Sandbridge Unveils Software-Radio 3G Processor

Sandbridge Technologies, a start-up based in White Plains, New York, announced a complete "3G" multimedia handset design utilizing its SB3010 flexible baseband processor to perform all baseband and multimedia functions in software.


The company described its achievement as the "wireless holy grail" -- a flexible baseband processing handset that will enable wireless operators to upgrade network performance and services via over-the-air updates. Sandbridge envisions a new class of multi-mode, multimedia convergent devices that merge the flexibility and performance of PC's with the form and convenience of mobile handhelds.


Sandbridge's SB3010 platform departs from dedicated baseband hardware by allowing manufacturers to create, test, modify and execute their designs entirely in software. The company provides programming tools and a supercomputer class "C" compiler. The software flexibility accommodates adaptation to evolving wireless standards, emerging network requirements like MIMO, and diverse audio and video formats.


The SB3010 baseband processor utilizes Sandbridge's "Sandblaster" DSPs with an ARM926 to deliver 10 billion MACs of converged DSP performance. The processor can run virtually any radio protocol such as GSM/GPRS, EDGE, W-CDMA, CDMA2000, 1xEV-DO, TD-SCDMA, WiFi and GPS-as well as multimedia formats like MPEG-4 H.264, MP-3, WMA and others. Sandbridge is also developing HSDPA, WiMax and DMB/DVB solutions as an upgrade to the platform.


Sandbridge said its design is currently being sampled to select top-tier manufacturing customers.
http://www.sandbridgetech.com

• Sandbridge is headed by CEO & President Guenter Weinberger who joined the company from Infineon Technologies. Sandbridge's technical team is led by founders John Glossner, Ph.D., and Mayan Moudgill, Ph.D., , who were previously with IBM. The company is based in White Plains, New York.



• Sandbrige has raised $40 million in venture funding to date.

Read More

China Netcom and Telefonica Sign MOU

China Netcom and Telefonica signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to establish a broad strategic alliance. The parties will explore possible areas of strategic co-operation in the areas of:

• Fixed-line, broadband, domestic and international long distance communications



• Domestic and international data services and value added services



• Nationwide mobile voice and data services to individual and corporate customers, as will be allowed within the Chinese regulatory environment.



• The exchange of certain managerial, technical and operational skills and resources.

A Chairmen's forum, consisting of the Chairmen of both companies, will be established and will meet on a regular basis (at least once a year. Telefonica shall be entitled to nominate a representative to the board of directors ("the Board") of China Netcom , and the number of representatives that Telefonica is entitled to appoint to the Board shall increase if its ownership stake increases further.
http://www.tefonica.com

Read More

Cisco/Linksys to Acquire KISS for Networked Consumer Devices

Cisco Systems' Linksys division agreed to acquire privately-held KiSS Technology A/S, a developer of networked entertainment devices, for approximately $61 million in cash and stock.


KiSS, which is based in Horsholm, Denmark, has a product portfolio that includes home video products such as networked DVD players and networked DVD recorders. KiSS's technology platform also has the capability to extend to other consumer electronics products.

KISS recently introduced an IPTV set-top box which is compatible with Windows Media content. The product is already marketed via Denmark's first broadband TV channel, TV-2 Sputnik, for viewing content over an ADSL connection. The KiSS MediaMate works in both standard-definition and high-definition streaming, and will also be certified to Microsoft's PlaysForSure program. The MediaMate is equipped with a 802.11g connection. It uses the same chip technology from Sigma Designs as KiSS Technology's other DVD-players and hard disk recorders.


The compact MediaMate is based on the same chip technology from Sigma Designs as KiSS Technology's other DVD-players and hard disk recorders. T

Linksys plans continue to support and sell KiSS's existing products in Europe. Over time Linksys also plans to develop a suite of targeted products for other world markets.


KiSS was founded in 1994 and has 65 employees.


The deal represents Cisco's second acquisition for its Linksys division.


"As more and more entertainment content is delivered over the Internet and as consumers demand access to digital entertainment inside and outside of their home networks, networked entertainment devices will become an integral part of Consumer Electronics," said Charles Giancarlo, Cisco Chief Technology Officer and Cisco-Linksys president.
http://www.cisco.com
http://www.kiss-technology.com

• In April 2005, Cisco Systems' Linksys division agreed to acquire Sipura, a start-up offering VoIP customer premise equipment technology, for approximately $68 million in cash and options. Sipura is a key technology provider for Linksys' current line of VoIP networking devices. Sipura's technology is incorporated in VoIP adapters (including those integrated into home routers and gateways) and a multi-line IP phone for the consumer and SOHO market. The company is based in San Jose, California.

Cisco Systems' 2005 Acquisitions

KiSS Technology A/S	networked entertainment devices	$61 million	July 05
NetSift	deep packet processing	$30 million	June 05
M. I. Secure Corporation	security and VPN solutions	$13 million	June 05
FineGround Networks	Bandwidth optimization appliances	$70 million	May 05
Sipura	VoIP customer premise equipment	$68 million	Apr 05
Topspin Communications	server networking equipment designed for grid and utility computing	$250 million	Apr 05
Airespace	WLAN controllers, Access Points, WLAN Management and Location Software, and Security capabilities	$450 million	Jan 05

Read More

Global IP Alliance Tracks VoIP Regulatory Issues Worldwide

The Global IP Alliance launched a collaborate web site to allow government, industry and consumers to obtain current information on the state of global IP-based communications technology and regulation.


