Data Connection Launches Messaging Solution for TDM, VoIP

Data Connection introduced a carrier-class voicemail, e-mail and fax messaging solution that supports both traditional TDM connectivity and VoIP. The "MailNGen" solution enables a carrier to offer messaging services with easily-branded web interfaces. It includes a broad set of voicemail and email capabilities, such as web access to voicemail and telephone access to e-mail.


Data Connection's messaging platform leverages a server-farm software architecture that employs low-cost hardware and off-the-shelf storage solutions. Another key aspect is the open standards-based design, which offers native support for POP-3, IMAP-4, SMTP, HTTP, LDAP, VXML and VPIM standards for easy interoperability and integration with third party clients and network components.
http://www.dataconnection.com

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Vitesse Introduces New Gigabit Ethernet Switch ICs

Vitesse Semiconductor introduced two new Gigabit Ethernet switch ICs: Gatwick -- a Layer 3, 24-port tri-speed (10/100/1000) plus 2-port 10 Gbps Switch/Router Integrated Circuit (IC), and Fairoaks -- a low-cost Layer 2+, 24-port tri-speed plus 2-port 10 Gbps Switch IC. Both devices support advanced features such as deep packet and programmable classification for optimizing Quality of Service. They can also differentiate packets and prioritize them based on information inside the packet including Differential Service Code Points (DSCP) and VLAN priorities (IEEE 802.1p). The products also provide jumbo packet support allowing packet sizes greater than 10 Kbytes, as well as double VLAN tag support. Gatwick and Fairoaks have two uplink ports of 10 Gbps and require no external memory or CAMs. Additionally, two of either ICs can be directly connected together to produce a 48-port switch system in a standard 19 inch, 1U high form factor. Vitesse said its two chip count solution for a 48-port Gigabit switch system would reduce the cost of such systems, which currently requires five component chips.
http://www.vitesse.com

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ARRIS Names Exclusive CMTS Supplier to Grande Comm.

ARRIS was named exclusive CMTS supplier to Grande Communications through 2004. Grande, which is building a ground-up, deep-fiber broadband network in Texas, currently has eight of ARRIS' Cadant C4 CMTS' installed and more than 25,000 high-speed data subscribers. Additionally, ARRIS has successfully completed a migration of those customers to the Alopa MetaServ IP Service Management system. Grande chose the Alopa MetaServ to provide the provisioning, workflow and service assurance of its cable modems, and for the ease of interface with its central billing system. Additionally, the Alopa MetaServ framework is designed to support operations across multi-media platforms, and will be able to support Grande's dial-up data subscribers and telephony operations when needed for provisioning and subscriber management. Grande Communications' bundled service area includes Austin, Corpus Christi, Midland, Odessa, San Antonio, San Marcos and Waco.
http://www.arrisi.com
http://www.grandecom.com

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Redback Files Prepackaged Chapter 11 Case to Eliminate $467 Million in Debt

Redback Networks filed a pre-packaged plan of reorganization under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The plan would eliminate $467 million in existing debt and reduce operating expenses by a third by relieving real estate obligations in exchange for new equity in the company. Existing shareholders would retain an estimated 5 to 15% of the company. Its plan also calls for a 73:1 reverse split in order to preserve its listing on NASDAQ.


In July 2003, Redback Networks presented the plan to its creditors, who voted overwhelmingly for its approval. The plan was presented to shareholders, who also accepted the out-of-court plan. However, Redback was unable to obtain the required quorum and has now presented the pre-negotiated restructuring proposal to the bankruptcy court. Redback expects to emerge from the Chapter 11 process as a restructured company in possibly as few as 60 days.


During the period of reorganization, Redback expects its business operations to continue as usual. Kevin DeNuccio, president and CEO of Redback, said that by virtually eliminating existing debt and achieving a new financial model, the Chapter 11 process would greatly reduce "the hurdles to reaching profitability, and easing concerns surrounding our balance sheet."http://www.redback.com

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Agere Produces Fastest SerDes Circuitry Utilizing 90 Nanometer Low-k Technology

Agere Systems, in partnership with its foundry Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), has produced a 90 nm serializer/deserializer (SerDes) device low-k technology. Agere has tested and validated the capability of the SerDes sub-blocks to meet the performance required for 12 Gbps in both NRZ and PAM-4 encoding configurations. Agere's SerDes cores are integrated in Agere ASIC system chips, standard product systems-on-a-chip, and standalone SerDes/bridge devices. The new 90 nm SerDes portfolio is expected to be available for customers to design in their next generation ASICs in the summer of 2004.


