Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Cisco to Acquire Jahi for Net Management

Cisco Systems will acquire Jahi Systems, a start-up based in San Jose, California and Hyderabad, India, for its network management appliances designed to simplify device deployment, configuration and management. Jahi has not yet announced any products. Cisco will pay approximately $16 million in cash and assumed options for the company, which has 20 employees. The companies said Jahi's technology will provide the foundation for a consistent external network device interface and simplifies network deployment and management by creating a virtual...

UTStarcom Selected for Telco Triple Play in Southern U.S.

DSSI and SmartTel selected UTStarcom as the key technology vendor for its rollout of triple play services to subscribers in Alabama and Florida. DSSI is deploying UTStarcom's complete mVision TVoIP solution, including a low-bit-rate encoding platform; IP TV streaming platform; TVoIP set-top boxes; and an Operations Support System (OSS). UTStarcom's IP-based mSwitch softswitch and carrier-class software suite are designed to provide OSS capabilities by handling media asset management, channel management and scheduling, billing, security and conditional...

mPhase Adds Integrated Security to its IP TV

mPhase Technologies has enhanced its IPTV system through the integration of Ranch Networks' security products into its video soft switch. The new feature uses Ranch Networks Single Pass Packet Scan technology to integrate multiple security and management capabilities into a single piece of hardware. According to the company, the Security+ Feature lets network operators cost-effectively segment the IP network into multiple individually-secured zones - each with its own security policies in both directions. Additional security layers such as per-user...

NENA Launches Next-Gen E9-1-1 Program

The National Emergency Number Association (NENA) launched a Next Generation E9-1-1 (NG E9-1-1) Program aimed at encouraging service providers to upgrade the nation's 9-1-1 systems by implementing "next generation" technologies, procedures and best practices . The NG E9-1-1 Program is organized into three topic Roundtable groups around NENA disciplines and areas of concerns - 1) Technical, 2) Policy, and 3) Operational/Educational. The work of the Roundtables is to identify appropriate supplementary activities that are needed to further the NG E9-1-1...

Latest Amino IPTV Set-Top Box Offers Windows Media 9 and HDTV

Amino Communications introduced an IPTV set-top box offering compatibility with HDTV and Microsoft's Windows Media 9 (WMV9) low bit-rate codec. Telcos could use the STB to offer TV services via DSL. HDTV displays to the 720p or 1080i standards. Amino plans to launch an MPEG-4 AVC compatible set-top box early next year. Amino also announced the availability of two major middleware applications for its AmiNET500 IPTV set-top box with integral PVR (personal video recorder). The new Minerva iTVManager 2 and Myrio Interactive 3.5 client software have...

Second Ku/Ka-band Satellite for Echostar Ready for Launch

SES AMERICOM's AMC-16 satellite has been delivered to Cape Canaveral to prepare it for its scheduled ATLAS V launch on December 16, 2004. The hybrid Ku-band/Ka-band satellite will support advanced video and broadband services for EchoStar Communications Corp. The spacecraft was built by Lockheed Martin and is being launched by International Launch Services (ILS). AMC-16 will feature the second operating Ka-band payload in the SES AMERICOM fleet. It carries twelve 125 MHz Ka-band spot beams, along with twenty-four 36 MHz, 140 watt Ku-band transponders....

Agere Unveils Multimedia Framework for Mobile Handsets

Agere Systems announced a new technology framework that enables mobile handset vendors to rapidly develop wireless phones supporting the latest advancements in multimedia for such applications as audio and video streaming and playback, video recording, digital photo imaging and downloadable ring tones. Agere said its multimedia framework simplifies the process of combining and incorporating additional video and audio components, which helps phone makers to customize their solutions for specific segments of the market. Its modular structure also...

net.com Enhances SCREAM Platform with Multicast and VPNs

net.com released a new version of its SCREAM subscriber management platform featuring the addition of IP multicast functionality, advanced IP-VPN support and upgraded platform security. SCREAM can now support the simultaneous multicasting of individual video streams to residential IPTV customers. TSCREAM is the only subscriber management platform in the broadband video space to offer both ATM and IP multicast support, thereby fulfilling a number of key roles in network based content distribution. SCREAM 3.1 also delivers MPLS IP-VPN (RFC 2547)...

SBC Selects Microsoft for IPTV

SBC Communications selected the new Microsoft IPTV Edition software platform for its Project Lightspeed initiative. The deal, which is valued at $400 million over 10 years, is the first of its kind for any U.S.-based telecommunications provider. src="https://dl.dropbox.com/u/11402824/CND/v11n222-msiptv.jpg" align="left">SBC Labs has been testing an IP-based television service built on the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition platform since June 2004. SBC...

ITU Hosts Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR)

The International Telecommunication Union (ITU) is hosting a Global Symposium for Regulators (GSR) next month to bring together heads of national regulatory authorities from both developed and developing countries to achieve consensus on the best ways to address the challenges of convergence and to achieve the shared goal of affordable access. To this end, the regulators are expected to issue a statement of "Best Practice Guidelines for the Promotion of Low Cost Broadband and Internet Connectivity". The event will be held in Geneva, Switzerland....

Taipei Selects Nortel for Huge 802.11 Mesh Network

The city of Taipei, Taiwan selected Nortel Networks for huge wireless mesh network that is expected to encompass 10,000 wireless access points in service by year-end 2005 and serve an area of 272 square kilometers, where 90% of Taipei's 2.65 million people live. The Taipei City Government has signed a contract with Qware, which plans to operate a wireless broadband network based on Nortel's Wireless Mesh Network solution. For this project, Nortel will provide its Wireless Mesh Network solution, including the Nortel Wireless Access Point 7220,...

China Airlines to Add Connexion by Boeing Service

China Airlines, the Taiwan-based airline, will begin offering the Connexion by Boeing satellite Internet service on its North America flights. Installation will begin in the second quarter of 2005 on Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The airline plans to extend the service to other aircraft and routes at a future date. China Airlines is the sixth carrier in the world to sign a definitive agreement with Connexion by Boeing. http://www.connexionbyboeing.c...

MASERGY Deploys Alcatel's Service Router for Global Ethernet WAN Service

MASERGY is using Alcatel's 7750 Service Router to provide enterprise customers around the world with Ethernet services to all their company locations. The Ethernet WANs offers five levels of QoS tailored to an enterprise's needs. Jeppesen, a subsidiary of Boeing, is using MASERGY's international VPLS service to manage mission critical applications such as corporate communications between the U.S. and European offices while supporting the management of all flight plans across North America. http://www.alcatel.com/MASERGY is a privately-held Dallas-based...

Broadband Industry Leaders Create Broadband Services Forum

The Broadband Content Delivery Forum (BCDF) and the Service Creation Community (SCC) will merge to form the Broadband Services Forum. Its mission will be to foster dialogue across the broadband value chain, including content, service and technology providers. The efforts of the Forum will be focused on enabling:Innovative high value servicesReduced time to deploymentUnified services and applications experienceNetwork and device agnostic service deliverySimplified multi-service architectureBusiness tools and rationalesDerek Kuhn (from Alcatel)...