Sunday, June 20, 2004

Cisco Delivers Metro-Scale Wi-Fi for Government

Cisco Systems introduced a wireless LAN product set for delivering broadband wireless access across a city to public sector agencies such as city, state and federal agencies, public safety (police, fire, and ambulance), transportation and public works. The Cisco Metropolitan Mobile Network solution consists of Cisco Aironet Series of Wi-Fi outdoor infrastructure and Cisco 3200 Series Routers with the new integrated Wireless Mobile Interface Card.



When used in vehicles, the Cisco 3200 Series Router with new integrated Wireless Mobile Interface Card creates a network comprised of laptops, PDAs, video surveillance cameras and other devices that maintain connectivity even as the vehicle moves between cellular and Wi-Fi coverage areas and across the community. The Cisco 3200 Series can also be deployed in fixed locations, such as on light poles and on roof tops, as a ruggedized outdoor wireless router to help provide wireless coverage across the city. The Cisco Aironet 1400 Series Outdoor Wireless Bridge provides long range IEEE 802.11a connectivity and the Cisco Aironet 1300 Series Outdoor AP and Wireless Bridge provides IEEE 802.11b/g connectivity and access at medium ranges.



Cook County, Illinois plans to use broadband wireless connectivity to enhance first responders' capabilities to prepare for and respond to events and emergencies. The first phase of deployment will enable emergency personnel to share text, image, and video information across jurisdictional boundaries.



London's Westminster City Council plans to create a "Wireless City" that will help reduce crime; provide real time information to city officials to manage street services such as parking, premises licensing, and environment waste; assist with special events; and deliver community based services such as e-learning. Working with Cisco, the Council is deploying video-surveillance that will result in a 30% savings from rapid Wi-Fi deployment of approximately 50 cameras.www.cisco.com/go/mmn

Metalink Ships 200,000 VDSL Ports to Korea in Q2

Metalink announced that shipments of its ITU-T standard compliant VDSL products to South Korea for the second quarter of 2004 have exceeded 200,000 ports. The company said its Total-VDSL provides performance of over 50 Mbps and up to 5 km DSL service capability. http://www.metalinkbb.com/

France Telecom and Motorola Form Strategic Partnership

France Telecom and Motorola signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the joint development of Seamless Mobility Solutions. This collaboration aims at developing and deploying new and innovative, integrated services, using a wide range of wireless access networks and technologies, for the home, office, car and on the move. The MoU includes: the establishment of joint research and development teams; the sharing of R&D funding; and the principle of sharing intellectual property. http://www.francetelecom.comhttp://www.motorola.com
  • In recent weeks, France Telecom has announced several strategic partnerships with leading systems companies, including with Alcatel for the joint definition and implementation of a Next Generation Network Architecture (NGN/IMS) towards a converged fixed/Internet/mobile network.; with Ericsson, in order to jointly develop IP Multimedia Services for the consumer market, and with Siemens, to jointly develop a New Generation Network Architecture for mobile/fixed networks.

Centillium Integrates ADSL2+/2++ and VoIP on a Chip

Centillium Communications introduced an ADSL2+/2++ and VoIP gateway-on-a-chip for next-generation Customer Premises Equipment (CPE). The new Palladia 400 chip uses Centillium's eXtremeDSLMAX technology for downstream rates up to 50 Mbps. It offers an integrated 200MHz MIPS processor and a high-powered DSP designed specifically to process VoIP. Palladia 400 supports a variety of voice codecs such as G.711 (PCM), G.729a/b, G.726.32 and G.723.1. The chip includes support for Caller Identification (Caller ID) -- including Japan Caller Identification Protocol (JCLIP), Call Forwarding and Call Waiting. The chip also supports Generic Voice Activity Detection (VAD) and Comfort Noise Generation (CNG) and includes a Message Waiting Indicator, Tele-Conferencing, Call Hold and Pulse Dialing. Palladia 400 also integrates an IPSec engine with support for Data Encryption Standard (DES), Triple Data Encryption Standard (3DES) and Advanced Encryption Standard (AES), as well as Secure Hash and Message Digest Algorithms in hardware.



Applications include home gateways, Integrated Access Devices (IADs), small office-home office (SOHO) voice routers, IP PBXs and other access products with ADSL2+/2++, VoIP, advanced security features and WiFi networking capabilities. Sampling is underway.

