Bay Microsystems Wins 40 Gbps Federal Contract

Bay Microsystems was awarded a follow-on contract with the U.S. federal government to provide 40 Gbps technology used in the government's global mission-critical secure broadband network. Bay has been delivering full-line rate 10 Gbps system solutions to the U.S. Government for more than two years and is continuing its Advanced Network Projects for device technology and network element development. This new business is expected to generate several times more revenue than the previous multi-million dollar contract announced last year.


Chuck Gershman, President and CEO of Bay Microsystems, stated, "Our silicon and associated collapsed edge gateway solutions are being vetted through the most demanding broadband network in the world."http://www.baymicrosystems.com

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Optical Internetworking Forum Conducts Global Interoperability Event

The Optical Internetworking Forum (OIF) confirmed the participation of 13 leading equipment vendors in its second OIF Worldwide Interoperability Demonstration. This year's optical interoperability event began last month at seven carrier host locations. Preliminary testing of a wide spectrum of devices includes routers, multi-service provisioning platforms, SONET/SDH cross-connects, optical switches, optical add-drop multiplexers (OADMs) and reconfigurable OADMs (ROADMs).





The seven carrier members hosting the OIF Worldwide Interoperability Demonstration include AT&T, China Telecom, Deutsche Telekom, France Telecom, NTT Laboratories, Telecom Italia and Verizon. The carrier hosts are providing test facilities, engineering staff and real-world network connectivity continuously from mid-April through mid-June. The vendors are on-site at the carrier lab locations establishing connections and building regional networks. When regional connectivity is complete and evaluated the event will culminate in a live, global real-time network test.


The testing is focused on the integration of a distributed optical control plane with Ethernet over SONET/SDH adaptation using GFP-F, VCAT and LCAS. The test of a distributed control plane marks the first test of its kind that explores the technical issues of multi-layer signaling and routing in such a network.






"This test is significant because it validates the work taking place in the OIF," said Jonathan Sadler of Tellabs, and OIF Architecture and Signaling Working Group chair. "Ethernet is important, the service providers have the SONET/SDH core; they want to offer Ethernet using the fiber/network already in place. This capability will enable them to offer more services and keep costs down."


Participating companies include Alcatel, Avici Systems, Ciena, Cisco Systems, Fujitsu, Huawei, Lambda OpticalSystems, Lucent Technologies, Mahi Networks, Marconi, Nortel, Sycamore Networks and Tellabs.


Navtel Communications is supplying test equipment for the test.
http://www.oiforum.com

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Toshiba's Triple-layer HD DVD-ROM Offers 45 GB

Toshiba is developing a triple-layer HD DVD-ROM with a data capacity of 45 gigabytes, 50% more than the 30-gigabyte dual-layer HD DVD-ROM disc already announced. A single disc could record up to twelve hours of high-definition movies.


Toshiba also announced a double-sided, dual-layer hybrid ROM disc comprised of dual-layer HD DVD-ROM side and dual-layer DVD-ROM side. The hybrid disc can store 30GB of high-definition content on the HD DVD-ROM side and 8.5GB of standard-definition content on the DVD-ROM dual layer side.


Memory-Tech Corporation, Japan's largest independent disc replicator, has confirmed the new 45GB and hybrid discs can be produced on their existing manufacturing lines and equipment, which are tailored to produce HD DVD discs, with only minor additional investment and minimum additional production cost per disc.


Toshiba presented its innovations at this week's Media-Tech Expo 2005 in Las Vegas. http://www.toshiba.co.jp/about/press/2005_05/pr1002.htm

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Tiscali Italia Deploys Nortel's Metro Optical

Tiscali Italia has completed an extensive deployment of metro optical networking gear from Nortel across Italy. The first phase deployment, covering more than 300 Italian cities, began in October 2004 and is now complete. The second phase deployment is expected to be complete in 2006. The optical network aggregates the IP-DSLAMs that are being used over unbundled local loops to deliver ADSL2-based services to consumers and businesses. Key components of the new optical network deployed by Tiscali include Nortel's Optical Metro 5000 series and Optical Multiservice Edge (OME) 6500. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.nortel.com
http://www.tiscali.com

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Yahoo! Launches its Music Subscription Service

Yahoo! announced the beta availability of its new music subscription service. The company will charge 4$.99 per month for an annual subscription, or $6.99 on a monthly basis, to allow consumers to play tunes from a catalog of more than one million songs, transfer tracks to portable devices, as well as share music with friends through Yahoo! Messenger. Users can also download, purchase and permanently own songs for $0.99 per track.


