El Dorado Ventures and Palomar Ventures, also participated in the funding round, bringing the company's total equity investment to $34 million.
http://www.stonefly.com

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Spirent Teams with VeriTest on Layer 4-7 Testing

Spirent Communications announced a strategic partnership with VeriTest, the testing division of Lionbridge Technologies, to deliver outsourced Layer 4-7 testing services to network equipment manufacturers and enterprise networks. The companies recently collaborated on an SSL test bed that was used to evaluate a market-leading intelligent data center switch. The final validated performance result from the data center switch using the jointly developed testbed was a record 18,700 unique SSL transactions per second, or more than 67 million transactions per hour. The test bed used Spirent's Avalanche and Reflector test products. VeriTest operates datacenter-equipped labs in North America and Europe and Asia.
http://www.spirentcom.com

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Avaya Introduces Security Gateways for Converged Enterprise Networks

Avaya introduced five new security gateways for increasing the security and simplifying the deployment of IP telephony applications in converged enterprise networks. Each of the security gateway integrates VPN functionality, firewall coverage and IP telephony support. The platforms feature an integrated bandwidth manager that can be customized to allocate specific bandwidth for up to 4 different classes of communications (such as e-mail, Internet access, and voice). They can also be configured to automatically recognize and prioritize IP telephony traffic. Two high-end models are designed for use in headquarters locations of medium- to large-sized businesses supporting multiple locations worldwide. Two other models address the demands of telecommuters, mobile workers and remote small office/home offices. A fifth model targets the specific requirements of small to medium-sized enterprises, as well as distributed branch office locations.
http://www.avaya.com

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AT&T Combines Home and Wireless Calling

AT&T introduced a new calling plan that combines home telephone service and mobile services. The AT&T One plan offers unlimited night and weekend calling that can be used on either telephone. AT&T One also includes local service where available, weekday daytime long-distance calling from home for 7 cents a minute and nationwide wireless long-distance calling with no roaming charges while in the home service area, or elsewhere on the AT&T Wireless Network. AT&T is launching the plan initially in the San Diego and Tampa areas.
http://www.att.com

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SBC Partners with Echostar on Satellite TV Bundle

SBC Communications is teaming with EchoStar Communications to offer a co-Branded satellite TV service as part of its integrated local, long distance, wireless and DSL bundle. The deal is an exclusive telecom partnership for single-family residences throughout the SBC 13-state traditional service area, where SBC provides service to more than 56 million access lines. The two companies will begin work immediately on integrating operations, including order entry, customer service and billing, so they can begin offering customers the co-branded service in early 2004. EchoStar's DISH Network currently reaches more than 8.5 million customers nationwide. SBC said the strategic alliance fulfills a long-term strategic objective to integrate television entertainment into its consumer bundles. Key elements include extensive co-branding and a single bill for consumers. SBC will also provide integrated customer relationship management.


Longer term, the companies agreed to develop technology that combines the functionality necessary to conveniently receive DISH Network satellite television, DSL Internet and home networking as well as more convenient ways to receive SBC DISH Network bundled services.


As part of the deal, EchoStar Communications issued and sold a $500 million 3.0 percent convertible subordinated note due 2010 to SBC Communications. The note is an unsecured obligation of EchoStar convertible into approximately 6.87 million shares of EchoStar's Class A Common Stock at the option of SBC ($72.82 per share), subject to adjustment in certain circumstances. Commencing July 21, 2008, EchoStar may redeem, and SBC may require EchoStar to purchase, all or a portion of the note without premium.
http://www.sbc.com
http://www.dishnetwork.com

• EchoStar Communications' DISH Network satellite service added 350,000 net new subscribers in Q1 2003, giving the company a total base of 8.53 million subscribers. During Q1, EchoStar reported total revenue of $1.36 billion, a 23% increase over Q1 2002. EBITDA totaled $277 million, an improvement of $100 million compared to $177 million for the corresponding period in 2002. Free cash flow from operations totaled $125 million for the quarter.
• 
  
  Earlier this month, EchoStar Communications Corporation awarded a contract to Marconi to supply a Distributed Protection Switching solution for EchoStar's video transport network. Equipment purchased by EchoStar includes Marconi's ASX-4000 40 Gbps switch-router, TNX-1100 10 Gbps and TNX-210 2.5 Gbps switch-routers and ForeThought system software.

