Cisco Introduces New Unified Communications system, Adds SIP Support

Cisco Systems introduced a new suite of voice, data and video products and applications based on its existing Cisco CallManager, Cisco Unity, Cisco MeetingPlace and Cisco IP Contact Center, as well as the Cisco Service-Oriented Network Architecture (SONA), which the company announced in December 2005. New components include:Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, which simplifies the way workers share information by bridging the gap between the stand-alone applications on the desktop, telephone and network. Using dynamic presence information, employees...

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NetDevices Expands Services Gateway Family

NetDevices, a start-up based in Sunnyvale, California, has expanded its product line with the SG-4 Services Gateway, which extends the benefits of services gateways to small and medium-sized enterprise branch offices. The SG-4 unifies all services required at the branch--including perimeter and content security, robust data networking, and voice over IP (VoIP) support--into a modular, remotely manageable, and always-available platform.The SG-4 Services...

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Calix Expands with IP Service Edge Node

Calix has expanded its access network portfolio with the introduction of its E-Series IP service edge node, a new platform designed to support a smooth transition to FTTP builds. The Calix E-series offers up to 16 Gigabit Ethernet uplinks, multiple voice termination options, multiple powering options, compact enclosures, battery backup, integrated cross-connect panels, and advanced cable management features.The Calix E5 supports multiple voice termination...

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ICTV Names Ex-Microsoft TV Exec as CTO

ICTV, which offers a network-based solution for the delivery of Web-driven content to cable and IPTV subscribers, named Don Gordon as its new CTO and VP of Engineering. Gordon most recently served as director of software architectures for Microsoft TV, where he led the company's involvement in cable's Next Generation Network Architecture initiative and was instrumental in the negotiations that led to the selection of Microsoft TV as the software platform for Verizon's FIOS TV service. Previously, Gordon was the first employee of DIVA Systems,...

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NeoPhotonics Unveils Portfolio of GPON Transceivers

NeoPhotonics introduced a full line of GPON transceivers compliant with the ITU-T G.984.2 Class B+ standard to augment its portfolio of widely-deployed FTTx Biplexer and Triplexer modules. The new line includes both a biplexer and a triplexer module, in SFF and 2x2 form factor, for FTTP customer premises equipment (CPE) and a biplexer module in SFF form factor for the FTTP central office, or optical line terminal (OLT). http://www.neophotonics....

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Former MCI President Rick Roscitt Joins Force10 Board

Rick Roscitt has been appointed to Force10 Networks' board of directors. As president and chief operating officer of MCI from 2003 to 2004, Mr. Roscitt helped lead the company out of bankruptcy and reestablished it as a telecommunications leader with positive cash flow. Prior to MCI, Mr. Roscitt was chairman and CEO of ADC Broadband, where he implemented an aggressive cost reduction effort along with a complete product portfolio overhaul that returned the business to profitability. Earlier, he was the president of AT&T Business Servicesht...

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Samsung Unveils 8GB Hard Disk Phone

Samsung Electronics unveiled an 8 GB Hard Disk embedded smartphone featuring the latest version of Windows Mobile 5.0 for Smartphones.It also offers a USB 2.0 and Plug & Play feature which allows the phone to be utilized as a removable hard disk. Other features include a 2 megapixel camera with flash, microSD slot, document viewer and TV output. Users can record video with the 2 megapixel camera in high quality resolution. It also supports enhanced...

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Agilent Develops First 100 Gbps BERT for Next Gen Optical Transceivers

Agilent Technologies introduced the E4898A Bit Error Ratio Tester (BERT) front-end, enabling a complete 100 Gbps BERT that operates at speeds up to 100 Gbps. As standards evolve, 100 Gbps links are expected to be deployed in metro communications and in high-speed server interconnects starting in late 2008. Pattern and data generators, as well as BERTs, will then be needed to evaluate and verify the different approaches to the various technical challenges in getting the transceiver technology to work at the 100 Gbps transmission rates. Agilent said...

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HomePlug Powerline Alliance Sets Baseline for Command and Control Spec

The HomePlug Powerline Alliance announced today that the baseline technology for its HomePlug Command and Control specification was awarded to Yitran Communications. Nine companies had responded to the Alliance's open call for technology proponents. The criteria for comparing the technologies were based on a Market Requirements Document (MRD) developed by the member companies.According to the Alliance's standard process, the next steps include the formation of a Specification Working Group to build and refine the HomePlug Command & Control...

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Sun Microsystems Unveils "Sun SPOT" Objects for Sensor Networks

Sun Microsystems announced Project Sun Small Programmable Object Technology (Sun SPOT), a battery operated platform for development of wireless sensor networks, robotics and personal consumer electronics.Powered by a small Java 2 Platform, Micro Edition (Java ME) virtual machine written almost entirely in Java, Project Sun SPOT provides a way to build Java-based sensor applications that run directly on the central processing unit (CPU) without any...

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Texas Instruments Launches Digital Media Software for OEMs

Texas Instruments (TI) launched a portfolio of in-house developed digital media software, including encoders, decoders and other algorithms, that can be rapidly integrated into its digital signal processor (DSP) and systems-on- chip (SoC) platforms.TI's new productized digital media software offering is comprised of audio, video and voice components including up to MPEG-4 720p HD encode/decode, H.264 BP encode/decode, and Windows Media Audio encode/decode. Current digital media software offerings support TI's DaVinci processors, as well as TI's...

