Canada's Allstream Offers Outsourced LANs based on Cisco

Allstream (formerly AT&T Canada) has launched a managed LAN service based on the Cisco AVVID (Architecture for Voice, Video and Integrated Data) architecture for enterprises interested in outsourcing their LAN infrastructure. The service will support Wi-Fi access capabilities, in addition to IP telephony and security / VPNs. Customers also have the option to combine Managed LAN with Allstream's Managed WAN services. http://www.allstream.com

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U.S. Robotics Offers 802.11g Wireless USB Adapter

U.S. Robotics introduced an 802.11g Wireless USB Adapter that plugs into any available 1.1 or 2.0 USB port. A power adapter is not necessary. The unit has a suggested retail price of $79.



U.S. Robotics is also introducing a new Wireless Gaming Adapter and Ethernet Bridge that plugs into an Ethernet enabled gaming console and automatically finds and connects to the nearest access point. It has a suggested retail price of $109. http://www.usr.com

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Isocore Tests GMPLS Control Plane Interoperability

Isocore Internetworking Lab recently completed its latest phase of IP-Optical Integration testing using next-generation control plane protocols.



The testing encompassed the Generalized Multi-Protocol Label Switching (GMPLS) suite of control plane protocols, including dynamic signaling and routing demonstrating the GMPLS Peer-to-Peer model. In addition, the OIF's User-to Network Interface (UNI) was also demonstrated.



During the testing event, which was held last month at the Isocore facility in McLean, Virginia, all participating companies successfully requested and established dynamic Label Switched Paths (LSPs) using dynamic routing databases, including next-hop route calculation at the optical layer. IP applications such as Layer 3 VPNs (including Carrier's Carrier and Inter-provider scenarios), IP v6 over MPLS, and MPLS OAM were deployed over a dynamic, self-managing optical core.



The intelligent optical core used GMPLS control plane protocols and also supported UNI access. Dynamic constraint-based shortest path first (CSPF) routing was demonstrated for the first time for GMPLS networks. Participating companies were able to support routing using OSPF-TE extensions for GMPLS and setup lowest cost GMPLS dynamic label switched paths (LSP).



The optical network consisted of equipment from Avici Systems, Ciena, Cisco Systems, Juniper Networks, Fujitsu Laboratories LTD, Furukawa Electric, Mitsubishi Electric, Navtel Communications, NEC, NTT, Sycamore Networks and Tellabs.



The testing event will be replicated in a live public demonstration at SUPERCOMM in Chicago in June. http://www.isocore.com

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Cisco Supplies Long Reach Ethernet for Parisian Apartments

Erenis, a start-up carrier backed by the French National Agency for Innovation and the European investment fund Net Partners, and will use Cisco Systems' Catalyst 2950 Long-Reach Ethernet (LRE) Series switches as one of the cornerstones of a network delivering low-cost service based on Very High-Bit Rate DSL (VDSL). Erenis already provides broadband access and traditional telephony services to its tenants over the same infrastructure. The LRE deployment will enable broadband services at speeds ranging from 15 Mbps up to 100 Mbps.



Besides Catalyst 2950 LRE Series switches and Cisco 500 Series LRE Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) devices, Erenis has deployed Cisco 7300 Series routers with Service Selection Gateways for broadband aggregation within its core network.



Erenis has a partnership with SAGI (Societe Anonyme de Gestion Immobiliere), which is one of the three largest landlords in Paris, owning around 35,000 households. To date, Erenis has already rolled out services to 5,000 households in the 12th, 15th, 17th and 20th districts of Paris and the suburb of Asnieres. http://www.cisco.com

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Net Insight to Acquire Q2 Labs for CWDM and Next Gen SDH/SONET

Net Insight agreed to acquire privately held Q2 Labs AB, a start-up based in Sweden, for 2.5 million of its shares (SX: NETI B). Q2 Labs, which was founded in 2003 by a team comprised of former Qeyton Systems engineers (acquired by Cisco in 2000) and Cisco Photonics Sweden, will add integrated CWDM (Course Wave Division Multiplexing) transport functionality and Next Generation SDH/SONET (GFP to Net Insight's product portfolio.



