Cisco and Intel Collaborate on Wireless Security

Intel and Cisco Systemsintroduced a jointly developed "Business Class Wireless Suite" designed for companies using Cisco's Unified Wireless Architecture and Intel Centrino mobile technology. The Suite includes:

• Optimal access point (AP) selection technology to enable Intel Centrino mobile technology-based clients to scan for the best AP for faster, more reliable and efficient roaming within a business wireless LAN.



• Enhanced VoIP QoS to improve the audio clarity and enable reliable voice communications for laptops.

The capabilities will be available from Cisco and Intel in the first quarter of 2006.


In addition, Intel agreed to join the Network Admission Control (NAC) program, an industry effort led by Cisco to help customers identify, prevent, and adapt to security threats, and Cisco will join the Intel Active Management Technology (AMT) program, which is part of Intel's Digital Office initiative.


The companies said customers should expect Cisco NAC and Intel AMT to be compatible in the fourth quarter of this year.


"Our expanded strategic alliance with Intel on security and wireless demonstrates our commitment to deliver unified solutions that drive higher levels of usability, performance and security for our customers," said Charles Giancarlo, chief development officer at Cisco Systems.
http://www.ciscointelalliance.com

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Verizon and Yahoo! Offer Premium Content DSL

Separately, Verizon and Yahoo! began offering a new, fully integrated DSL service to Verizon Online DSL subscribers in 28 states and the District of Columbia. The service, named Verizon Yahoo! for DSL, includes premium content and features that would cost up to $200 a year if purchased separately. The companies are planning an aggressive marketing campaigns on the Yahoo! network and through Verizon advertising, designed to attract new customers directly to the co-branded offering. Through this alliance, Verizon and Yahoo! expect to help increase broadband demand, as well as win converts from cable broadband access.


Premium features will include Online Protection software, up to 9 Yahoo! Mail accounts with 2 GB of storage each; unlimited photo storage and high-resolution photo downloads; advanced photo-sharing capabilities through Yahoo! Messenger; access to more than 1 million songs through Verizon Yahoo! Music Unlimited; access to a library of online, TV-quality music videos from Yahoo! Music; LAUNCHcast Plus customizable commercial-free radio; basic and premium games from Yahoo!; exclusive, on-demand news and entertainment video content; and a premium browser.
http://www.verizon.com
http://www.yahoo.com

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Verizon Offers Entry-Level DSL for $14.95/Month

Verizon introduced a consumer DSL plan that delivers up to 768 Kbps downstream and 128 Kbps upstream for $14.95 a month with an annual service agreement.


Verizon currently offers DSL service to qualifying consumers with maximum connection speeds of up to 3.0 Mbps downstream and 768 Kbps upstream for $19.95 a month for the first three months and $29.95 a month thereafter when purchased with an annual service agreement or in combination with a qualifying package of calling services from Verizon.


http://www.verizon.com

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Overture Awarded Patent for Protected Switching Ring Technology

Overture Networks was awarded a U.S. patent for "Protected Switching Ring" (PSR) technology that provides sub-50 millisecond failover for Gigabit Ethernet rings. Overture Networks' PSR algorithm provides for a ring topology that can be built using standard Ethernet technology and methodology.


Overture said Protected Switching Rings can be implemented as a software upgrade to its ISG platform. PSR capabilities on the ISG interwork seamlessly with existing Layer 2 switches and backbone DWDM, Resilient Packet Ring (RPR) or SONET/SDH transport systems to provide a capability that operates much like traditional UPSR configurations.
http://www.overturenetworks.com

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Israel's Bezeq Deploys Redback SmartEdge Service Gateway Platform

Israel-based ISP Bezeq is evolving its consumer and business broadband network by augmenting existing Redback SMS systems with next-generation Redback SmartEdge Service Gateway systems to offer advanced per-subscriber services and multicast video over broadband.
http://www.redback.com

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Sprint Launches Web-based Precision Locator Application

Sprint launched a web-based application that enables small and large businesses track fleets and mobile workers through their mobile device without additional GPS equipment. The Sprint Precision Locator service allows the user to:

• Access interactive maps with full panning and zooming capabilities to easily locate a worker or group of workers without interrupting field productivity
  
  
• Set schedules and have the application identify the location of a mobile device or group of mobile devices to ensure specific tasks are performed at designated times
  
  
• Create landmarks on maps that are important to the business, such as offices and warehouses, and track if an employee leaves or enters established landmarks
  
  
• Use reporting functionality to track mobile workforce location history to determine where efficiencies can be gained
  
  
• Use text messaging feature to reach a mobile worker or group of workers
  
  
• Service is consolidated to a single bill with a monthly fee per user. The service can locate each mobile device up to 1,000 times per month, determine if a device is on or off up to 100 times per month, and send up to 50 SMS messages from the application to a mobile worker per month.

