F5 Acquires MagniFire WebSystems for Application Firewall

F5 Networks has acquired MagniFire WebSystems, a start-up based in New York with R&D in Israel, for $29 million in cash. MagniFire's TrafficShield security appliance combines application-layer filtering with network and encryption technology to defend against "zero-day" web infrastructure attacks. F5 Networks said the acquisition complements its acquisition of uRoam and its FirePass SSL VPN product for secure remote access last July. http://www.f5networks.com/http://www.magnifire.c...

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Verizon Remains Deadlocked with MCI and AT&T

Following marathon negotiations over the Memorial Day weekend, Verizon Communications issued a statement blaming the government's position for the failure to reach commercial agreements with MCI and AT&T. "The positions of all sides are clearer now, there was some movement, and we'll continue to do everything we can to reach fair agreements with wholesale customers," said Tom Tauke, executive vice president of public affairs at Verizon. "But the negotiations are frustrated by the position of the government." The majority of the FCC is seeking...

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XO Calls on FCC Chairman to Open Key Negotiations

XO Communications expressed its strong opposition to what it believes are the "secret and exclusive" FCC-sponsored negotiations among the four regional Bell operating companies (RBOCs), AT&T and MCI that have taken place over Memorial Day weekend. "It is unfortunate that the FCC Chairman has engaged in secret and exclusive negotiations that serve to undermine the Telecommunications Act of 1996, which was enacted to foster competition and protect consumers and businesses from the local monopolies," said XO Communications Chief Executive Officer,...

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Communications Workers Union Seeks Universal Service Rules for VoIP

The Communications Workers of America is calling on the FCC to define VoIP as a telecommunications service and therefore subject to the same regulations that govern other telecommunications services providers -- including universal service support, emergency and public safety access, consumer protections and disability access. In a filing with the FCC, the union notes that the current model ensured universal, affordable, high-quality telephone service for every household and business in the United States. "Now, as we move into the next generation...

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Aleron Broadband Services Deploys Axiowave

PowerNet Global Communications (PNG), an emerging national wholesale and retail carrier, began offering "ATM-Grade SLAs" for IP services. The carrier is using Axiowave Networks' XCR128 service convergence router across the IP network of its wholly owned Aleron Broadband Services. New services include Toll-Quality VoIP, ATM-Grade IP-VPNs, and ATM-Grade transit. PNG/Aleron is now guaranteeing worst-case latency and jitter levels for the industry's first ATM-Grade IP-VPNs (point-to-point worst-case latency under 65 ms and worst-case jitter under...

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Axiowave's Router Promises ATM-Grade QoS for IP

Axiowave Networks, a start-up based Marlborough, Massachusetts, unveiled its core/metro routing platform designed to deliver "ATM-grade" quality of service for IP traffic. Axiowave, which was founded in 2000 by Ray Stata and Mukesh Chatter (formerly Lucent/Nexabit) is betting that the prevailing IP/MPLS business model is flawed because service providers are...

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Allied Telesyn Teams with General Bandwidth

Allied Telesyn will resell General Bandwidth's G6 VoIP Media Gateways in support of packet voice services alongside its TN9000 series MultiService Access Platforms (MAP) and RG600 Residential Gateway CPE products. As part of Allied Telesyn's Triple Play service offering of voice, video, and high speed data over IP, Allied Telesyn will be integrating the G6 VoIP Media Gateway, a NEBS Level 3 certified circuit-to-packet gateway, with its own carrier grade, Ethernet/IP-based access portfolio. The G6 platform is a fully redundant, carrier grade VoIP...

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Riverstone Debuts 10 Gbps Ethernet Edge Router

Riverstone Networks introduced an "Ethernet Edge Router" that combines the standard elements of a multiservice edge router - an IP/MPLS control plane, multiple interface types, and the ability to converge traffic over MPLS. The new ASIC-driven Riverstone 15008 Ethernet Edge Router employs a distributed and modular operating system architecture that allows the...

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AT&T Names Chief Marketing Officer for Business

AT&T appointed Kathleen R. Flaherty Chief Marketing Officer of the unit that serves business customers in the U.S. and globally. Flaherty will head a new organization that consolidates all AT&T business marketing functions -- product, price, promotion and placement -- into a single group focused on delivering higher-value services, applications and solutions to AT&T's domestic and multinational business. Flaherty most recently served as the president and chief operating officer of Winstar International. She will report to AT&T...

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Bluefire Secures $10 Million for Wireless Firewalls

Bluefire Security Technologies, a start-up based in Baltimore, raised $10 million in series C financing for its security software that protects wireless handheld devices, data and networks. The company's flagship product, Bluefire Mobile Firewall Plus, is a security solution for handheld devices, providing firewall, intrusion prevention, integrity management, encryption, authentication and policy-based enterprise security management features that enable the safe use of mobile and wireless applications. The new funding came from Grotech Capital...