Centillium also unveiled the first member of a new family of chips for the VoIP Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) market. The Atlanta 100 chip supports up to eight voice channels for toll-quality telephone voice, fax calls and routing functionality over any broadband access network (ADSL, cable, WiMAX, etc.). The device integrates a RISC processor that performs network management, data routing and other functions. The device also includes a built-in packet accelerator that pushes system performance to wire-speed while supporting multiple VoIP channels in parallel. Atlanta 100 supports a variety of voice codecs, such as G.711 (PCM), G.729a/b, G.726.32 and G.723.1. The chip includes support for Caller Identification (Caller ID) including Japan Caller Identification Protocol (JCLIP), Call Forwarding and Call Waiting. It also supports Generic Voice Activity Detection (VAD) and Comfort Noise Generation (CNG) and includes a Message Waiting Indicator, Tele-Conferencing, Call Hold and Pulse Dialing. http://www.centillium.com

Cablevision Cuts its Pricing for Triple Play Bundle

Cablevision Systems cut the pricing of its bundled triple play (cable TV, cable modem and unlimited VoIP) residential service -- a move that is expected to put increased pricing pressure on Verizon as well as on other VoIP residential providers. The company unveiled a limited-time promotional offer that will run through July 31 and allow new customers to purchase advanced digital video, voice and data services for $29.95 each per month for 12 months when all three services are taken together. Also, Cablevision's cable customers will be offered the opportunity to add the company's high-speed Internet and voice services for $29.95 each per month, also for 12 months, when both services are added together. http://www.cablevision.comAs of May, Cablevision System's residential VoIP service, which is available in the New York metro area, was adding about 3,200 new customers per week. The cable company now has over 100,000 for the service.

In November 2003, Cablevision announced the availability of its digital voice-over-cable telephony across its footprint of nearly 4 million homes in the New York metropolitan area. Cablevision's Optimum Voice service was introduced on a trial basis earlier in 2003 and officially launched throughout Long Island in late September. The service provides unlimited local, regional and long-distance calling across the U.S. and Canada. It includes five custom calling features (Caller ID, Call waiting, Call return, three-way calling and Call forwarding) and provides fully functioning E-911 service.

KDDI Deploys Calient's Photonic Switches in Japan's R&D Test bed

KDDI has commercially deployed Calient Networks' DiamondWave PXC photonic switch as the core optical switch element in the new R&D Testbed Network JGN II for the National Institute of Information and Communications Technology (NICT). Financial terms were not disclosed.



JGN II, or Japan Gigabit Network II, has been designed and deployed to provide high-speed IP and Ethernet services to NICT's research centers as well as to universities and government research centers throughout Japan. JGN II is expected to accelerate research and development activities in the area of applications, ubiquitous networking, and so forth. Calient DiamondWave PXC switching systems were deployed to provide fully transparent optical switching and GMPLS-powered networking for bandwidth on demand to all served sites. http://www.calient.net

Fujitsu Expands FLASHWAVE 4500 for Core Grooming

Fujitsu Network Communications announced the availability of a Multi-Service Switching Platform (MSSP) designed for ultra high-capacity, core grooming applications that traditionally require a high-cost Digital Cross-Connect System (DCS), or the deployment of a completely new, large-scale MSSP network element. Fujitsu's MSSP configuration, which is based on the FLASHWAVE 4500 Multi-Service Provisioning Platform (MSPP), delivers a three-fold increase in interface capacity and provides up to 300 Gbps of traffic grooming capacity, while supporting current SONET and DWDM functionality.



Unlike the majority of MSSP devices that handle only optical connections, Fujitsu said its FLASHWAVE 4500 MSSP supports all electrical and optical interfaces from DS1 to OC-192, including next-generation Ethernet and DVB-ASI cards. Interface cards are interchangeable between MSPP and MSSP configurations to simplify sparing and planning. As expansion shelves are linked to the original MSPP shelf, 100 Gbps of interface capacity is added. Three shelves can fit in a single rack to provide 300 Gbps of interface capacity with full STS grooming capabilities. The entire system, whether comprised of one, two or three shelves, retains the single Target Identifier (TID) of the original MSPP to operate as one unit and minimize the effect on existing operating systems and procedures.