The location tool combines Sprint Business Mobility Framework capabilities with the application development expertise of WaveMarket, which provides carrier-grade location-based services. Sprint Precision Locator also makes use of WaveMarket's WaveAlert technology, tracking software and Microsoft MapPoint Web Service platform. http://www.sprint.com

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Missouri's Granby Deploys Occam BLC 6000

Granby Telephone Co. has selected the Occam BLC 6000 System to transition its existing access network to an Ethernet- and IP-based broadband access network for delivering Triple Play services, voice, video, and high-speed data to its subscribers in southwestern Missouri. Granby selected the Occam BLC 6000 in mid-June 2005 and is currently in the process of a "soft launch" during the trial period which extends through August. It anticipates a full launch by fall of 2005 and a full deployment before year-end.
http://www.occamnetworks.com

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KT Selects Sycamore/Siemens for Nationwide Optical Backbone

KT has selected Siemens Communications and Sycamore Networks to deliver a state-of-the-art optical switching solution that will be part of a nationwide backbone network across Korea designed to support a variety of next-generation voice and high-speed data applications.


The deployment will include Sycamore's SN 16000 intelligent optical switching systems, the Universal Service Card (USC), a modular interface card that supports SONET/SDH, Gigabit Ethernet (GigE) and 10 GigE services, and SILVX Network Management System.


Sycamore has a global strategic alliance with Siemens. The optical switching solution will be provided via this alliance and as part of an agreement between KT and Siemens' indigenous partner KDnet. Financial terms were not disclosed.
http://www.siemens.com/communicationshttp://www.sycamorenet.com

• Earlier this year, KT started offering Triple Play service in the Seoul area supported by the Cisco ONS 15454 Multiservice Provisioning Platform (MSPP). KT selected Cisco as its strategic vendor for its new optical backbone plan on December 2004. As part of the initial deployment of the network, Cisco has completed the first service trial of KT's 2.5-Gbps/10-Gbps MSPP project, which is a part of a new 5-year plan to deploy an optical transport system infrastructure to service KT's customer base with multiple advanced services. This service trial involved deploying Cisco ONS 15454 SDH to cover regional nodes in the Seoul metropolitan area and international nodes for this multiservice integrated transport network project. Millinet, one of Cisco's system integration partners, has been a key contributor for this project.

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Israel's Internet Gold ISP Deploys Juniper M-series

Israeli Internet and communications service provider smile Internet Gold has deployed Juniper Networks M-series routing platforms in the core of its broadband network. The routing platforms, supplied by elite J-Partner Netcom, are being used to expand the network and to provide business and residential customers with a range of high-performance, secure and reliable broadband services, including Internet access and VoIP.
http://www.juniper.net

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Intel Sharpens Focus on Digital Home Convergence

At the opening of the Intel Developer Forum in San Francisco, Paul S. Otellini unveiled Intel's next-generation, power-optimized micro-architecture for future digital home, enterprise, mobile and emerging market platforms -- and low-power products that will enable a new category of converged consumer devices.


Intel will introduce a micro-architecture in the second half of 2006, that combines the company's current Intel NetBurst and Pentium M micro-architectures and adds new features.


"We will deliver 'factor of 10' breakthroughs to a variety of platforms that can reduce energy consumption tenfold or bring 10 times the performance of today's products. At the same time, Intel innovation will continue to deliver unique digital enterprise, home, office and mobile features, such as greater manageability, security and virtualization, along with an increasing capability to manage and view digital content," Otellini said.


Intel currently has more than 10 processor projects that contain four (quad-core) or more processor cores per chip.


Otellini also announced that forthcoming lower-power products will lead to a new category of ultra energy-efficient "Handtop PC" devices that provide a converged communication and PC-like experience but require less than a watt of processing power and weigh under a pound.


In his speech, Otellini also emphasized that WiMAX plays a key role in both delivering high-speed broadband and premium entertainment to digital homes, as well as Internet access to rural areas.


He also noted that Intel is also working closely with the emerging digital entertainment industry to spur innovation in the home, including PC and CE devices that work together. Specifically, Intel is developing a platform and related technologies to power these PC and CE devices, as well as working with the entertainment and computing industries on interoperability standards and digitizing content.
http://www.intel.com/idf/us/fall2005/index.htm

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Alloptic Secures $30 Million for GEPON

Alloptic, a start-up based in Livermore, California, secured an additional $30 million in venture funding for its Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Networks (GEPONs).


Alloptic's Gigabit Ethernet Passive Optical Network (GEPON) access network solutions have been in deployment for several years, The Alloptic solution leverages a standard ITU PON architecture, while delivering a gigabit of bandwidth. It also features a native ability to support traditional TDM voice over an Ethernet based platform.


Leading the rounds of financing were Ritchie Capital Management and GMG Capital Management.
http://www.alloptic.com

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Lucent Expands Asia-Pac Executive Team

Lucent Technologies appointed Tom Goodwin as Chief Technology Officer for Asia Pacific with a responsibility to provide technical and solution leadership to customers across the region. Goodwin joined Lucent in 1998 through the acquisition of Yurie Systems.


