Cisco Acquires NetSift for Deep Packet Processing

Cisco Systems agreed to acquire NetSift, a start-up based in San Diego, for approximately $30 million in cash and options. NetSift develops content processing technology focused on high speed networking and security. NetSift was founded in June 2004 to commercialize research conducted at the University of California, San Diego. The company has 15 employees.Cisco said the NetSift acquisition will help it to accelerate the integration of additional packet processing capabilities into future core Cisco platforms, such as modular switching. NetSift...

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Level 3 Supports NENA's E-911 Program

Level 3 Communications has become a program partner in the Next Generation E-911 Program of the National Emergency Number Association (NENA), a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study, advancement and implementation of as America's universal emergency number. As a program partner, Level 3 is assigned to the Technical Roundtable, a group focused on identifying technical solutions that will help facilitate Enhanced 911 services.Level 3 also released the results of a recent online consumer awareness survey conducted in conjunction with...

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Metalink Announces Pre-802.11n Chip Offering 240 Gbps Wi-Fi

Metalink unveiled a new baseband chip targeting the emerging IEEE 802.11n standard for next-generation Wi-Fi. The company said its -MIMO-based (Multiple-Input Multiple-Output) wireless chipset supports data throughput of more than 240 Mbps and could provide full-home, over-the-air coverage for video-distribution applications. Sampling is expected in Q3. http://www.metalinkdsl....

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Microsoft Launches Communications Sector Alliance Program

Microsoft launched a Communications Sector Alliance Program (CSAP) aimed at helping service providers promote and develop new customer solutions. The program, which is offered through the Microsoft Partner Solutions Center (MPSC), provides communications companies with a strong commitment to Microsoft technologies with access to development and testing facilities at Microsoft. Bell Canada and Swisscom Mobile have already signed up to take advantage of the program.http://www.microsoft....

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IBM To Expand Support on Solaris 10

IBM and Sun Microsystems announced a 10-year extension to their Java technology agreement. The two companies also announced plans to deliver IBM middleware support for the Solaris 10 Operating System (OS) on SPARC, x86 and x64 systems. IBM will broaden support of its DB2, Rational, Tivoli and WebSphere software to include the Solaris 10. http://www.sun....

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Extreme Networks Accelerates Vesting of Stock Options

Extreme Networks accelerated the vesting of certain unvested options awarded to its employees, officers and directors under its stock option plans in response to the upcoming change in the accounting treatment of stock awards. The acceleration applies only to those options with an exercise price of $7.00 per share or higher. The closing sale price of Extreme's common stock on June 27, 2005 was $4.17 per share. http://www.extremenetworks.c...

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NewStep Targets Fixed-Mobile Convergence with IMS

NewStep Networks, a spin-out from Bell Canada that was established in January 2003, unveiled its suite of IMS-compliant software-based applications to enable carriers to derive revenue from the convergence of fixed and mobile networks. NewStep's technology operates at the signaling layer, facilitating standards-based integration with legacy TDM/SS7 networks, IP/SIP networks and enterprise communication software and IP PBX implementations. The solution...

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Google Releases Video Viewer Browser Plug-n

Google released a video viewer plug-in for FireFox and IE browsers that lets video files play right in the Google search pages. A few weeks ago, Google released another tool that lets users upload video content into its Video Search, where it is indexed. The new tool lets users play this content and search within the video.http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2005/06/google-video-now-with-video_27.h...

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BellSouth Names Feidler as President

BellSouth has given Mark Feidler the additional role of president and elected him to its Board of Directors. Feidler will also continue in his current role of chief operating officer, reporting to Duane Ackerman, chairman and chief executive officer. http://www.bellsouth....

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Redknee Raises $10 Million for Telecom Software

Redknee, a start-up based in Toronto, raised US$10 million in debt financing for its telecommunication software solutions. Redknee's software capabilities include service provisioning, real-time converged billing, messaging, service control, customer relationship management solutions which provide value-added functionality to wire-line, mobile, circuit-switched, and VoIP service providers. The financing was led by MMV Financial and HSBC Capital (Canada) also participated. http://www.redknee....

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SBC Cites Progress in AT&T Merger Clearance Process

SBC Communications has received clearances regarding its pending merger with AT&T in 26 of 36 states with approval or notification requirements and in the District of Columbia. The company believes the merger process will be completed in late 2005 or in early 2006. Merger review also is well under way at the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Communications Commission. In addition, clearances have so far been obtained from nine of 14 countries. http://www.sbc.com http://www.att....

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Micromuse Teams with Cramer on Automated IP Discovery

Micromuse and Cramer announced an off-the-shelf integration for synchronizing data between Micromuse's Netcool/Precision IP discovery software and Cramer's inventory management platform. The solution includes adapters from both Micromuse and Cramer to enable service providers to transition more quickly to next generation network operations by providing a rapid, standards-based means to manage new and complex network data. The jointly-developed integration synchronizes information about Layer 2 and Layer 3 MPLS, IP and ATM networks, including device...