As an ultra high-capacity optical hub, a three-stage FLASHWAVE 4500 MSSP can directly terminate up to 15 OC-192 interoffice rings, 30 OC-48 interoffice/access rings, and hundreds of OC-12/OC-3 access rings. For service provisioning, a FLASHWAVE 4500 MSSP system can directly support up to 252 protected DS1 drops, 288 protected DS3 drops, 240 Fast Ethernet ports and 144 DVB-ASI ports.



Fujitsu is offering the MSSP configuration as an upgrade to existing FLASHWAVE 4500-based networks, or for new network installations. http://www.fujitsu.com/us/telecom

White Rock Networks Adds Multi-Service Optical Access Platform

White Rock Networks launched a low cost, OC-48 SONET-based Optical Access platform for delivering both native DS1/DS3 and FastE/GbE services. The VLX2006, which the company describes as the first OC-48 ADM priced at under $10K, also offers fully protected Ethernet ports.



The unit can remotely "right size" GbE access pipes as well as provide full Layer 2 Ethernet switching. Each GbE fiber interface can support subscribed customer rates from 512 Kbps to 1 Gbps. The VLX2006 is fully compatible with White Rock's VLX2020 OC-48/OC-192 SONET Transport Platform, which is also being enhanced to add matching Layer 2 Ethernet switching capabilities. These enhancements allow a VLX2020 to act as a hub node for multiple VLX2006-based optical access rings while simultaneously providing both TDM and Ethernet aggregation in a compact, low-cost package, reducing both CO Edge-router and Digital Cross Connect system (DCS) costs. http://www.whiterock.com

Kagoor Signs Reseller Agreement With Siemens IC

Siemens Information and Communication Networks will resell Kagoor Networks' VoiceFlow series session controllers, including the VoiceFlow 200, 1000 and 3000 products, as part of Siemens' Next Generation Product portfolio. With the Kagoor VoiceFlow series products, Siemens will be able to address both carrier and enterprise VoIP markets. http://www.kagoor.com

Brix Networks Unveils Prequalification Offering for VoIP

Brix Networks announced a prequalification application for VoIP networks that lets service providers test the ability of a prospect's residential broadband connection to support high-quality calls. VoIP PreQual is a commercial version of Brix Networks' free testing portal, TestYourVoIP.com.



The Brix VoIP PreQual Application consists of a PreQual Console and the PreQual Agent. The PreQual Console allows a provider's customer care or marketing staff to view, search, and report on the quality of a residential VoIP service prospect's broadband connection. Potential subscribers download a Java-based PreQual Agent to their Web browser. The PreQual Agent then initiates test VoIP calls and reports the quality and performance results directly to the PreQual Console for further analysis. The system evaluates Signaling Quality (call setup performance), Delivery Quality (media path network performance), and Call Quality (overall voice clarity and call experience). Additional diagnostic detail on delivery quality is provided by a host of metrics, including latency, packet loss, and jitter. http://www.brixnet.comhttp://TestYourVoIP.com

sentitO Networks Taps Dennis Chateauneuf as New CEO

sentitO Networks named Dennis Chateauneuf as its new CEO. Chateauneuf has held senior management positions at Sun Microsystems and Shiva Corporation.In 1998, Chateauneuf became the CEO of DTI Networks. In 2001, he merged DTI with CopperCom, and became its president and CEO. http://www.sentito.com

net.com Adds IP WAN Interface to Promina

net.com's Promina product line, which is deployed in enterprise, government and military networks, has added an IP-based trunk module to complement the existing TDM, ATM and serial WAN links. The Promina platform aggregates voice and secure voice traffic, as well as serial, modem, frame, cell and packet data through a single WAN link into a core network. http://www.net.com

Siemens Offers Broadband Plus! DSL Management/Support

Siemens introduced a "Broadband Plus!" solution for streamlining and automating the residential broadband lifecycle. Siemens' Broadband Plus! uses the latest DSL Forum device management specifications to provide end-to-end management and interoperability across DSL client devices, network platforms and back-end systems. Components of this solution include the company's SpeedStream Residential Gateway and its tango Subscriber Manager system. The tango software suite guides subscribers through setup, gateway, PC and service configuration. The tango Subscriber Manager then maintains a database of subscriber-specific attributes and their related devices.