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LSI Logic Office Two New Rapidchip Approaches to ASICs

LSI Logic unveiled two new families of pre-built slices, the RapidChip Xtreme and the RapidChip Integrator. The Xtreme family is optimized for high performance, high-bandwidth, market specific applications such as communications, storage and computing. While the Integrator family also targets these markets, it is additionally suited for uses in consumer electronics, industrial, security, instrumentation, imaging and others. Both families use 0.11-micron process technology and build upon the company's RapidChip concept, which provides lower cost and faster development of ASICs.
http://www.lsilogic.com

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LG Electronics Deploys Agere's ATM TM Chips

LG Electronics is using Agere Systems' ATM traffic management switching chips in its wireless base station and multiservice router equipment. For LG's base stations, Agere is providing such ATM chips as its ATM Port Controller (APC) and ASX/ACE. In addition, LG's multiservice router houses Agere's APC, Pi-X and Pi-C (Protocol Independent, 10 Gbps), and PayloadPlus chips for ATM-based multi-protocol service. LG plans to use Agere's PI-40X and PI-40C (40 Gbps) chip solutions, as well as the company's APP550 single-chip, traffic management network processor solution, in its multiservice routers.
http://www.agere.com

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Foundry Networks Launches New ISP Link Load Balancer

Foundry Networks introduced a new ISP load balancing product based on its new TrafficWorks Ironware operating system that powers its ServerIron family of Layer 4 - 7 switches. The new ServerIron Link Balancer product helps enterprises with multiple ISP connections to more efficiently distribute traffic loads across the multiple links. The product provides link optimization based on key metrics, in-band traffic flow monitoring, and dynamic measurement of performance parameters. Two configurations will be available: $9,995 for a 16-port 10/100 switch with 2 optional Gigabit Ethernet uplinks; and $14,995 for a 24-port 10/100 switch with 2 optional Gigabit Ethernet uplinks.
http://www.foundrynet.com

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DSL.net Closes $30 Million for Continued Network Rollout

DSL.net, a broadband service provider, closed $30 million in new financing led by Deutsche Bank. VantagePoint Venture Partners, one of DSL.net's current major institutional shareholders, is the other participant in the financing. DSL.net plans to use the money to accelerate the roll out of
its recently introduced integrated voice and data service over its network in the mid-Atlantic and northeast states, fund strategic acquisitions and retire outstanding debt at a discount. The financing package is comprised of $30 million of three-year senior secured notes, bearing interest at 1.23% per annum, and
warrants to purchase approximately 158 million shares of DSL.net common stock for $.38 per share. The company said the new funding would enable it to become cash-flow positive based on its current plans and projections.
http://www.dsl.net

• In June 2003, DSL.net launched an integrated voice and data T1 connection featuring either 8-line or 16-line telephone service. The service is being introduced in the Washington, D.C. metro area. The new NETgain One service is a result of DSL.net's recently announced agreement to acquire substantially all of the assets and subscribers of TalkingNets, a voice and data communications provider that offers softswitch-based services. The acquisition is expected to close in Q3, but the companies are already operating jointly. DSL.net intends to roll out integrated voice and data services in other markets, including New York, Boston and business-intensive regions in Connecticut.

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Wave Three Software Launches SIP Session Conference Server

Wave Three Software introduced its SIP-based Session Conference Server software, a multipoint communication and collaboration application for Windows or Mac desktops. The SIP server software runs on standard servers over any IP network, including the public Internet. It consists of three modules: Conference Management Services, Call Control Services and Multimedia Services. The Conference Management Service module uses a browser-based interface for scheduling. The Call Control Services module provides the SIP signaling and setup. The Multimedia Services component provides audio mixing, data replication and local media propagation. These conferencing server modules may be run on the same physical server, or they may be distributed as separate modules throughout the network. The multipoint conferencing enables users to choose up to six simultaneous incoming audio/video streams from other conference participants. Wave Three also offers a desktop communications application featuring a high-quality video codec and advanced application sharing capabilities. The application can optimize video quality for available bandwidth and end-point processor power, control frame rate and quality settings, and display logs of all incoming and outgoing calls, including missed calls. Wave Three also supports other SIP user agent devices, including Cisco IP phones. A solution is available for NAT and firewall barrier entry.


Georgia Institute of Technology is currently using Wave Three's Session Conference Server and Session Communication Software. Other deployments in large, university networks are underway. The Wave Three' SIPapplication suite is also being deployed in telemedicine applications for rural clinics.
http://www.wave3software.com

• Wave Three Software, which is based in San Diego, was founded in April 2002. The company had its origins in TeraGlobal Communications.
• 
  
  Wave Three Software has received funding from the Waller Sutton 2000 fund.