Agere's SerDes cores are integrated in Agere ASIC system chips, standard product systems-on-a-chip, and standalone SerDes/bridge devices. The new 90 nm SerDes portfolio is expected to be available for customers to design in their next generation ASICs in the summer of 2004.
http://www.agere.com

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Yahoo! Hosts IT Operations at Equinix Centers

Yahoo! has signed an expanded, multi-year agreement to host its IT operations within Equinix Internet Business Exchange centers. Yahoo! will continue to utilize Equinix to host a portion of Yahoo!'s IT operations supporting services to businesses and consumers. Within Equinix's neutral Internet hubs, Yahoo! has access to an aggregation of Internet companies, including every major global network. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.equinix.com

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Occam Launches Triple Play Website

Occam Networks launched a website for telcos investigating video service delivery options.
http://www.tripleplay.tv

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Crossbeam Expands its Line of Security Services Switches

Crossbeam Systems, a start-up based in Concord, Massachusetts, introduced two new security switches designed to secure the data centers and network perimeters of mid-market enterprises, and to protect the networks of very large enterprises and service providers.


The Crossbeam X45 is a compact 7-slot chassis that features up to 16 Gigabit Ethernet ports or up to 32 Fast Ethernet ports and up to 4 Gbps of full duplex firewall throughput (using Check Point VPN-1/FireWall-1 Next Generation). The X45 designed for protecting the perimeters and data centers of medium to large enterprises.


The Crossbeam X80 is the same 14-slot chassis as the X40, but delivers twice the performance and port density. The switch supports up to 32 Gigabit Ethernet ports or up to 64 Fast Ethernet ports and up to 8 Gbps of full duplex firewall throughput (using Check Point VPN-1/FireWall-1 Next Generation). It is aimed at protecting the perimeters and data centers of very large enterprises and service providers.


The Crossbeam platform integrates deep packet processing capabilities with subscriber, network, and policy application awareness running on a Linux operating system to create an open, content service overlay network.
http://www.crossbeamsystems.com

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Charter Adds 140,700 cable modem customers in Q3

Charter Communications, the nation's third largest MSO, reported Q3 revenues of $1.207 billion, an increase of 4% over last year's third quarter revenues of $1.166 billion. The increase is due primarily to growth in high-speed data revenues of $54 million or 59%, reflecting 519,800 additional customers since September 2002 including 140,700 in Q3 2003. Video revenues totaled $866 million in the quarter as compared to the prior year's third quarter revenues of $862 million. Some highlights from the quarter:

• revenue generating units (RGUs) totaled approximately 10,676,700 at the end of Q3, an increase of approximately 511,800 units, or 5% from the 30-Sept-02 totals. Charter said this increase in RGUs was driven by an extensive marketing campaign, including free periods of service, resulting in an increase in high-speed data and digital video customers of 519,800 and 137,100, respectively. These increases were partially offset by a loss of 149,500 analog video customers, or 2% over the past twelve months. RGUs increased approximately 213,200 units, or 2%, as compared to Q2 2003.



• Charter reported sequential net gains of analog and digital video customers of approximately 11,200 and 60,900, respectively, during the third quarter. Q3 analog video customer gain was 0.2%, and quarterly digital video customers increased 2%.



• Charter added approximately 140,700 cable modem customers in Q3, a sequential increase of 10%, during the quarter, bringing the total high-speed data customers served to 1,489,700.



• Income from operations grew 29% year over year to $117 million in Q3



• Capital expenditures totaled $239 million, a decrease of 57% as compared to Q3 2002.



• Charter generated $96 million in free cash flow for the first nine months of the year, an improvement in excess of $1.1 billion as compared to the first nine months of 2002.

http://www.charter.com

• In September 2003, Charter Communications sold cable systems serving 235,000 subscribers to Atlantic Broadband, a new company formed by ABRY Partners, David J. Keefe and Edward T. Holleran, Jr.. The deal was valued at $765 million and includes cable networks in Miami Beach, Florida, and in certain towns in Delaware, Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.