The solution is offered by Siemens Subscriber Networks, an affiliate of Siemens Information and Communication Networks. http://www.usa.siemens.com/

MetaSolv Automates Delivery of VoIP Services

MetaSolv Software announced a domain manager service fulfillment solution for VoIP services. The operations support system (OSS) includes MetaSolv's inventory management, order management, and service activation software, combined with MetaSolv's professional services.



MetaSolv said its VoIP solution simplifies the provisioning process, enabling service providers to rapidly launch and provision a variety of operator defined residential and enterprise VoIP services in high volumes. MetaSolv currently provisions approximately 200 million subscribers globally for numerous services over multiple network technologies.



MetaSolv currently is collaborating with major global carriers to develop standardized service packages that can be provisioned quickly in large volumes. For example, using MetaSolv, the BT Group can deliver hosted IP telephony services to more than 10,000 end users in more than 750 offices.



In addition to core VoIP service fulfillment capabilities, MetaSolv also offers a convergent, carrier class mediation solution to enable carriers to bill for next-generation VoIP and multi-media services. http://www.metasolv.com/

Level 3 Expands Data Services

Level 3 Communication's IP VPN service -- which currently serves a number of large strategic customers -- is being expanded through channel partners to the enterprise market. Additionally, Level 3 has enhanced its wide-area Ethernet, ATM and Frame Relay data networking offerings by adding new lower speed data services. The four services currently provide secure video, voice and data transmission to and from more than 90 markets in the U.S. and Europe. Usage-based bandwidth is scaleable from T-1/E1 to OC-48/STM-16.



Level 3 Communications is using Laurel Networks' ST200 Service Edge Router as one of its platforms for an expansion of its (3)Flex data services in the US and Europe. The Laurel ST200 was first deployed by Level 3 to deliver wide area Ethernet services in 2002. http://www.level3.com

Foundry Introduces Layer 4-7 Web Appliances

Foundry Networks unveiled a new series of high-availability Layer 4-7 application management and web appliances for server farms. The new ServerIron GT E-series use Foundry's TrafficWorks embedded operating system and JetCore switching and packet processing chips to provide hardware-based forwarding, denial of service protection and access control filtering. The appliances could be used for load balancing, in-depth network defense and intelligent and configurable content inspection and switching. Three models are being introduced:

  • ServerIronGT EGx2 -- Two Gigabit Ethernet ports, application processor with performance of up to 50,000 Layer 4 connections per second, two expansion slots; $15,995


  • ServerIronGT EGx4 -- Four Gigabit Ethernet ports, application processor with performance of up to 100,000 Layer 4 connections per second, two expansion slots; $24,995


  • ServerIronGT E10Gx2 -- Two 10-Gigabit Ethernet ports, application processor with performance of up to 150,000 Layer 4 connections per second, two expansion slots; $44,995.
http://www.foundrynetworks.com

Extreme Networks Advances its Metro Ethernet Platform

Extreme Networks is adding advanced traffic management capabilities to its Metro Ethernet Service Platform, including Hierarchical-Virtual Private LAN Services (H-VPLS) and improved resiliency capabilities, such as Ethernet Automatic Protection Switching version two (EAPS v2). The fail-over performance of EAPS v2 has been improved to provide recovery in less than 50ms when a cable cut or equipment failure causes in interruption on an Ethernet ring. EAPS v2 now supports dual attached rings, as well as sub-tended rings.



Extreme Networks said metro service providers to date have been connecting Ethernet access networks together with Layer 3 MPLS routers. Its solution is to leverage Layer 2 MPLS for this function. Extreme Networks also noted its ability to scale metro networks beyond the limitation of 4K VLANs using a VMAN or "QinQ" mechanism for encapsulating the subscriber's VLAN tag(s) inside a provider assigned tag. http://www.extremenetworks.com/

Freescale Unveils BPON System-on-Chip

Freescale Semiconductor introduced a system-on-chip (SoC) solution for broadband passive optical networking (B-PON). The device integrates Freescale's e300 core (a PowerPC) processor core design), a B-PON media access controller (MAC), Ethernet MACs, and a clock and data recovery (CDR) unit on the same chip. The device's e300 core operates at 266 MHz and includes a 32KB instruction cache and a 32KB data cache. The processor platform integrates a double data rate (DDR) SDRAM memory controller, three 10/100 Ethernet controllers, dual universal asynchronous receiver/transmitter (DUART), Inter-IC (I2C) bus support, serial peripheral interface (SPI), an interrupt controller, general-purpose input output (GPIO), ATM adaptation layer 5 (AAL5) support, and UTOPIA interfaces. The B-PON interface fully complies with the ITU-T G.983 specification.