Yahoo! Music Unlimited uses the WMA format and Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10 (WM DRM 10).

http://music.yahoo.com

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CyOptics Raises $24 Million, Closes TriQuint Acquisition

CyOptics, a supplier of optical chips and components, raised an additional $24 million in equity and debt financing in its Series F funding round. Major equity participants in the latest round include JVP (Jerusalem Venture Partners), Sprout Group, TowerBrook Capital Partners (formerly Soros Private Equity Partners), and EURfund. This announcement comes just eight months after CyOptics closed its Series E round, which totaled $10.3 million.


CyOptics also announced the closure of its acquisition of TriQuint's optoelectronics operations in Pennsylvania and Matamaros, Mexico. The transaction was valued at approximately $23.5 million including a combination of cash, equity and seller financing.
http://www.cyoptics.com

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Swisscom Selects Cisco CRS-1 Carrier Routing System

Swisscom will deploy Cisco Systems' CRS-1 carrier routing systems Cisco IOS(XR software at all core and aggregation PoPs throughout Switzerland interconnected by 10 Gigabit Ethernet WAN links. The new core network will support Swisscom's launch of triple-play services in 2005. Swisscom aims to achieve an eight-times increase in traffic handling capacity to create a platform capable of handling both fixed and mobile services in the future, as well as scaling to meet the company's growth targets over the next five years.


"Even if future services are not yet fully modeled, one thing is for sure. As a consequence of technological developments, reduction of production costs and the penetration of IP multimedia services, an explosion of bandwidth in the local loop will take place. Our basic network infrastructure will anticipate this demand in terms of capacity, quality of service and reliability. A reliable and high-bandwidth core will be critical for our success," stated Patrice Haldemann, Head of Network Development and Operations, Swisscom Fixnet.
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.swisscom-fixnet.ch

• Swisscom selected Alcatel's Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) product family to deliver enhanced Triple Play services to its customers in Switzerland. Swisscom plans to deliver IPTV services by the second half of 2005. With this contract, Alcatel remains the sole supplier of Swisscom's broadband access network.



• Microsoft has previously announced Swisscom/Bluewin as a customer of its IPTV platform.



• As of year-end 2004, Swisscom reported 802,000 DSL subscribers, of which 490,000 are Bluewin retail customers and 312,000 customers of other ISPs.

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Fiberlink to Integrate Skype into Enterprise Mobile Access Software

Fiberlink Communications plans to bundle Skype's telephony with its Extend360 mobile access software and offer it as a value-added service to its enterprise customers. In addition to this new service offering, Extend360 will ensure higher levels of security during Skype peer-to-peer transactions, protecting against security threats.


Fiberlink offers trusted and secure mobile solutions for enterprise users seeking access to network-based resources from anywhere in the world.

http://www.fiberlink.com
http://www.skype.com

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Zetera Outlines Vision for Personal Network Drives

Zetera, a start-up based in Irvine, California, outlined its vision for "Personal Network Drives" that will be needed in home multimedia networks to meet the storage needs of the digital lifestyle. As the digital revolution continues, Zetera believes storage will take center stage. With a single MP3-encoded song occupying about 4 Megabytes (MB) and a typical DVD-video occupying almost 5 Gigabytes (GB), consumers require more storage than ever. High definition (HD) video will stretch the envelope much further.


Zetera's vision of the Personal Network Drive includes the following:

• 1. Personal Network Drives must connect directly to the network router, switch, hub or wireless access point/router, making digital content available to any user regardless of the status or activities of other PCs on the network. Directly connecting Personal Network Drives to the network ensures there are no bottlenecks between the user and their digital content.



• 2. Personal Network Drives should appear to the user as additional local disk drives with drive letters. Consumers have been conditioned to access digital content stored on a drive letter ("C" drive) or a My Documents folder, and should be able to do the same with shared storage. To the user, Personal Network Drives appear, behave and are managed in the same fashion as a local disk drive with its own drive letter, simplifying access to data and management of software settings.



• 3. Personal Network Drives should provide enough performance to stream multiple DVD-quality movies simultaneously, and users should be able access digital content from multiple devices simultaneously. Personal Network Drives must be able to accommodate delivery of DVD-quality video, MP3 music and miscellaneous business applications simultaneously.



• 4. Personal Network Drives should enable capacity expansion by adding capacity to existing disk drives and without changing software settings. Users should be able to add storage capacity without changing software settings. Personal Network Drives enable users to add storage devices to any empty network port and allocate additional storage to existing volumes.



• 5. Personal Network Drives should provide access control to protect sensitive files. Users need to be able to share public content and keep privates files out of reach of other network users. Personal Network Drives enables users to allocate storage for public ("shared") or private use.



