Thursday, May 13, 2004

Edgewater Adds VoIP Survivability to its Appliances

Edgewater Networks has added VoIP survivability features to its EdgeMarc line of VoIP CPE appliances. The new functionality provides local call switching in the event of wide area network (WAN) link failures, softswitch failures or during periods of network congestion that result in a loss of connectivity to the softswitch. Edgewater provides the ability to detect a loss of connectivity to the softswitch, a fallback mode of operation offering station-to-station calling for locally connected subscribers and automatic recovery of call control to the softswitch once connectivity has been restored. http://www.edgewaternetworks.com/
  • In April 2004, Edgewater Networks introduced a line of session border controllers providing specialized security, NAT/Firewall traversal services and passive call quality monitoring for service providers. These systems provide topology hiding, dynamic session admission control and stateful packet inspection to secure critical VoIP and data infrastructure components such as VoIP softswitches, gateways and media servers. The EdgeProtect Series products use a dynamic access control list to authenticate VoIP subscribers as they register with the hosted service. This authentication eliminates the need to manually program IP addresses of valid subscribers in other firewalls around the perimeter of the data center to enable scalability while reducing the workload of operations personnel.


  • In October 2003, Edgewater Networks introduced a VoIP customer premise device that combines T1 CSU/DSU or E1 and an 8-port 10/100 Ethernet switch. The company said its new EdgeMarc 38T resolves NAT/Firewall traversal problems by providing a "voice-aware" firewall that supports SIP, MGCP, H.323 or SCCP to protect the enterprise LAN.

SBC President William Daley Steps Down

William M. Daley is stepping down from his role as president of SBC Communications.



SBC named Forrest Miller to lead a new organization combining the company's public affairs and planning units. Miller's title will be Group President-External Affairs and Planning and he will report to Edward E. Whitacre, chairman and CEO of the company. Miller was most recently Group President-Corporate Planning. He has previously served as president and CEO of SBC Southwestern Bell, and he held the same title at SBC SNET in Connecticut. http://www.sbc.com
  • Daly formerly served as U.S. Secretary of Commerce from 1997 to 2000 and as chairman of Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign. He took the job as President of SBC in November 2001.

ITU Adopts OSS/BSS Specification

In partnership with the Telemanagement Forum (TM Forum), the International Telecommunication Union has adopted a standard for operations and business support systems (OSS/BSS) .



ITU-T Recommendation M.3050 is based on the TM Forum's Enhanced Telecom Operations Map (eTOM) standard. Network operators and equipment suppliers will be able to use eTOM alongside existing ITU-T guidelines for telecoms management defined in its Telecommunication Management Network (TMN) specifications for internal process reengineering, partnership management, and product and service specification.



While eTOM represents the first TM Forum specification to be published as an ITU-T Recommendation, it is envisaged that more will follow. Currently under discussion are new specifications on human machine interface (HMI) that aim to improve the interaction between OSS/BSSs and the people that operate them. http://www.itu.int

TI and Aeluros Enter Alliance for 10 Gbps XFP

Texas Instruments and Aeluros announced an agreement allowing TI to manufacture and sell the Aeluros Puma AEL1002 XFI to XAUI integrated circuit (IC) as a TI-branded product. The device is an integrated 10 Gbps XFI to XAUI IC, with the primary function of bridging between optical modules compliant with the increasingly popular XFP multi-source agreement, and system MAC and ASIC devices featuring the mainstream 3 Gbps XAUI interface. The companies said their agreement provides a second-source for XFP line card developers. http://www.ti.com

Nortel Networks Targeted by Criminal Investigation

Nortel Networks received a Federal Grand Jury Subpoena for the production of certain documents, including financial statements and corporate, personnel and accounting records, that were produced from January 2000 to date. The company said it would fully cooperate with the authorities in this matter. http://www.nortelnetworks.com