Net Insight's Nimbra platform combines NG SDH/Sonet transport, efficient Ethernet access and specific video and legacy interfaces for multi-service networks. Its products are used in telco triple play deployments and professional media networks to link geographically dispersed production facilities. http://www.netinsight.net

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ntl to Consolidate 13 Call Centers to 3

ntl, the UK's largest cable company with over 1 million broadband customers and 2.9 million residential TV customers, will consolidate its 13 call centers, which support ntl's UK home division, to three state-of-the-art call centers equipped for growth. Newer technology and streamlined processes will result in the elimination of up to 1,500 jobs. Ntl said it hopes to achieve much of this reduction through natural turnover. http://www.ntl.com

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picoChip Develops WiMax Building Blocks

picoChip, a start-up based in Bath, England is developing a WiMAX PHY library to run on its "picoArray" processor. The company said greater software flexibility is needed to implement rapidly evolving WiMax standards, including IEEE 802.16d (next generation fixed), 802.16e (mobility) or HPI, the Korean broadband wireless standard. It picoArray offers support for TDD or FDD, increased channel bandwidths, larger FFT sizes, sub-channelization or new FEC-modes (convolutional turbo-code). It also enables efficient use of multiple antennas at high sample rates, critically important for advanced algorithms such as adaptive antennas, space-time-coding (STC) and MIMO. The system is suited to both basestations and high-end subscriber stations. http://www.picoChip.com

• picoChip was founded in September 2000 and is backed by both Pond Venture Partners and Atlas Venture.

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Mobileway Secures $23 Million for Mobile Messaging

Mobileway, a start-up based in San Mateo, California and London raised $23 million in Series D funding to support its mobile messaging solutions. Mobileway facilitates the delivery of content to consumers with wireless devices. It operates carrier-grade data centers in Paris, Silicon Valley, and Singapore providing more than 150 direct connections and access to more than 600 operators.



In the Series D round, a new U.S.-based investment partner, Institutional Venture Partners (IVP), joins with existing investors 3i, CDP, Intel, Investcorp, Mayfield, Nexit Ventures, and Visa. The company has raised $77 million to date. http://www.mobileway.com.

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Optical Internetworking Forum to Host Global Interoperability Event

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) is planning a global joint carrier, multi-vendor optical network interoperability demonstration to be conducted simultaneously in China, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States and showcased at SUPERCOMM in Chicago. Carriers participating in the OIF World Interoperability Demonstration will include AT&T, China Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, KDDI R&D Laboratories, NTT, Telecom Italia, and Verizon.



Participating supplier and carrier companies will conduct interoperability testing of Ethernet over SONET/SDH services and dynamic optical networking services. Based on ITU-T standards for Ethernet service adaptation, the Ethernet over SONET/SDH services testing will include the Generic Framing Procedure (GFP), Virtual Concatenation (VCAT), and the Link Capacity Adjustment Scheme (LCAS). The dynamic optical networking interoperability testing will be based on OIF implementation agreements for UNI 1.0 release 2 and E-NNI, and will include testing of both the control and data plane. These implementation agreements are based on the ITU's requirements for automatically switched optical networks. The carriers will also be coordinating the overall network interoperability requirements between the multiple carrier lab locations.



The World Interoperability Demonstration will be available for public observation during SUPERCOMM 2004 from June 22-24, in Chicago at the OIF booth #2006, Hall B2. http://www.oiforum.com

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Tropos Names Former FCC Chairman to its Board

Tropos Networks, a start-up offering equipment for metro-scale Wi-Fi networks, announced that Reed E. Hundt has joined its Board of Directors. Mr. Hundt is currently an advisor on information industries to McKinsey and Company, and serves on the board of Intel Corporation as well as with other telecom start-ups. Hundt served as Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) from 1993 to 1997. http://www.tropos.com

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Canada's TELUS Selects Juniper's E-series

TELUS, the largest telecom carrier in western Canada, selected Juniper Networks' E-series routing platform to deliver broadband services to its business and consumer customers. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.juniper.net

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NDS and Thomson Join Forces for Content Protection

NDS and Thomson have agreed to promote a standard, secure and end-to-end digital content distribution solution for the entertainment and media industries. The agreement allows the introduction of a content protection system based on the interoperability of Secure Video Processor (SVP) and "SmartRight" solutions. SVP, which is an open standard for digital rights management (DRM), enables security to be added to any digital video processing chip for use in consumer electronic devices, such as digital TVs, set-top boxes, DVRs, mobile phones and other portable players.