• 6. Personal Network Drives must protect digital content and critical files without additional software or user intervention. Digital content should be protected in the event of hard disk failure. Personal Network Drives provide users with the option of local or remote, continuous backup ("mirroring") to protect digital content and precious files.

http://www.zetera.com

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BroadLight Signs Asian Distributors for PON

BroadLight announced an extensive network of distributors in China, India, Japan, Korea, Singapore and Taiwan for its PON solutions. The companies that have been selected include Cytech Technology Ltd. in China, Rikei in Japan, ILDO Technology in Korea, EDOM Technology Co., Ltd. in Taiwan and Maxmega Electronics Pte., Ltd in Singapore and India.

"The PON market in Asia is expected to grow dramatically over the next few years as fiber becomes the broadband technology of choice," said Andy Vought, CEO of BroadLight. "http://www.broadlight.com

• Huawei Technologies is using BroadLight's end-to-end PON chips for its optical access gear. The selection includes BroadLight's ITU-T PON controllers, transceivers and software for use in new Huawei PON products that are expected to ship in volume throughout the world.

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Occam Rolls Out ADSL2Plus Features, Bonding Supports 48 Mbps Downstream Rates

Occam Networks enhanced its BLC 6000 System with a software upgrade that adds support for several new ADSL2Plus features, including bonding, Annex M, Annex L and Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA). The new ADSL2Plus software features are based on the Broadcom BladeRunner chipset and include the following:

• ADSL2Plus bonding: Bonding provides the ability to bond or combine two ADSL2Plus channels to deliver a single high-speed data stream over a DSL line. This data stream provides an aggregate data rate of more than 48 Mbps. Bonding increases the number of subscribers who can receive IP TV service in a Telco's customer service area (CSA) area by 50 to 100%. Occam ADSL2Plus bonding complies with the January 2005 ITU G.998.1 (G.bond-ATM) standard and is the first standards-based implementation available for commercial use. It is compatible with the Comtrend NexusLink Residential Gateway (model number CT-5622).



• ADSL2Plus Annex M: Annex M doubles upstream data rates. With this new feature, Telcos can create and offer business subscribers an approximately 2.5 Mbps symmetrical data service providing with businesses a low-cost alternative to T1 or G.SHSDL data services. This feature can be implemented from the BLC 6000 on a port-by port basis without any additional hardware for delivering symmetrical service. Annex M can be combined with the ADSL2Plus bonding feature to enable Telcos to offer standards-based Ethernet over Copper services in bandwidth increments of 2.5Mbps. ADSL2Plus Annex M is significantly more ADSL2Plus binder compatible than G.SHDSL, creating less cross talk and resulting in more stable connections. It is compatible with a variety of ADSL2- and ADSL2Plus-compliant modems, including Thomson SpeedTouch and Comtrend Corporation modems.



• ADSL2Plus Annex L: Annex L, also known as Reach Extended ADSL, extends DSL line reach, making it possible for Telcos to offer DSL service to subscribers who are more than 18,000 feet from the BLC 6000 System. Occam ADSL2Plus Annex L is a true standards-based implementation of the protocol, which eliminates binder incompatibilities found in proprietary solutions. It is compliant with a broad range of ADSL2- and ADSL2Plus-compliant modems.



• ADSL2Plus Seamless Rate Adaptation (SRA): SRA software allows modems to make seamless data transfer rate changes to avoid dropping a connection. Modems are affected by cross talk from adjacent lines, as well as by other interference such as temperature changes and radio signals. Any interference on the connection can cause a modem to retrain on another connection and drop the existing connection. SRA makes dynamic data transfer rate changes to accommodate temporary noise conditions on the line thus preventing dropped connections. Occam ADSL2Plus SRA is compatible with a wide range of ADSL2- and ADSL2Plus-compliant modems, including Thomson SpeedTouch and Comtrend Corporation modems.

These features are available on all Occam BLC 6000 ADSL2 / ADSL2Plus and combination POTS and ADSL2 / ADSL2Plus blades.


Other new features in Version 4.3 of the Occam BLC System Software include expanded support for the PPP Multilink Protocol (MLPPP) in copper-fed remote terminals and the recently announced Emergency Stand Alone (ESA) system. Expanded support for MLPPP enables Telcos to provide data and voice over IP (VoIP) service to subscribers who are served from copper-fed remote terminals in which fiber cannot be installed. With the ESA system the BLC 6000 is the first broadband loop carrier to provide E-911 and local station-to-station calling during network or equipment failures.