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Supreme Court Sides with Content Owners

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled that peer-to-peer file sharing networks could be held liable if they enable, encourage and profit from users that swap copyrighted material. The ruling hailed as a major victory by the entertainment industry."Today's unanimous ruling is an historic victory for intellectual property in the digital age, and is good news for consumers, artists, innovation and lawful Internet businesses. The Supreme Court sent a strong and clear message that businesses based on theft should not and will not be allowed to flourish. This...

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Supreme Court Backs FCC Order on Classifying Information Services

The U.S. Supreme Court ruled 6-3 in favor of the FCC in its Brand X Decision, which classified cable modem service as an interstate "information service" and thereby exempted the cable operator from mandatory common carrier regulations. The ruling means that cable operators will not be bound to open their networks to other ISPs. Cable operators hailed the ruling as an important victory, while ISPs and consumer groups warned that network operators would cut off competition and eventually raise prices.The ruling also provides the FCC with a green...

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NYT: SBC's TV Project Isn't Happening at 'Lightspeed'

SBC Communications has pushed back its target date for Project Lightspeed by six months, according to the The New York Times, due to problems installing high speed lines. The article discusses technical, legal and programming stumbling blocks that are disrupting SBC's ambitious plans. Limited rollouts are still expected this year, but SBC now seems more likely to make its IPTV service available to 18 million homes, or half its customers, by the end of 2008, according to the story. http://www.nytimes....

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Cavium Offers Security Processor for WiMAX Base Stations and CPE

Cavium Networks, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, introduced optimized versions of its security processors for WiMax base stations and customer premise equipment (CPE). The 802.16 standard requires a security sub-layer encrypting connections between Subscriber Station (CPE) and Base Station using the AES-CCM protocol. It also requires the usage of a client/server key management protocol based on X.509 digital certificates and RSA public-key encryption algorithm [PKCS #1]. Cavium said processing these algorithms on the CPU of a...

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Meriton Secures $54 Million for its Optical Solutions

Meriton Networks, a start-up based in Ottawa, secured US$54 million in Series C funding for its optical metro optical solutions. The company cited growing traction with carrier customers worldwide -- including its role in supporting strategic partner, Fujitsu Telecommunications Europe, in addressing BT's 21Cn network build. Meriton said it would continue to work with strategic partners in reaching top-tier service providers, as well build-out its...

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NetDevices Unveils "OnePass" Unified Services Gateway

NetDevices, a start-up founded by former Cisco executives, unveiled its "Unified Services Gateway" aimed at consolidating and simplifying the multiple network appliances currently being deployed by enterprises at the edge of their networks. NetDevices is using a "OnePass" architecture for packet classification and inspection from which multiple advanced services -- such as firewalls, intrusion detection, VoIP gateway and VPN gateway -- would be...

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Ikanos Debuts Second Generation VDSL2 Chips

Ikanos Communications has begun sampling its second generation VDSL2 (G.993.2) chipsets, the SmartLeap 9402 and the SmartLeap 9450, designed for high-density line cards for VDSL and VDSL2-based Broadband Access Concentrators, Remote Units, mini-RAMs, and ATM or IP DSLAMs. The company's first generation VDSL2 chipsets, which were introduced in December 2004, were the industry's first announced VDSL2-compliant solutions for central office, remote...

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Senators Lautenberg and McCain Seek to Prevent States from Blocking Municipal Nets

Senators Frank R. Lautenberg (D-NJ) and John McCain (R-AZ) introduced the "Community Broadband Act of 2005," seeking to prevent states from blocking local communities from providing broadband access to their citizens. According to the senators, fourteen states have already enacted barriers to entry, from outright restrictions to prohibitions that make entry difficult or prohibitively costly. The proposed legislation would prevent states from enacting such measures.http://lautenberg.senate.gov/~lautenberg/press/2003/01/2005623B38.h...

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Samsung Introduces 5 Mega-pixel CMOS Chip for Mobile Phones

Samsung Electronics Cohas completed development of a CMOS image sensor with 5 megapixel (2,608 x 1,952 pixels) QSXGA resolution. The device performs at the same level as its charge-coupled device (CCD) counterpart, yet it operates on less power and is more price competitive. Samsung said that by using 0.13-micron process technology it increased the fill factor (the image sensor's measurement of light sensitivity) by over 50%. Samsung has also completed development of a 3.2M-pixel CIS for camera phones. Samsung plans to begin mass-production of...

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Loral Skynet Launches Skyreach IP Services for Asia

Loral Skynet entered into an agreement with BtNAccess to extend Loral's SkyReach IP-enabled communications services to Asia. The service is powered by an iDirect IP hub at the BtNAccess teleport in Hong Kong. Skynet will combine satellite capacity on its Telstar 10 and Telstar 18 Asian satellites with teleport and terrestrial communications services, including MPLS, provided by BtNAccess.The SkyReach service in Asia will be available July 1st, using VSAT technology to deliver a full range of IP applications, including Internet access, VoIP, streamed...

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