Freescale cited Mitsubishi Electric Corporation as a customer for its BPON solution. http://www.freescale.com

Tellabs Adds 8600 Managed Edge System

Tellabs introduced a managed edge system for North American service providers. The Tellabs 8600 system is an access-oriented edge platform that delivers IP VPN and Ethernet services, while extending MPLS into the access network and even all the way to the customer premise.



The Tellabs 8600 system offers hierarchical MPLS for layer 2 services such as Ethernet and for layer 3 services such as IP VPNs. This hierarchical model is necessary for scalable and efficient MPLS access deployment. Key components of the system include the Tellabs 8620 access switch, a carrier-class, small capacity (3.5 Gbps) router; and the Tellabs 8660 edge switch, a medium capacity (42 Gbps) router. http://www.tellabs.com/

AudioCodes Unveils Mediant 3000 Media Gateway for VoP

AudioCodes introduced a new Mediant 3000 media gateway that packs from 480 to 4,032 low-bit-rate VoIP/VoATM channels and SONET/SDH interfaces into a 2U compact footprint. The Mediant 3000 will be offered in 1+0, 1+1 or 2+0 media gateway blade configurations that contain the functionality of the stand-alone shelf controllers, Ethernet switches, voice processing blades and interface cards typically utilized in large gateways. The Mediant 3000 supports a variety of VoIP, Wireless, and Cable vocoders, standards-compliant signaling and call control, as well as integrated SIGTRAN-compliant Signaling Gateway interworking. It provides redundant PSTN, IP and ATM interfaces. In future releases, the Mediant 3000 is planned to be available with optional 1+1 blade redundancy and PSTN failover as well. Initial customer trials are slated for Q3 2004. http://www.audiocodes.com

net.com Announces "Qserv" TR-059 Capabilities for its B-RAS

net.com announced a new release of its SCREAM broadband remote access server (B-RAS) featuring "Qserv" technology for delivering advanced QoS capabilities over existing plain old DSL (PODSL) lines. Net.com's QServ technology complies with The DSL Forum's TR-059 specification for multiple tiers and IP classes of service over DSL while using a single ATM virtual circuit. In essence, Qserv tightly couples the IP and ATM QoS/CoS data planes.



The company said independent testing with carrier customers has demonstrated the SCREAM's ability to enforce QoS for a 2.6 mbps streaming video to an IP-based set top box and a 1 mbps stream to a "walled garden" content farm while maintaining best effort Internet access to an ISP, all over a single ATM VC.



net.com's SCREAM platform includes an integrated ATM switch, as well as IP and MPLS backhaul capabilities. The platform offers 5 levels of traffic shaping in a single ATM VC. The new 3.0 release of the platform also has he Cisco IOS routing engine running on SCREAM 3.0.



Bezeq, the incumbent carrier in Israel, is using the platform for valued-added DSL services, including a new "walled garden" ISP offering and network based security. http://www.net.com

BroadSoft Selected by BellSouth

BellSouth has selected the BroadSoft's BroadWorks network communications platform for its network-hosted VoIP deployment. The BroadWorks platform currently is supporting BellSouth's network-hosted trial offering announced in June. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.broadsoft.comhttp://www.bellsouth.com

Mahi Networks Debuts its Multi-Service Core Transport System

Mahi Networks introduced its Multi-Service Core Transport System based on "ADM-on-a-Wavelength" line card technology from its acquisition of Photuris. Mahi's Vx7 R2.1 provides single wavelength granularity with full 100% optical add/drop capability for OC-48 and OC-192 line-rates, with full wavelength-reuse around a sixteen-node network that spans up to a 1000 km circumference. The system supports a range of service interfaces, including SONET, SDH, Gigabit Ethernet, Fiber Channel, FICON, ESCON, and 'AnyRate'. It also leverages a GMPLS control planeVx7 to dynamically and rapidly add new services, nodes, or lambdas to any node.