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Sprint Expands Portfolio with DISH Satellite TV

Sprint has begun offering DISH Network satellite TV services in its 18-state local telephone operating territory. http://www.sprint....

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Tellabs Enhances Grooming of Digital Crossconnects

Tellabs has added support for Telcordia's GR-303 Voice Circuit Concentration to its Tellabs 5320L and Tellabs 5320LS digital cross-connects. The enhancement more effectively grooms incoming T-1s so that fewer voice switch ports are required to support the same level of service. With fewer voice switch ports, Tellabs estimates that network operators can realize savings from 75% to 83%. The Tellabs 5320L/5320LS systems also now have surveillance port support that enables network operators to monitor thousands of DS-0 circuits simultaneously, which...

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Broadcom and BroadLight Team on FTTP

Broadcom and BroadLight announced joint solutions for building cost-effective FTTP optical network units (ONUs) for delivering voice, video and data services to residential users. The system design is based on BroadLight's advanced broadband passive optical network (BPON) transceivers and media access controllers (MACs) and Broadcom's access technologies for carrying voice, video and data to and throughout the home. Broadcom and BroadLight are co-marketing the solutions to telecommunications system vendors and service providers worldwide. htt...

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Tiscali Selects UTStarcom's IP DSLAMs

Tiscali awarded a two-year contract to UTStarcom or deployment of its AN-2000 IB IP-based DSLAM in its multiservice broadband network, which will offer integrated Internet, telecommunications, and entertainment services in eight European countries. UTStarcom is also supplying Tiscali with NetRing optical Ethernet switches and iNetMan network and subscriber management software. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.utstar....

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BellSouth Adds to Metro Ethernet Portfolio

BellSouth is enhancing its Ethernet transport services for business customers by adding new solutions for business continuity, data and storage center connectivity, sharing of medical and technical imaging, video and VoIP. The Metro Ethernet Service enhancements, known as Premium Service options, are initially available in Atlanta, Miami, New Orleans, Jacksonville and Raleigh, with deployments to take place in additional metro areas throughout 2004. With BellSouth's Premium Service, customers have several available options including committed...

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Amedia Unveils Ethernet-based FTTP Solution

Amedia Networks, formerly TTR Technologies, unveiled an active Ethernet-based Fiber-to-the-Premises (FTTP) access solution. The company's Ethernet Switched Optical Network (ESON) technology, which was licensed from and jointly developed with Lucent Bell Labs, provides QoS mechanisms for delivering triple play services at up to 100 Mbps bandwidth per subscriber. The Amedia portfolio includes:The PG1000 Premises Gateway: customer premises equipment located at the subscriber's home or business to enable ultra-broadband high QoS access, wirelessly...

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MCI and Qwest Reach Commercial Agreement for Wholesale Services

MCI and Qwest Communications reached a landmark agreement on wholesale pricing and services -- marking the first commercially negotiated wholesale agreement between ILEC and major CLEC. The deal was reached after five weeks of mediated negotiations. Cheryl Parrino, former chairman of the Public Service Commission of Wisconsin and president of the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners, served as mediator. The agreement maintains existing prices through 31-Dec-2004; creates a transition period through January 2007; provides...

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Agilent Ships 10 Millionth ASIC Embedded SerDes Channel

Agilent Technologies shipped its 10 millionth embedded serializer/deserializer (SerDes) channel for storage, enterprise computing and network equipment manufacturers. Agilent's ASICs integrate more than 200 SerDes channels onto a single 0.13 micron CMOS chip, each operating at up to 3.125 Gbps. http://www.agilent....

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Oman to Become Hub for Region's First Terabit Cable System

Omantel, the national telecoms operator in Oman, has signed a dual landing station agreement with FLAG Telecom for the FALCON cable system. This new high-capacity resilient loop will provide multiple landings throughout the Gulf region, with submarine links stretching to Egypt in the west and to Hong Kong in the east. The Gulf loop and east and west links will interconnect at two landings in Oman. Omantel has also signed a capacity agreement with FLAG Telecom, purchasing international connectivity on the FALCON cable system, providing direct connectivity...

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Nokia Adds "Light Messaging" to Latest Camera Phone

Nokia unveiled its latest camera phone -- the Nokia 3220 -- featuring transparent grips which pulsate with light effects to indicate calls, messages, and in sync with the beat of ringtones. By waving the Nokia 3220 from side to side, the LED lights of the Nokia Xpress-on Fun Shell light up to "write" a message that appears to float in mid-air. The Nokia 3220 is a tri-band camera phone that will be available in two versions: a GSM 900/1800/1900 primarily for the European and Asian markets, and a GSM 850/1800/1900 primarily for the Americas. Shipments...

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TTR Technologies Changes Name to Amedia

TTR Technologies, a supplier of Ethernet and FTTP access solutions, has changed its name to Amedia Networks. Shares in the company have begun trading under the symbol AANI (OTCBB:AANI). http://www.amedianetworks....

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