Lucent's "Acuity" Architecture Positioned for IMS

Lucent Technologies outlined a new "Acuity" Network Architecture for "service aware" networks that dynamically adjust bandwidth and QoS parameters simultaneously while managing the availability of required network resources.



Lucent said its goal is to enable optimum end user "Quality of Experience" (QoE) for enterprise services such as VoIP, video conferencing and Ethernet access, and consumer services such as high-definition video/IPTV and multi-party video gaming on both fixed and wireless devices.



The "Acuity" Network Architecture would also enable service providers to offer end-to-end service level agreements (SLAs) for particular services to specific customers, enabling them to generate additional revenue by ensuring consistently high QoS levels across their transport and metro networks.

Acuity will support the IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) standard and deliver specific advantages when implementing IMS to support blended lifestyle services that combine voice, data and video capabilities. It will also control non-IMS applications.



The Acuite architecture will leverage the Lucent Ethernet Router family of products (recently acquired as part of a purchase of Riverstone Network assets), the Lucent Base Station Router (announced in February 2006), and the Lucent Multimedia Access Platform (announced in October 2005).

It also employs two new Lucent offerings -- the Universal Packet Mux (UPM), a converged optical/packet transport platform for high-bandwidth multimedia services, and the Lucent Resource Manager, a network element that supports the dynamic control of network resources across data/transport platforms and broadband access nodes.



The Lucent Resource Manager will work in combination with bearer gateway functions distributed at the edges of the network. These two elements will work in tandem to support the dynamic allocation of bandwidth, with the resource manager making the policy decisions and the bearer gateway function, much like a traffic cop, enforcing those decisions by directly controlling the per service/session traffic, based on the policy.

http://www.lucent.com/acuity

• In October 2005, Lucent Technologies unveiled its Multimedia Access Platform, an IP-based traffic aggregator designed for high-bandwidth video/IPTV, VoIP and multimedia services delivered over DSL fiber to the home or premise (FTTx), and/or WiMAX networks. The platform is expected to enter customer trials in the first half of 2006. Lucent is positioning the platform as a key product in its broadband access portfolio and IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) solution. Various configurations will be offered for large- and small-scale Central Office, remote, and greenfield networks.
  
  
  
  The single frame Multimedia Access Platform is based on the Advanced Telecommunications Computing Architecture (AdvancedTCA) and an open, Linux software foundation. It will support a range of access blades, including , including ADSL2+, VDSL2, IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet Passive Optical Networking (EPON), ITU G.984.x Gigabit Ethernet PON (GPON) at varying upstream and downstream line rates, point-to-point Ethernet and WiMAX (based on the IEEE's 802.16e standard).
  
  
  
  Lucent said the platform's blade architecture will allow service providers to integrate additional capabilities or expand capacity easily by adding new cards. The Multimedia Access Platform offers up to 10 Gigabits per slot on the IP/Ethernet backplane and a full suite of Layer 2, Layer 3 and advanced packet processing capabilities, including multicasting for video, QoS/CoS, VLANs, ACLs, and security for multimedia network requirements. The platform is also IPv6 capable.
  
  
  
  The Multimedia Access Platform will also be integrated with an IMS control layer, enabling advanced application control via SIP. This capability could be used for IMS-to-IPTV interworking.

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Alcatel Introduces DSL Diagnostic Tool in North America

Alcatel announced the North American availability of its 5530 Network Analyzer (NA), an advanced DSL diagnostic, optimization and analysis software tool. The Alcatel 5530 NA provides proactive quality management and expert diagnostics to continuously ensure the quality of services delivered over broadband access lines. Alcatel specifically designed the 5530 NA as a multi-vendor solution for triple play broadband access services.



The Alcatel 5530 Network Analyzer is a real-time automated troubleshooting tool that continually monitors network performance and is capable of detecting faults before customers see them.



More than 20 service providers are already using the Alcatel 5530 Network Analyzer, including KPN (Netherlands), Iceland Telecom, Shaanxi Telecom (China) and Scarlet (Belgium and the Netherlands).
http://www.alcatel.com

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Tellabs adds VDSL2 and Ethernet to Access Portfolio

Tellabs has added Very High Data Rate Digital Subscriber Line-2 (VDSL2) and fast Ethernet to its Tellabs 1150 multiservice access system.



The Tellabs 1150 system enables service providers to address copper DLC and fiber-to-the node (FTTN) deployments as well as fiber-to-the-curb (FTTC) and fiber to the premises (FTTP) in a single platform.

http://www.tellabs.com

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Enhancements to Cisco 7600 Target IP NGNs

Cisco Systems announced significant enhancements to its Cisco 7600 Series Router portfolio, including a multicast connection admission control (CAC) capability to more efficiently deliver video services and an integrated video/IPTV quality-monitoring module to improve the delivery of high-quality video services.



The new Cisco multicast and previously announced video-on-demand (VoD) CAC solutions distinguish among paid VoD, free VoD, specific high-demand broadcast channels and many other video deliverables.



Cisco said service providers can avoid the need to permanently provision their networks with the bandwidth required to handle occasional peaks by deploying a CAC solution to handle those peaks.



In addition, new standards-based Ethernet operations, administration and maintenance (OA&M) capabilities enable improved service assurance for all Ethernet-based services, and a new integrated mesh Wireless Service Module (WiSM) for metropolitan Wi-Fi mesh network aggregation enables providers to more efficiently expand their service portfolios utilizing existing 7600 Series Router deployments.



New capabilities include:

• Video Quality-Monitoring Module - The Cisco Network Analysis Module monitors video streams in real time and sends proactive alerts to providers if picture quality is degraded, enabling them to determine the cause of the degradation and correct it before call centers are overwhelmed.