Two new features of Vx7 Release 2.1 include 100% ROADM capability to enable customers to add, drop or reconfigure one or all system wavelengths at any node around the ring remotely -- with no service affecting disruptions, as well as a full GUI based Craft Interface Tool (CIT). http://www.mahinetworks.com
  • Earlier this month, Mahi announced its acquisition of Photuris, another start-up based in New Jersey. It developed an automated optical transport system for high-capacity metro and regional DWDM networks. Its platform features a “Versicolor�? capability that integrates four functions on a single optical line card: WDM demux/mux at the system input/output; fully flexible, reconfigurable OADM wavelength switching (any wavelength to any port, independent of any other wavelength); per-wavelength power balancing; and real-time per-wavelength optical power monitoring.


  • Also in June 2004, Mahi Networks closed $70 million in new funding.

Mahi Adds L2 Data Features to its Multi-Service Optical Transport

Mahi Networks, a start-up based in Petaluma, California, introduced new layer 2 packet processing capabilities for its Mi7 Multi-Service Core Aggregation System (MCAS) for SONET/SDH Networks. The new functionality enables carriers to deliver differentiated mass-market layer one data transport and layer two packet switched and statistically multiplexed data services over their embedded SONET infrastructure without the need for a separate data overlay network. Key enhancements in the Mi7 R1.5 system release include:

  • a server card enables carriers to incrementally add non-blocking packet processing as a system resource that is shared across any of the STS1s in the Mi7 broadband cross connect matrix. The fully integrated PPX server card leverages the Mi7's dual mode packet-based architecture, eliminating the need for adjunct packet-processing boxes and inter-machine trunking. The server card is capable of aggregating and switching Ethernet frames between X.86 DS3/STS channels, GFP STS channels, and GbE interfaces in a full logical mesh normally found only in L2/L3 core switches at either layer one or layer two.


  • an X.86 LAPS to G.7041 GFP inter-working gateway network element (GNE), and X.86 and GFP multi-vendor interoperability for extended Ethernet Private Line service reach across today's heterogeneous embedded and emerging base of metro Ethernet-over-SONET/SDH metro edge devices.


  • scalability enhancements to Mahi's multi-vendor SONET/SDH ring aggregation (SRA) with full IP/OSI DCC inter-working GNE capability. Mi7 R1.5 provides scalability of up to 256 subtended and protected SONET/SDH rings, and 4096 uniquely addressable subtended third party ADM or MSPP metro edge nodes by applying advanced routing and IP control plane technology such as multi-area IS-IS and OSPF with traffic engineering extensions for topology discovery across hundreds of subtended rings and tens of nodes per subtended ring. The scalability enhancements enable Mi7 BLSR support for up to 256 rings as well.


The new R1.5 release also supports the following L1 and L2 Ethernet features:

  • Up to 256 Gigabit Ethernet (GbE) interfaces per Mi7, supporting Ethernet Private Line (EPL) services over existing SONET, SDH, and DS3 networks


  • IEEE 802.3ad Link Aggregation and mapping of Ethernet dataflows into SONET, SDH, and DS3 channels via ITU-T X.86 LAPS and G.7041 GFP framing protocols.


  • 802.1Q VLAN tagging, 802.1ad QinQ tag stacking, 802.3ad GbE link protection, switch configuration reporting, dynamic VLAN profiles, and full function L2 VLAN virtual circuit cross-connection of up to 64,000 unique packet flows.


  • Rate policing on a per-flow basis in 10 Mbps granularity, IEEE 802.3x flow control, and multiple traffic priorities to enable value-based service pricing models and deterministic SLA enforcement.


  • Link/equipment protection and facility protection switching. Mahi's 802.1ad implementation has no restriction of the GbE port location in the system, and does not require physical adjacency. This feature significantly simplifies the carrier planning and port allocation efforts, and provides better utilization of available GbE ports for up to 256 ports per system.
http://www.mahinetworks.com

Mahi Forms Alliances with Covaro, ANDA

Mahi Networks and Covaro Networks announced a strategic alliance to promote intelligent interoperable solutions for Ethernet over SONET. Separately, Mahi Networks and ANDA Networks have also formed an alliance to pursue interoperable solutions that allow SONET networks to seamlessly transport, manage, and deliver Ethernet services with service level agreements using a variety of standards-based formats.