NTT Cites Rising Competition, Focuses on Optical Access and 3G

NTT,
Japan's incumbent service provider, reported overall revenue of
11,095 billion yen, up 1.6% over fiscal 2003, for its fiscal
year ending 31-March-2004. Net income for fiscal 2004 was 644
billion yen, up 176% compared with the 233 billion in net income
for 2003. However, the company said revenues would decline and
profit growth is likely to fall this year due to increased
competition, a shrinking fixed line market, and a difficult
business environment. Some highlights:

  • The NTT Group said its highest strategic priorities are
    optical access and 3G wireless. The Group is making
    "every possible effort" to build out its fiber
    access network, while reducing fees and strategically
    improving facilities in high-demand areas. To help realize
    its "Vision for a New Optical Generation," a new
    company, NTT-Resonant, was recently established to develop
    the new broadband market. At the same time, the NTT Group is
    moving aggressively to expand sales of its 3G FOMA mobile
    network. Key initiatives include extending the 3G coverage
    areas and upgrading consumer handsets.

  • Despite restructuring efforts, NTT said its results were
    affected by a "severe business environment with
    intensified competition and the shrinking fixed-line market.
    The operating revenues at NTT East amounted to 2,267.1
    billion yen (a decrease of 3.6% from the prior year), and
    the operating revenues at NTT West amounted to 2,166.8
    billion yen (a decrease of 2.2% from the prior year).

  • NTT East and NTT West have each launched IP telephony
    services for corporate customers. The program features
    reduced rates for outgoing calls to the IP telephone network
    and to subscriber numbers, as well as the option to retain
    in-use subscriber telephone numbers for receiving incoming
    calls. New services were also launched enabling users to
    call from subscriber telephones and public pay phones to IP
    telephones with the prefix number 050. The two companies
    have also launched a new VPN service called "FLAT
    ETHER" that provides flat-rate intra-prefectural WAN
    connectivity.

  • NTT East and NTT West are also continuing to implement
    cost-reduction measures and to expand the amount of work
    outsourced to the Group's regional companies.

  • NTT Communications began offering the IP telephone
    "OCN .Phone" to users of ADSL and "B FLET'S"
    services as a standard set requiring no initial fees and
    monthly basic fees. The company also introduced ADSL pricing
    tiers and increased the use of IP phones by extending the
    service network to include mobile phones.
  • NTT DATA is further reducing its costs to boost
    competitiveness in the systems integration field. At the
    same time, NTT DATA is pursuing structural reform by
    re-organizing NTT Group companies involved in regional
    businesses and in maintenance and operations services. NTT
    DATA is focused on the promotion of new businesses including
    the "IT Partner Business" program where NTT Data
    works together with its customer firms in the form of
    business alliances or joint investments to conduct
    IT-related businesses.
  • NTT DoCoMo highlighted alliances with overseas affiliates
    and partners, including new "i-mode" services that
    were newly launched in Spain and Italy, and 3G services that
    were launched in Hong Kong.


http://www.ntt.co.jp

14-May-04
























































NTT
Group -- Fiscal 2004 Performance

(billions of Yen)


  NTT
Holding Company
NTT
East
NTT
West
NTT
Comm.
NTT
Data
NTT
DoCoMo
Operating
Revenues
258 2,267 2,167 1,107 847 5,048
Change
from previous year
16.2% (3.6%) (2.2%) (3.9%) 1.8% 5.0%
Net
income (loss)
240 58 62 24 27 650
Change
from previous year
159 55 42 11 (1.6) 438



 
























































































































































NTT
Subscriber Numbers
  31-Mar-02 31-Mar-03 31-Mar-04 

 
31-Mar-05 

 
(projected)  
NTT
East Fixed Telephone lines
25,084,000 25,139,000 25,264,000   25,317,000
NTT
East  INS-Net Subscriber Lines
5,851,000 5,260,000 4,756,000   4,340,000
NTT
East Total
30,956,000 30,399,000 30,020,000   29,657,000
NTT
West Fixed Telephone lines
25,654,000 25,575,000 25,674,000   25,707,000
NTT
West  INS-Net Subscriber Lines
5,299,000 4,868,000 4,378,000   3,930,000
NTT
West Total
30,952,000 30,442,000 30,053,000   29,637,000
         