Lucent also appointed Ian Gardner Director of Business Development for Asia Pacific. Gardner returns to Asia Pacific from a stint as Lucent Technologies Director of Managed Services for Europe, where he led regional business development. He was previously the General Manager of Lucent Technologies New Zealand, leading the team that won the Telecom New Zealand CDMA mobile network contract, one of the industry's most extensive managed services agreements.
http://www.lucent.com

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Bharti Tele-Ventures Awards US$125M Contract to Nokia

India's Bharti Tele-Ventures awarded a contract valued at US$125 million to Nokia to expand its managed GSM/GPRS/EDGE networks in eight circles. As per the contract, Nokia will provide managed services and expand Bharti's Airtel networks in the circles of Mumbai, Maharashtra (including Goa), Gujarat, Bihar (including Jharkhand) and Orissa over a three-year period. Additionally, Nokia has also been mandated to provide managed services and expand Airtel networks in the three other circles of Kolkata, West Bengal and Madhya Pradesh.


Nokia's managed capacity expansion will further help Airtel cover more than 5,000 towns up from 2,700 across India. The phased expansion into these towns and villages starts immediately and is likely to be completed by March 2006.
http://www.nokia.com

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Avaya Optimizes SIP Softphone for Intel's Centrino

Avaya will optimize its SIP-based, IP Telephony Softphone for laptop PCs based on the next-generation Intel Centrino mobile technology (code named "Napa"), which will incorporate packet prioritization, bandwidth reservation and call admission control. This will help enable the Avaya Softphone provide consistent quality of service across both wired and wireless networks using industry standards such as 802.11e. As a result, mobile workers will be able to easily link a laptop computer into remote wired and wireless networks, simultaneously run various business applications while using an Avaya Softphone, and experience similar call quality to a desktop phone.


Using the Avaya Softphone in conjunction with Avaya Communication Manager, mobile workers have the same abilities to send and receive calls and access features and directories from computing devices both in and out of the office as they do when using their desktop phone. The Avaya SIP-based Softphone includes presence and Instant Messaging capabilities so a mobile worker can see whether a co-worker is available and use communication alternatives for immediate contact and response.


Intel and Avaya have also agreed to collaborate to improve the integration, control and functionality of Bluetooth devices used in conjunction with the softphone.


The collaboration, announced at Intel's Developer Forum in support of Intel's Digital Office initiative, will help enhance softphone performance and reliability when several computer programs are running at once.
http://www.avaya.com/http://www.intel.com

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Galazar Offers Silicon for Micro-MSPPs

Galazar Networks has expanded its portfolio of multi-service access silicon with the introduction of CompactNode and MicroNode SONET/SDH networking solutions suited for carrier grade access and aggregation networks demanding Ethernet services and advanced SONET/SDH networking.


MicroNode includes all of the elements necessary for implementing an OC-3/STM-1 Network Element with Ethernet and PDH clients including; direct hot- pluggable SFP interfaces, full HO/LO cross-connect, full HO/LO GFP/VCAT/LCAS capability, tri-mode Ethernet MACs with rate control, Stratum-3 CSU, DS1/E1 interfaces, and a Telecom Bus for PDH expansion.


CompactNode extends these capabilities to enable an OC-12/STM-4 Network Element with the same client interfaces plus a protected OC-3/STM-1 tributary interface. The hot-pluggable SFP interfaces also support multi-rate operation (155 Mbps and 622 Mbps).


Galazar includes device management software, supporting advanced hardware abstraction capabilities, commonly used network equipment features, and extensive troubleshooting tools.


CompactNode and MicroNode are in production and shipping in volume.
http://www.galazar.com

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Cavalier Selects SecureMedia to Protect IPTV Services

Cavalier Telephone, a CLEC based in Virginia, has licensed SecureMedia's Encryptonite System CA/DRM software to secure the delivery of IPTV services over Cavalier's multi-state broadband network.


Cavalier will provide its customers a lineup of the top broadcast pay TV channels as well as Video on Demand (VOD) content from the major Hollywood studios all delivered over an MPEG-4 AVC distribution platform and protected by SecureMedia's Encryptonite System.


SecureMedia's Encryptonite System is an open platform CA/DRM software solution. The company said its Encryptonite System offers IPTV service providers the lowest cost of operation as the system requires minimal incremental bandwidth and features an ultra-light, processor-efficient client that can be deployed on virtually any set top box, mobile handset, or portable device. Encryptonite also employs a common encryption scheme for both broadcast and VOD content allowing for persistent and efficient protection of content in PVR and nPVR applications.
http://www.securemedia.com/http://www.cavtel.com/

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WildBlue Appoints David Leonard as CEO

WildBlue Communications, a provider of satellite-based Internet services, named David Leonard as its new CEO, replacing Tom Moore, WildBlue's co-founder and current CEO, who will relinquish day-to-day operating responsibility. Moore will, however, stay actively involved with the company as a shareholder and Board Member. Leonard comes to WildBlue from Liberty Global Inc., where he served as President of the Latin America Division.


WildBlue's service provides two-way wireless high-speed Internet access. The service is being offered by over 280 rural electric and telephone companies affiliated with the NRTC (National Rural Telephone Cooperative). Service began June 2005, with nationwide availability expected later in 2005.
http://www.wildblue.com/

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