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Juniper Enhances its Service-Built Edge Portfolio with M7i and M10i

Juniper Networks introduced two new routing platforms for its "Infranet-ready Service-built Edge" portfolio. The new, compact platforms are aimed at small- and medium-sized Points of Presence (POPs), campus networks and managed services environments. Both platforms leverage Juniper's existing ASICs and Junos software. The new routers include:


the M7i -- a four-slot, two-rack unit high chassis which comes with a choice of two fixed Fast Ethernet interfaces or a single fixed Gigabit Ethernet interface, providing Ethernet connectivity without consuming a PIC slot. J-Protect features include Network Address Translation (NAT), stateful firewall, IPSec and J-Flow accounting. It could be used as an a provider edge router in small POPs, as well as a carrier-class customer premise equipment (CPE) solution for managed services and campus border router applications.


the M10i -- an 8-slot, five-rack unit high chassis that features fully redundant routing engines, forwarding boards, power, and cooling. With new high availability software features such as Hitless Switchover and In-service Software Upgrades, it is designed to deliver provider edge services with non-stop forwarding in small- and medium-sized locations.
http://www.juniper.net

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NetTest Introduces UMTS Test Equipment

NetTest introduced a new suite of monitoring and testing products for operators of UMTS networks. The products are aimed at helping service providers to deploy UMTS networks, launch new services such as voice, video streaming, MP3 digital audio and Web-browsing, and improve QoS for end users. Specifically, NetTest's new MasterQuest UMTS, which is an extension of its existing MasterQuest product line, provides a network-wide view of advanced services performance for business-level executives. Its new Compass UMTS provides IP analysis on user service carried across UMTS, processing and presenting data with Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) for call and network elements (i.e. per call, per area, by individual nodes). This enables operators to see end-to-end service performance as tracked by users.
http://www.nettest.com

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NTT Com Selects Acme Packet Session Border Controllers

NTT Communications (NTT Com) has selected Acme Packet's Net-Net session border controllers for its commercial network. Acme Packet's Net-Net products solve the critical problems across IP network borders, including security, service assurance, revenue and profit assurance, and law enforcement. The platform provides multiprotocol support (SIP, H.323, MGCP) with interworking functionality (SIP-H.323, H.323-H.323). It also supports security features such as hosted NAT traversal, access control, topology hiding, and denial of service (DoS) protection. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.acmepacket.com

• In September 2003, Acme Packet raised $15 million in second round funding for its session border controllers for service providers. The new funding round included Advanced Technology Ventures (ATV) along with initial backers Menlo Ventures and Canaan Partners. The company has raised $31 million to date.

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AFOP Acquires Ritek's Optical Components Business

Alliance Fiber Optic Products (AFOP), a supplier of fiber optic components, has agreed to acquire substantially all of the assets of Ritek Corporation's Photonics Division which is located in Hsin Chu Industrial Park, Taiwan for up to 1.7 million shares of AFOP common stock. Ritek's photonics business includes planar lightwave circuit (PLC) technologies, fiber array (FAU) technologies, active devices, and DWDM and related technologies. As part of the deal, AFOP may utilize Ritek's photonics manufacturing facility in Hsin Chu Industrial Park, Taiwan, for a period of two years at no additional cost. In addition, Ritek will provide AFOP $1.5 million cash as part of this agreement. AFOP, which is based in Sunnyvale, California, offers a line of passive optical components including interconnect systems, couplers and splitters, thin film DWDM components and modules, fixed and variable optical attenuators, and depolarizers.
http://www.afop.com
http://www.ritek.com.tw/index.htm

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Qwest Launches Long-Distance Voice, Data and IP in Western Territory

Qwest Communications began offering long distance voice, data and IP services to businesses and government agencies in 12 western states. The long distance service rollout mirrors the connectivity services that Qwest offers already to businesses across the U.S. Qwest has been offering a limited version of long-distance voice services to more than 600,000 businesses in these states, but for the first time, these customers will be able to complement their local services with long-distance voice and data service. The long distance data services include private line, Frame Relay, ATM and IP.
http://www.qwest.com

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Global Crossing Enhances IP VPN Service for IP Video and VoIP Termination

Global Crossing has enhanced its MPLS-based IP VPN Service to integrate its IP Video and Global Crossing VoIP Termination Services onto a single connection. VoIP termination service allows IP networks to interconnect, thereby enabling customers to reduce their network costs by leveraging their own VoIP network investment and extending their domestic and international service reach. The integrated IP Videoconferencing service also enables customers to hold videoconferences utilizing the IP VPN networks. Global Crossing currently offers three classes of service and associated service level agreements (SLAs) that include latency, packet loss, jitter and availability for its IP VPN service.