The Global IP Alliance is an international consortium of IP-based communications services and applications providers committed to realizing the promise of IP communications and of interconnecting IP-based communications providers.


Members of the Global IP Alliance were in Washington D.C. for a day of VoIP related events, attending a session sponsored by ITAA and the VON Coalition addressing safety and security for VoIP.


"The Global IP Alliance Wiki is designed to allow interested parties around the globe to share information and insights about the evolving state of IP-based communications around the world," said Jonathan Askin, Acting Executive Director of the Global IP Alliance and General Counsel to pulver.com.
http://www.ipall.org

Read More

Extreme Supplies 10 Gig Net for Samsung's New R&D Center

Extreme Networks will supply its 10 Gigabit Ethernet switching solutions to Samsung Electronics for its new Soowon Research and Development center, a modern 39-story facility dedicated to the development of leading-edge consumer products.


The new network supports more than 22,000 connections, relying on Extreme Networks' BlackDiamond 10K and BlackDiamond 8800 modular switches and the Summit family of edge switches. http://www.extremenetworks.com/

Read More

ICTV Names New CEO

ICTV announced the appointment of Jeff Miller to the position of President and CEO. Miller, who joined ICTV in 2000 as senior vice president of engineering, has led the development team responsible for the company's HeadendWare platform, and has been actively involved in ICTV's product management, sales and marketing activities.


During his five years with ICTV, Miller served as chief system architect for multiple releases of HeadendWare, and supervised a team of 50 engineers in Los Gatos, CA and Baltimore, MD. In addition, he has worked closely with key customers in the trial and deployment of the HeadendWare platform.
http://www.ictv.com/

Read More

UPC to Acquire the Largest Broadband Cable Operator in Romania

UPC Broadband, a unit of Liberty Global, will acquire Astral Telecom, one of Romania's largest broadband telecommunications operators, from a group of Romanian entrepreneurs, foreign investors and AIG New Europe Fund. Liberty Global will acquire 100% of the shares of Astral for a price of $404.5 million, which together with the anticipated net debt at closing of $12 million, represents approximately 7.8 times estimated 2005 operating cash flow before network and operational synergies.


Astral currently serves approximately 890,000 video, voice and data revenue generating units (RGUs). Astral has a major presence in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest, and has upgraded over 50% of its network to support advanced broadband voice and data services. Liberty Global already operates in other parts of the country through UPC Romania with over 360,000 RGUs.


The transaction is subject to approval by the Romanian competition authorities and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2005.

Read More

GraniteEdge Raises $5 Million for Security

GraniteEdge Networks, a start-up based in Seattle, closed $5 million in Series A funding for its development of a network security analytics system. GraniteEdge is developing a system that offers causality analysis, adding intelligence to the seemingly random stream of network and security data. It said its GraniteEdge ESP will detect all types of threats, including insider and "zero day" breaches, worms and trojans as well as the most subtle network attacks. The product is expected to launch in late 2005.


The funding was led by Outlook Ventures and joined by existing investor, OVP Venture Partners.
http://www.GraniteEdgeNetworks.com

Read More

Hurricane Electric Expands in Europe

Hurricane Electric has expanded its network in Europe by connecting to another Internet Exchange point in Amsterdam called NL-ix (Netherlands Internet Exchange), a content oriented Dutch national Internet Exchange.


Hurricane Electric is connected to the NL-ix switch via Gigabit Ethernet. The newly added exchange point will create additional redundancies to Hurricane Electric's Dutch infrastructure and will further improve connectivity in Europe and over its entire network. In addition, Hurricane Electric will have numerous additional peering opportunities throughout Europe.


The new Netherlands connection follows an upgrade to Hurricane Electric's AMS-IX exchange. The once Gigabit Ethernet port was upgraded to a 10 Gigabit Ethernet port just six months after the AMS-IX exchange point was added to Hurricane Electric's global network.
http://www.he.net

Read More

Vitesse Delivers 16- and 24-port GigE System-on-a-Chip with PHYs

Vitesse Semiconductor began sampling 16- and 24-port Gigabit Ethernet Switches with eight integrated PHYs and an embedded "V-Core" processor. The system-on-a-Chip (SoC) solution reduces the number of required active components in web-managed smart switch systems.


Vitesse said the delivery of its 16-port SparX-G16 and the 24-port SparX-G24 devices marks the next-step in the on-going evolution of fully integrated, Layer 2 Gigabit Ethernet switch IC and SoC solutions.


The chips deliver advanced QoS features such as Differentiated Service Code Point (DSCP) remarking, which permits enterprise network managers and service providers to more accurately manage the priority of traffic based on service agreements with their customers. This functionality also decreases the threat of internal and external security breaches through packet filtering based on Source IP, ARP, and TCP/UDP filters; in addition, the devices offer flexible and configurable rate shaping for both ingress and egress directions to enable enforcement of pre-negotiated bandwidth levels, and up to 8K IP Multicast group entries for applications such as video distribution.
http://www.vitesse.com

Read More