Monday, November 7, 2005

Spirent Enhances ThreatEx Network Security Test Tool

Spirent Communications has enhanced its "ThreatEx", a network test tool capable of replicating sophisticated digital attacks. Spirent's ThreatEx simulates network attacks by creating data packets that mimic the behaviour of viruses and worms, and can be used to evaluate Firewalls and Intrusion Detection and Intrusion Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS). For companies that have limited resources, Spirent's Global Services team can use ThreatEx to perform security audits and supplements internal capabilities with test methodology expertise so that customers...

Sonus Quarterly Revenue Falls to $45.7 Million

Sonus Networks reported Q3 revenues of $45.7 million compared with $58.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2005 and $46.8 million for the third quarter of fiscal 2004. Net loss for the third quarter of fiscal 2005 was $2.7 million or $0.01 per diluted share compared with net income of $9.7 million or $0.04 per diluted share for the second quarter of fiscal 2005, and compared with net income of $10.3 million or $0.04 per diluted share for the third quarter of fiscal 2004.Third quarter revenue and earnings per share were lowered by $4.7 million...

SureWest Leverages BigBand for HDTV over IP

SureWest Communications has expanded its use of the BigBand BMR(Broadband Multimedia-Service Router) to facilitate the delivery of HDTV over its IP-based FTTP network. SureWest currently utilizes the BigBand BMR to enable over 240 channels of live video and music programs, pay-per-view, and conversion of multimedia content for IP distribution. SureWest leverages functionality that controls channel line-ups, enhances video quality and boosts bandwidth efficiency.The BigBand BMR receives separate variable bit rate satellite video feeds combined within...

DIRECTV and NBC Universal Announce VOD Deal

DIRECTV reached a deal with NBC Universal to offer consumers access to the top programs of NBC and its cable entertainment networks, USA, SCI FI and Bravo, within hours after they air, commercial free, for 99 cents. The programs will be available on demand through the new DIRECTV Plus interactive DVR.This multi-year agreement will give the primetime on demand rights to NBC Universal TV programs, such as "Law & Order: SVU," "Law & Order: CI," "The Office," "Monk," "Surface" and "Battlestar Galactica." The programs will be available until...

Comcast Reaches VOD Deal with CBS

Comcast reached a deal with CBS under which four of the broadcaster's leading prime-time entertainment series will be available via VOD. Beginning in January, Comcast Digital Cable customers in markets served by CBS owned-and-operated television stations (including the top 7 US markets) will be able to view episodes of CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, NCIS, Survivor and The Amazing Race on Comcast's ON DEMAND service. The on-demand programs will be available as early as midnight following their broadcast on the CBS television network. Each episode...

Kasenna Scales VOD with 12-Node Linux Server Cluster

Kasenna is using mainstream, web-farm style clustering technologies to scale its VOD server to power a half-million subscriber deployment from a single video head office (VHO) using MPEG-4 (AVC) streams encoded at 2.3 Mbps. Kasenna has tested a cluster that used 12 dual processor servers with 64-bit Intel Xeon 3.5 GHZ processors. The servers were powered by Kasenna MediaBase version 8.1 software that incorporates hybrid RAM/Disk streaming. The cluster...

Inmarsat-4 Satellite Launched, Will Support Broadband Global Area Network

The Inmarsat-4 communications satellite was successfully launched in geosynchronous transfer orbit by a Zenit-3SL rocket from the Sea Launch Odyssey platform in the Pacific.Inmarsat-4 is among the largest communications satellites ever launched -- 5,958 kg (13,108 lb). It is designed to provide high-speed mobile service to people throughout the Americas during its 13-year service life. It is one in a series of satellites designed to support the Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN) for high-speed delivery of Internet and intranet content and solutions,...

Motorola Invests in Tekion for Micro Fuel Cells

Motorola Ventures has made a strategic investment in Tekion, a start-up developing micro fuel cells for mobile products. Financial terms were not disclosed.Tekion, which has operations in both Champaign, Illinois and Burnaby, British Columbia, is integrating advanced battery technology with a unique micro fuel cell technology to create a new "personal power source", known as the "Formira" Power Pack, that will fit inside mobile products and enable consumers to stay connected for as long as needed. It will operate in the power range of milliwatts...

GigaBeam Raises $18.9 Million for "WiFiber"

GigaBeam, a start-up based in Herndon, Virginia, announced the private placement of $18.9 million stated value of the company's Series B convertible preferred stock and common stock purchase warrants to purchase approximately 1,302,200 shares of common stock for an aggregate purchase price of $18.9 million to a limited number of institutional investors. The conversion price of the preferred stock and the exercise price of the warrants are approximately $7.62 and $7.98 respectively.GigaBeam WiFiber operates in the 71-76 GHz and 81-86 GHz radio spectrum...

BellSouth Selects Lucent for IMS

BellSouth has selected elements from Lucent's IMS-based (IP Multimedia Subsystem) solution, including network integration and technical support, to be the platform for BellSouth's VoIP service for residential customers in its nine-state territory.Under the multiyear agreement, BellSouth will deploy components of the Lucent IMS portfolio, including the Lucent Network Controller, a softswitch technology-based product that provides the media gateway...

Broadbus Enhances its Video Server

Broadbus Technologies, a start-up based in Boxborough, Massachusetts, announced version 3.0 of its B-1 Video Server with Stream Commander, which uses DRAM-based streaming server technology to scale to 80 Gbps of output. Broadbus said its design can produce nearly 20,000 streams per chassis and offer virtually unlimited ingest capabilities. The B-1 can ingest hundreds of live and pre-recorded programs simultaneously, enabling television on-demand (TOD) and network PVR (nPVR) applications.The Broadbus Stream Commander) management application is designed...

Samsung Presents its Latest Mobile Phone Designs

Samsung Electronics introduced 5 new mobile phones for the European market. The average of the newly unveiled phones are under 15mm and offer the latest multimedia features, such as music playback capability, megapixel camera and Bluetooth connectivity. The lineups include two 3G phones, two slide-up GSM/GPRS phones, and a credit-card size mobile phone.Samsung said the current trend in mobile phone design is moving towards "slim & wide" design....

Alcatel Supplies WLAN to State of Kansas

Alcatel will supply its OmniAccess wireless LAN (WLAN) switch family to the State of Kansas for use at government sites and schools. The State of Kansas plans to deploy its Alcatel wireless networks across the state with the first deployment in the Topeka state capitol campus followed by the Department of Transportation. The contract also allows any public entity in Kansas to buy under the terms of this contract. Financial terms were not disclosed. http://www.alcatel....