Additionally, Global Crossing is beginning to offer DSL access into the IP VPN service from locations in the U.K. The company plans to extend the DSL access option worldwide.
http://www.globalcrossing.com

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Comcast Chooses Foundry for Citywide Network in Portland, Oregon

Comcast has selected Foundry Networks to provide an end-to-end switching and routing solution for a new high-speed network it is building in Portland, Oregon. The new network will carry voice, video and data traffic for city and county government agencies in Portland and surrounding areas. Specifically, Comcast will use a combination of Foundry's FastIron Layer 2/3 switches, NetIron metro routers and FastIron Edge switches to link hundreds of government offices, schools, universities, libraries, police and fire departments. The network is upgradeable using Foundry's 10 Gigabit Ethernet modules for either the FastIron and NetIron platforms. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.foundrynetworks.com

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Conexant and GlobespanVirata to Merge, Target Broadband Digital Home

Conexant Systems announced plans to acquire GlobespanVirata, creating a combined company with an annual revenue run-rate of approximately $1.2 billion and an extensive portfolio of silicon designs targeted at the broadband digital home. GlobespanVirata shareholders will receive 1.198 shares of Conexant common stock for each share of GlobespanVirata stock. Current Conexant shareholders will own 62.75% and current GlobespanVirata shareholders will own 37.25% of the combined company's shares. Some highlights of the announcement:

• the merged company will retain the name Conexant Systems and its stock will continue to trade on the NASDAQ national market under the ticker symbol "CNXT".



• the merged company will employ approximately 2,400 people worldwide and will be headquartered in Red Bank, New Jersey at GlobespanVirata's current headquarters.



• Armando Geday will serve as chief executive officer of the company and Matt Rhodes will be president. Dwight Decker will assume the role of chairman.

http://www.globespan.com

• Earlier this year, GlobespanVirata acquired Intersil's Wireless Networking Product Group for $365 million in cash and common stock. Intersil's Wireless Networking Product Group focuses on the WLAN semiconductor market. GlobespanVirata is a developer of DSL chipsets. The companies cited the synergies of their respective product lines in home networking, consumer electronic networking and wireless data segments. GlobespanVirata said WLAN capabilities are becoming integral to DSL CPE designs. Intersil's Wireless Networking Product Group has over 300 employees and is based in Florida. The group has its origins in Harris Corporation.



• In October 2001, GlobeSpan merged with Virata, another developer of DSL silicon.



• GlobeSpan was formed in 1996 through a spin-off from Lucent Technologies. The company's core engineering team was among the earliest developers of DSL technology at AT&T Bell Labs.



• Last week, Conexant Systems reported quarterly revenues of $164.7 million, up 9% over the prior quarter and up 24% over the same period last year. There was a pro forma operating profit of $6.7 million. Revenue from ADSL modem and satellite set-top box solutions, two key growth areas for the company, increased more than 30% sequentially.

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3Com and Crossbeam Sign OEM Partnership

3Com will market, sell and support Crossbeam Systems' C30O and X45O security services switches to enterprise customers under the 3Com brand name. In line with 3Com's joint venture with Huawei and its strategy to pursue medium to large enterprises, Crossbeam's security services switches complement 3Com's existing security products. 3Com expects to begin offering Crossbeam's C30 and X45 security services switches to its enterprise customers in December 2003.


Crossbeam Systems, a start-up based in Concord, Massachusetts, offers a high performance security switch for delivering intrusion detection, firewalls, antivirus, web filtering and VPN services. The Crossbeam platform integrates deep packet processing capabilities with subscriber, network, and policy application awareness running on a Linux operating system to create an open, content service overlay network.
http://www.crossbeamsystems.com

• In May 2003, secured $18 million in new funding for its network security solutions. The new funding was led by Matrix Partners, North Bridge Venture Partners and Commonwealth Capital Venture Partners, and included Intel Capital and Charles River Ventures. Crossbeam has raised $52 million to date.

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