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Marvell Offers SOHO Secured Gateway Reference Design

Marvell announced a SOHO secured gateway reference design supporting Windows CE .NET, Monta Vista Linux and Wind River Vx Works. The gateway router integrates an IPSec VPN engine, a 64-bit MIPS processor for wire-speed packet routing, the company's Fast Ethernet PHY technology with Virtual Cable Tester diagnostics, and an on-chip PCI bus enabling the addition of WLAN modules. Marvell said its desig provides up to a 6X performance gain over current generation SOHO security products.
http://www.marvell.com

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MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance Focuses on Service Interworking

The MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance, which also met in Vienna, Virginia earlier this month, announced a new project to address FR/ATM service interworking as well as increased focus on FR/ATM/Ethernet service interworking. These projects align with the results of a June MPLS/Frame Relay industry survey in which more than 200 service providers and vendors identified ATM/Frame Relay/Ethernet Service Interworking as the most important work area for the Alliance. Some of the specific items from the meeting included the following.

• the Frame Relay (FR) working group is developing an update to FRF.8.1 to mandate traffic shaping enhancements on FR to ATM connections conforming to specific ATM service contract conditions. The goal of the resulting FRF.8.2 is to differentiate between equipment that can decrease the FR to ATM interworking cell loss when FR bursts exceed the ATM contract and FR.8.1-compliant equipment that may not have this capability. In addition, the working group is continuing its cooperative work effort with the ITU-T Study Group 17 in the development of X.84 FR/MPLS Network Interworking. This work will expedite the development of the FR over MPLS implementations




• the Applications & Deployment (A&D) working group began a new work item on TDM over MPLS using raw encapsulation, as a result of a direct request from several members. The working group has also started work on a Resilient MPLS NNI, to provide a fault tolerant, carrier-to-carrier interface using MPLS.

The Interoperability working group is developing various test suites. Interworking will be added for Layer 2 VPNs, while further test cases are being developed for Fast Re-route and VPLS as these features progress through the standards process. Layer 2 VPNs, Fast Re-route and VPLS were recently showcased at the MPLS/Frame Relay Alliance Interoperability demonstration conducted among 12 member companies at SUPERCOMM 2003.
http://www.mplsforum.org/http://www.frforum.com/

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ATM Forum Cites Progress in MPLS Interworking

The ATM Forum reported progress on several fronts from its quarterly meeting earlier this month in Vienna, Virginia. Highlights of the meeting included:

• a continued focus on the interworking of ATM and MPLS. A new specification that enables PNNI to support MPLS label distribution went to final ballot. The new specification provides an easier means of using MPLS to bridge two separate ATM networks (ATM-MPLS-ATM). Previously, manually configured permanent virtual circuits (PVCs) were required to route ATM traffic into an MPLS backbone. Alternatively, the new specification could be used by a network operator to drop pockets of MPLS into an ATM backbone.




• the ATM-MPLS Network Interworking specification 2.0 advanced to final ballot. The work defines the means of preserving ATM QoS over an MPLS backbone.




• work continues on integrating ATM and IP addressing schemes, making it possible to give ATM devices an IPv4 or IPv6 address.




• work also advanced on ATM -- SIP interworking, where the goal is to provide mapping between SIP and ATM SVCs




• the ATM Forum's quarterly meeting was collocated with the Broadband Content Delivery (BCD) Forum.

In conjuction with its quarterly meeting, the ATM Forum hosted a Broadband Exchange event, bringing together technical experts to discuss architectural issues for mobile and wireless networks. Topics of interest included the use of ATM to carry data traffic in 2.5 G networks, as well as the use of packet technologies to save money by consolidating and replacing TDM trunks. For instance, Digitel, which provides mobile services to more than a million subscribers in Venezuela, is using IP/ATM to reduce the cost of leased bandwidth between its MSCs.
http://www.atmforum.com

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Excel Switching Signs China Distribution Partnership with Orientel

Excel Switching Corporation signed an exclusive distribution partnership with Orientel covering the resale of Excel's Converged Services Platform throughout China. Excel said its highly customizable platform is well-suited for applications that are in high demand in China, including prepaid, 160/168 information desk, call center, and color ring back tone. Oriental is a provider of computer telephony products for systems integrators throughout China. The company is based in Shanghai.
http://www.xl.com
http://www.orientel.com.cn

• In June 2003, Excel Switching Corporation was spun out of Lucent Technologies, returning to its roots as an independent supplier of carrier-class, open services platforms for communications networks. The company offers a Converged Services Platform that is used to deliver carrier applications such as RBOC voice mail services, pre-paid calling cards, tandem/international gateway switching, multiparty audio conferencing, media server and advanced directory assistance services. The platform is designed to bridge traditional circuit switched networks with next-generation IP networks in either wireline or wireless environments. More than 7,000 CSP systems have been deployed throughout the world. As part of its strategic corporate shift towards a smaller, in-house product portfolio, Lucent is selling its Excel division to an investor group led by Soros Private Equity Investors and Oak Investment Partners. Lucent and Excel have entered into a worldwide OEM agreement under which Lucent will act as a sales channel for Excel's products. Lucent will not retain an equity interest in Excel Switching. Excel is based in Hyannis, Massachusetts.

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