Mahi's Mi7 Multi-Service Core Aggregation System serves as an aggregation device for SONET rings transporting Ethernet over SONET. The Mi7's dual-mode TDM/Packet architecture provides a full-suite of packet processing, traffic management and statistical multiplexing across every DS3 TDM, SONET and GbE interface, enabling carriers to deliver new services without layer 2 switching equipment at every hub location.



Covaro's CC-16000, seated at the edge of a carrier's network, provides a range of services to small, medium and large businesses. These services include 10/100/1000BT Ethernet, GbE, 100FX, Ethernet Metallic eXtensions (EMX), DS1, DS3 and OC-3/12 (STM-1/4).



ANDA's portfolio of solutions includes its "EtherTone", a family of products that enables carriers to deliver Ethernet, VoIP, and Circuit-to-Packet services over existing copper and fiber infrastructure. The joint Mahi-ANDA solution is aimed at carriers that must go ‘out of network' to lease DS-3 circuits to access enterprise customers. Using the Mahi Mi7's multi-vendor interoperable SONET aggregation capabilities, the joint solution eliminate the need for carriers to upgrade their existing networks of add/drop multiplexers (ADMs) to support Ethernet and other advanced data services. http://www.mahinetworks.comhttp://www.andanetworks.com

Aware Demonstrates Bonded ADSL2plus

Aware is demonstrating bonded ADSL2plus technology at this week's SuperComm in Chicago. The demo is compliant with the draft proposed American National Standard for ATM-based multi-pair bonding, which enables ADSL throughputs on multiple telephone lines to be aggregated, or "bonded." Bonded ADSL2plus combines ATM-layer bonding with ADSL2plus technology to increase customers' data rates. It can be implemented using off-the-shelf ADSL2plus chipsets and Aware bonding technology.



Bonding just two ADSL2plus lines provides enough bandwidth to deliver three channels of high-definition television on short lines, such as those provisioned from apartment buildings or neighborhood pedestals, or two standard-definition television channel on lines as long as 12,000 feet. The draft bonding standard leverages the inherent flexibility of an ADSL2/2plus solution, and expands service providers' ability to serve a broad range of applications in a variety of environments. http://www.aware.com

Sprint and Sweden' SUNET Claim Networking Record

Sprint and the Swedish National Research and Education Network (SUNET) have claimed a new world record for transferring large volumes of data across large distances. Using neither special hardware nor special connections, the Sprint/SUNET team in April sent nearly 840 gigabytes of data from San Jose, California to the University of Lulea in northern Sweden in under 27 minutes. The bulk data traveled roughly 16,250 km (10,157 miles) across Sprint's global Internet backbone SprintLink and the GigaSUNET IP backbone at 4.23 Gbps. The Sprint/SUNET accomplishment was verified by a land speed record (LSR) judging committee of the Internet2 consortium, which sponsors an ongoing data- transmission speed contest for highest bandwidth end-to-end networks.



The transmission path incorporated 40 IP routers; 35 in the SprintLink network and five in the SUNET network. The end hosts were off-the-shelf Dell 2650 servers, each with only a single Intel Xeon 2.0 GHz processor, 512 MB of RAM and with the 2.0 version of the NetBSD operating system. The PCs were connected to a GigaSunet core router at the University of Lulea and to a Sprint access router in San Jose using Intel PRO/10GbE adapters.



The technical achievement occurred under real-world data-transport conditions and has meaningful implications for disaster-recovery offsite-storage applications among others. It beat the previous record held by a technical consortium using a non-public advanced research network by 12%http://proj.sunet.se/LSR2/

8x8 Announces $12 Million Common Stock Offering

8x8 agreed to sell 4,800,000 shares of common stock to an institutional investor at $2.50 per share for aggregate proceeds of $12 million before placement fees and other offering expenses. The investor will also receive a warrant to purchase 1,920,000 8x8 common shares at an exercise price of $3.00 per share. Packet8 will use the funding to expand its voice and video communication service. http://www.8x8.com