"SmartRight" is an end-to-end copy protection solution that extends the protection of Conditional Access Systems and Digital Rights Management systems to the complete home network. SmartRight prevents digital content from unauthorized redistribution, including over the Internet, outside a secure, authorized domain. SmartRight enables the consumer to include devices in remote locations, such as a car or boat, second home, office within his/her domain. http://www.svp-cp.orghttp://www.smartright.org

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ReefEdge Names Former Avaya Exec as VP of Engineering

ReefEdge Networks, a start-up based in Fort Lee, New Jersey named Jeffrey Metzger as Vice President of Engineering. Metzger previously served as Vice President, Research & Development at Avaya. Earlier, he was Managing Director of Engineering at Agile Networks.



ReefEdge is a provider of interoperable, managed and secure WLAN systems for multi-site enterprises. http://www.reefedge.com

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RIM Announces 2-for-1 Stock Split, Revenue Leaps 37% Sequentially

Research In Motion (RIM), the company behind the BlackBerry Wireless platform, a two-for-one stock split of the company's outstanding common shares. The two-for-one stock split will be implemented by way of a stock dividend whereby shareholders will receive one common share of the company for each common share held. The stock dividend will be payable on June 4, 2004 to common shareholders of record at the close of business on May 27, 2004.



For the quarter ended 28-Feb-04, RIM's revenue was $210.6 million, up 37% from $153.9 million in the previous quarter and up 141% from $87.5 million in the same quarter of last year. The revenue breakdown for the quarter was approximately 66% for handhelds, 23% for service, 8% for software licenses and 3% for other revenue.



The total number of BlackBerry subscribers in the quarter increased by 204,000 to approximately 1,069,000 total subscribers. http://www.rim.com

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SaskTel Selects Widevine to Secure Video over DSL

Saskatchewan Telecommunications (SaskTel) has chosen Widevine Technologies to provide security for its IP-based video broadcast and video-on-demand (VOD) service, which is delivered over the carrier's DSL network. The VOD service is available to subscribers in all nine cities where SaskTel's video service is offered and is expected to grow to more than 50,000 subscribers by 2006.



Widevine supplies a Virtual SmartCard solution the secures the content delivered of the broadband video network.



For the SaskTel video over DSL deployment, Widevine will interface with the Media Manager from Alcatel, the video delivery platform provided by Kasenna and set-top-boxes from Pace Micro Technology. http://www.widevine.com

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Broadcom Acquires Sand Video for Video Compression

Broadcom acquired Sand Video, a privately-held, Andover, Mass.-based company focused on the development of advanced video compression semiconductors for consumer digital video applications. Broadcom will pay a total of up to approximately $77.5 million - $70.1 million in the form of 1.666 million shares of its Class A common stock issued or reserved for future issuance (valued at the NASDAQ National Market closing price on April 6) and $7.4 million in cash consideration.



Sand Video's products support existing MPEG-2, as well as the emerging ITU-T H.264 standard, also known as advanced video coding (AVC), or MPEG-4 Part 10, and will be supporting Microsoft's Windows Media 9 compression and decompression standards in the future.



Broadcom said combination of Sand Video's technologies and its own products would enable next-generation video solutions for a range of products, including digital TVs, enhanced cable and satellite TV set-top boxes, personal video recorders (PVRs), high definition DVD recorders and players, IP set-top boxes, and video conferencing, among others. http://www.broadcom.com

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Lucent Announces 3 More European Contracts

Lucent Technologies announced a series of contracts totaling several million dollars with some of its major European customers to provide next-generation technology, software and services:

• T-Systems -- for multivendor maintenance and support services for IP equipment in T-Systems' global network, "Telekom Global Net." This major contract is the result of Lucent's strategic decision to grow its services business by providing multi-vendor network services. Lucent and T-Systems International (TSI) also are announcing that they will jointly market and sell Lucent's network security offer to T-Systems' German and international customers, enabling T-Systems to cost-effectively expand its existing range of managed firewall services.



• KPN of the Netherlands -- for next-generation software and professional services capability to upgrade and expand its ATM network.



• Hutchison 3G: Lucent and Novatel Wireless will provide UMTS wireless PC cards, software and services to customers of Hutchison Whampoa's 3G services arm, 3, in Australia, Denmark, Italy and Sweden.

http://www.lucent.com

• At the CeBIT 2004 tradeshow last month, Lucent announced 17 next-generation contracts with a combined value of more than US$300 million.

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