The new software is currently in field tests and is expected to be available in early July 2005. http://www.occamnetworks.com

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Boingo Signs Roaming Deal with Connexion by Boeing

Boingo has signed a Wi-Fi roaming agreement with Connexion by Boeing that provides access on all of the flights equipped with the company's high-speed Internet and data service. Boingo now provides roaming access more than 17,000 hot spots at restaurants, hotels and airports as well as an expanding number of international -- and soon U.S. domestic -- flights.




http://www.boingo.com/http://www.connexionbyboeing.com/

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Philips' Nexperia ICs to Support Windows Media and DRM

Philips plans to support Microsoft Windows Media Audio and Video and Windows Media Digital Rights Management 10 (DRM) technology in its Nexperia family of multimedia semiconductors for use in digital media receivers, personal video recorders, portable audio players, IP set-top boxes and video phones. Support of Windows Media in Nexperia solutions for in-car entertainment as well as next-generation digital TV systems will follow later in the year. In addition, Philips will add Windows Media to currently supported formats in its Mobile Infotainment and Streamium products this month.
http://www.philips.com/newscenterhttp://www.microsoft.com

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Seagate Forecasts Demand from "Terabyte Lifestyle"

Seagate Technology, which claims the leading market share position among hard disc drive manufacturers in key market segments, issued a report predicting increased shipments to satisfy the demands of the "Terabyte" Lifestyle. The disc drive industry is projected to exceed $30 billion and 550 million units annually by 2008, according to Gartner Research, up from $21.4 billion in 2004. Seagate alone is shipping almost 10 million more drives per quarter than it did just two years ago. Seagate has driven product innovation and reliability to new heights. Seagate expects to announce additional products in the coming months that will further penetrate the growing CE and home markets, as well as its traditional computing markets.


"Hard disc drives are everywhere now, and they are enabling a digital lifestyle in ways the world has never before seen," said Bill Watkins, Seagate chief executive officer. "Our industry is at the beginning of a growth cycle that could be as big as the PC revolution of the 80s. Consumer electronics is the primary growth driver, because people are voracious when it comes to getting more gigabytes for their MP3 players, their TVs, gaming devices and PCs. And cell phones, autos, digital cameras and storage in your home appliances will soon be eating up even more gigabytes and terabytes of hard disc drives."http://www.seagate.com

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NextiraOne Launches Enterprise VoIP Security Practice

NextiraOne, a provider of enterprise network integration services, is launching an IP telephony information security practice. The practice will address end-to-end security needs for converged networks through education, consulting and managed security services. The initial launch will include two distinct security education courses targeted at key technology stakeholders within the client organization. Future service offerings will be centered on security planning and design, vulnerability assessment and management, and compliance testing.
http://www.nextiraone.com

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Russia's Sistema Launches Video over DSL

Sistema, the largest private sector consumer services company in Russia and the CIS, has deployed an end-to-end video solution from Alcatel for the delivery of triple play services over its ADSL network. In addition to equipment, Alcatel provided integration, customization and installation services. Financial terms were not disclosed.


Starting this month, Sistema is launching "Stream TV", providing access to more than 80 local and international digital TV channels, including the company's own channels ("Drive", "Health", "Hunting and Fishing") as well as two football channels (Chelsea and Manchester United). Additionally, the "Virtual Cinema" and video on demand options deliver a wide selection of the latest local and international movies. Video subscription options start from US$9.95 per month and offer the ability to add new channels individually or in packages, for a day, a week or a month. The equipment package, which includes an ADSL modem, a set-top box, remote control and infrared keyboard, can be purchased at the time of connection or through a 3-year installment plan. Sistema's residential ADSL offering in Moscow, which was launched in February 2004 and now has over 150,000 subscribers. The TV offering will be available to both the existing STREAM clients, and to millions of customers of MGTS and Comstar United Telesystems in Moscow. Sistema Multimedia also intends to license its own content to other regional pay-TV operators.
http://www.alcatel.com
http://www.sistema.ru/_en/

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Iceland Telecom Selects Alcatel Access for IPTV

Iceland Telecom awarded a contract to Alcatel to upgrade its broadband access network to cope with increased demand for Triple Play services, including IPTV. Iceland Telecom has signed thousands of subscribers for IPTV since announcing the service four months ago. The contract covers deployment of the Alcatel 7302 Intelligent Services Access Manager (ISAM) and the Alcatel 5530 Network Analyzer, an advanced diagnostic software tool designed to analyze the DSL network conditions to ensure the successful deployment of value-added broadband services. The new access network is expected to be fully operational this summer. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.alcatel.com

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