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BT Finalizes 21CN Contracts

BT has concluded negotiations and signed contracts with the remaining four preferred suppliers for its 21st Century Network (21CN). Contracts have been signed with Alcatel, Cisco, Ericsson and Fujitsu. This follows the announcement on 23rd December 2005 that contracts have been signed with Ciena, Huawei, Lucent and Siemens.Alcatel will provide its 7750 Service Router and 5620 Service Aware Manager. The Metro node is the point at which traffic is intelligently managed, directed and delivered over the MPLS core. "Service and subscriber aware" switching...

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Avaya Expands Consulting and Systems Integration Services

Avaya is expanding its professional services offerings to help companies design, implement, support and optimize advanced communications solutions. A new Software and Custom Application Practice addresses the market movement toward Services Oriented Architecture (SOA), a software architecture that can make it easier to disaggregate and rearrange pieces of software for more flexible access to applications in a Web Services model. Avaya Global Services has also established practices for Contact Center and Enterprise Communications that apply consistent...

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Sipera Thwarts VoIP DoS/DDoS Attacks, Stealth, Spoofing and Spam

Sipera Systems debuted its Sipera IPCS 310 system designed to intelligently and transparently monitor VoIP traffic, detect anomalies in traffic and call patterns, and identify threats, to protect end-user devices and network infrastructures against attacks, misuse and service abuse. Sipera said its products can be deployed in any existing VoIP infrastructure due to its close development and integration work with leading VoIP infrastructure manufacturers. The Sipera IPCS 310 product is not a point-of-failure in the network and is not subject to...

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Microsoft Builds Momentum for Office Live Communications Server with SIP Partners

Microsoft is working with Alcatel, Avaya, Cisco, Mitel, NEC, Nortel and Siemens to enable Session Initiation Protocol (SIP)-based interoperability between voice communications solutions and Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 and Microsoft Office Communicator Mobile, the PC and mobile phone unified communications clients for Live Communications Server. The solutions will enable business customers to launch and answer private branch exchange (PBX) and IP-PBX phone calls and view phone presence state from within Office Communicator. They also allow...

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Vocalscape Acquires Azatel Communications

Vocalscape Networks agreed to acquire Azatel Communications, a developer of hardware for Media Terminal Adapters, Soft Switches, Session Controllers, H.323 to SIP Interworking, OSP and IPTV/Video on Demand solutions. Financial terms were not disclosed.http://www.vocalscape....

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Japanese Cable Operator to Launch VOD over IP

VIC TOKAI CORPORATION will be the first cable operator in Japan to commercially launch residential VoD services utilizing an IP CATV network with assured bandwidth to guarantee high quality pictures. Various interactive TV applications such as on-line games, karaoke on demand and learning on demand will be the next focus for future service expansions.Streaming21, a leader in broadcast-quality media streaming solutions, is working with NEO Index, Japan's largest VoD content provider, on the project.Streaming21's broadcast and media-on-demand software...

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Corinex and TI Team on 200 Mbps Powerline Residential Gateway

Corinex Communications is integrating Texas Instrument's AR7 ADSL2+ and Wireless G++ technology into a residential gateway optimized for Triple Play services. The gateway is designed to deliver up to nine simultaneous streams of video and data throughout the home using existing electrical wires at rates up 200 Mbps.The Corinex ADSL2+ AV200 Powerline Gateway G is based on TI's advanced signal processing and DSL technology. Key features include QoS...

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ZTE Selects Cavium's OCTEON MIPS64 Multi-core Processor

ZTE Corporation has selected Cavium Networks' OCTEON MIPS64 based multi-core processors for its next generation mobile/wireless communication system. ZTE's next gen platforms are being designed to provide 3G Service Providers high performance and scalability with content-aware features at optimal cost and power points.The companies said ZTE already has an installed base of over 150 million lines of wireless infrastructure equipment deployed in over 25 countries.http://www.caviumnetworks.comIn January 2006, Cavium Networks unveiled ten new highly...

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Ruckus Announces First European IPTV Customer for Smart Wi-Fi

Dublin-based Magnet Networks has selected Ruckus Wireless' "smart Wi-Fi" system to provide the in-home networking solution for its digital TV service. Magnet is using over an ADSL 2+ and FTTH infrastructure to deliver digital voice, IPTV and Internet access. The company currently offers 66 channels of IPTV and is rolling out video on demand (VoD) services this month. IPTV channels are compressed using MPEG-2 and streamed over the Magnet Network at bit rates ranging from three to five megabits per second. Magnet plans to utilize new MPEG-4 data...

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Agilent Develops First 100 Gbps BERT for Next Gen Optical Transceivers

Agilent Technologies introduced the E4898A Bit Error Ratio Tester (BERT) front-end, enabling a complete 100 Gbps BERT that operates at speeds up to 100 Gbps. As standards evolve, 100 Gbps links are expected to be deployed in metro communications and in high-speed server interconnects starting in late 2008. Pattern and data generators, as well as BERTs, will then be needed to evaluate and verify the different approaches to the various technical challenges in getting the transceiver technology to work at the 100 Gbps transmission rates. Agilent said...

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