NTT
East FLET's ISDN lines
653,000 651,000 514,000   364,000
NTT
East FLET's ADSL lines
513,000 1,430,000 2,283,000   2,983,000
NTT
East B-FLETS optical access lines
12,000 111,000 426,000   1,026,000
          
NTT
West FLET's ISDN lines
651,000 621,000 466,000   359,000
NTT
West FLET's ADSL lines
454,000 1,127,000 1,806,000   2,506,000
NTT
West B-FLETS optical access lines
6,000 88,000 414,000   1,014,000
         
DoCoMo
Cellular
  43,861,000 45,927,000 47,700,000
DoCoMo
Cellular -FOMA
  330,000 3,045,000 10,600,000
DoCoMo
i-Mode
  37,758 41,077,000 43,400,000
DoCoMoi-Mode FOMA 303,000 303,000

2,997,000

 

http://www.ntt.co.jp

NTT DoCoMo Names New CEO

NTT DoCoMo named Masao Nakamura as its new president and CEO, succeeding Dr. Keijii Tachikawa. The new CEO appointment is part of a larger set of changes in executive positions, including members of the board of directors and statutory auditors, announced by NTT DoCoMo. http://nttdocomo.com

Equant Signs $5.6M MPLS VPN Contract with Spencer Stuart

Spencer Stuart, a global executive search firm with over 50 offices in 25 countries, awarded a 3-year, $5.6 million IP VPN contract extension to Equant for high-end IP VPN services. Equant's classes of service allow Spencer to prioritize its mission-critical applications, including proprietary software used for secure transmission of classified executive dossiers. http://www.equant.com

Belgium's Telenet Selects Alcatel IP Service Router

Telenet, the Belgian cable operator, selected the Alcatel 7750 Service Router (SR) for its IP/MPLS network. Advanced business services, as well as future services such as interactive digital TV, integrated data and voice, will use the Alcatel service routers. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.alcatel.com

AT&T Proposes Binding Arbitration for UNE Negotiations

AT&T expressed frustration at the lack of progress in reaching commercial agreements on UNE issues with the four Bell companies. AT&T is asking Verizon, SBC, BellSouth and Qwest to each agree to a binding arbitration process that results in long-term commercial agreements.



"The industry is fast approaching the witching hour and something must be done now to bring these negotiations to a successful close," said AT&T Chairman and Chief Executive Officer David W. Dorman. "Private one-on-one negotiations and even a mediated process have not resulted in the desired outcome. We are frustrated by the lack of progress in negotiations to date, and the absence of any positive response to our offer to move to our own facilities."http://www.att.com
  • In late April 2004, AT&T issued a public proposal to the each of the four Bell companies offering a new roadmap to facilities-based local competition. AT&T is proposing increases in the price of UNE-P by at least $3 in phases over the next 2 1/2 years so as to impose a financial penalty on competitors that continue to rely on UNE-P. In exchange, however, competitors would be able to obtain operational and economic access to "last-mile" loop facilities on terms that are reasonable and fair. AT&T said it would support UNE-P price increases in exchange for reasonable reductions in the costs and necessary improvements in the provisioning required to support facilities-based competition. The framework also provides incentives for AT&T to accelerate deployment of its own facilities.

French Regulator Opens WiMax Hearings

Autorité de Régulation des Télécommunications (ART), the telecom regulatory authority in France, opened a public consultation on WiMAX. The proceeding will consider the potential of WiMAX as well as its effect on radio local loop licenses across the 3.4 - 3.8 GHz frequency bands. http://www.art-telecom.fr