• Fault Detection - 7600 Series Routers now support IEEE 802.1ag and IEEE 802.3ah standards. IEEE 802.1ag enables providers to manage customer-service instances individually, alerting them when an Ethernet virtual connection (EVC) or virtual local-area network (VLAN) fails and providing the tools to rapidly isolate the failure. IEEE 802.3ah enables link monitoring for critical events and puts the remote device into "loopback" mode in order to test it when events occur. It also discovers unidirectional links, which occur when transmission fails in only one direction.



• IP/MPLS Resiliency - IP/Multiprotocol Label Switching provides added support for nonstop forwarding with stateful switchover (NSF/SSO) and ensures availability even if the control plane fails. The 7600 Series Routers also offer MPLS link protection and pseudowire redundancy for Layer 2 failover.



• The Cisco 7600 Series Wireless Services Module (WiSM) provides integrated Wi-Fi access-point aggregation, enabling providers to scale and manage metropolitan Wi-Fi mesh networks. The WiSM supports Lightweight Access Point Protocol (LWAPP) and also provides extensive integrated security capabilities like Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA2), and various types of Extensible Authentication Protocol (EAP), including Protected EAP (PEAP). The module also improves wireless security through rogue access-point detection and containment and support of a wireless intrusion-prevention system to provide consistent security-policy enforcement across the entire fixed/wireless network.

http://www.cisco.com

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Vitesse Lands Backing from Tennenbaum Capital Partners

Tennenbaum Capital Partners has agreed initially to lend to Vitesse up to $24 million in the form of a four year, secured note at a LIBOR-based interest rate, and, if requested by Vitesse and subject to the satisfaction of certain conditions, up to an additional $30 million. The net proceeds will be used to fund new product development, repay certain loan amounts and for general corporate purposes.



Vitesse also announced that its Storage Products Division recently achieved its highest volume quarter in 2006. The company also noted that several new product introductions are on track.

http://www.vitesse.com

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ADVA Acquires Movaz Networks for ROADMs

ADVA Optical Networking agreed to acquire privately-held Movaz Networks, a supplier of WDM transport and Reconfigurable Optical Add-Drop Multiplexing (ROADM) solutions.



Movaz has approximately 100 customers comprised of telecommunications carriers, cable network providers, research and educational organizations and government agencies. This customer base is served by a three pronged distribution strategy that includes direct sales, a private label partnership agreement with Lucent and several value added resellers.



Under the terms of the agreement, 6,526,529 shares of ADVA common stock will be issued via a capital increase and a cash component of approximately USD 6.0 million will be paid. In addition, a cash earn-out component equivalent to 1.0 million ADVA shares could become payable within twelve months after closing under certain conditions.



A majority of Movaz's currently about 150 employees will be fully integrated into ADVA's North American organization and their Atlanta facilities will become an additional ADVA distribution and engineering site.



"The acquisition of Movaz will expand ADVA's North American customer base, global product portfolio and optical engineering resources. Their RAY product portfolio includes two ROADM solutions that enable dynamic networking with unparalleled functionality and cost points - exactly what customers are looking for today. The Movaz distribution partnerships, sales force and substantial U.S. customer base combine extremely well with ADVA's. They will increase our leading position as a supplier of Optical+Ethernet solutions globally, which reflects the core of our strategy," said Brian L. Protiva, ADVA's chief executive officer.

http://www.movaz.comhttp://www.advaoptical.com

• In May 2006, Lucent Technologies and Movaz Networks have expanded an existing agreement under which the two companies are delivering metro DWDM networks to service providers worldwide. The partnership brings together Lucent's Metropolis Wavelength Services Manager (WSM) and Movaz' RAYexpress optical platform. Under the expanded agreement, Lucent will manage elements of Movaz's supply chain operations, including key component purchases, product manufacturing, and customer delivery requirements. Under the auspices of this relationship, Lucent introduced its Metropolis WSM product in 2004, and is currently supporting deployments with operators worldwide, including recently announced agreements with the U.S. Army and Taiwan Mobile.



• In January 2006, Movaz Networks announced the closing of $20 million in equity financing with an additional line of credit for $12 million, supporting its optical networking solutions. At the time, Movaz said it had 90 customers around the world and over 4,000 nodes currently in service.
  
  
• Olympus Corporation and Movaz Networks have established a joint venture company to provide Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based technologies and products for optical equipment suppliers worldwide. The first jointly developed product, a MEMS-based Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) for Reconfigurable Optical Add Drop Modules (ROADM), has been deployed since last August in Movaz's Multi-Degree RAY ROADM network to provide extended reach to key government and university sites including the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, the Mid-Atlantic Crossroads (MAX), and the National Lambda Rail. Olympus Microsystems America, Inc. will also develop business for new products, technology, and markets with a focus on MEMS-based activities including ROADM products, variable optical attenuators (VOA), small switches, optical cross connects (OXC), aspheric lenses, and tunable filters.



• In October 2005, ADVA Optical Networking agreed to acquire Covaro Networks, a start-up offering Ethernet demarcation products, for approximately $24 million in stock and cash. Covaro, which is based in Richardson, Texas, developed a line of products that enable service providers to offer intelligent Ethernet services over fiber, copper, SONET/SDH, DS3/DS1 and E3/E1. Covaro's "Etherjack" technology allows carriers (or enterprises) to transport and manage Ethernet services using traditional management methods for T1/T3 services.

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Juniper Launches Open IPTV and Multiplay Initiative

Juniper Networks launched an "Open IPTV and Multiplay Initiative" that would allow content and application service providers, complementary service infrastructure providers and third-party developers to utilize the open interfaces and flexible programming environment of Juniper Networks SDX-300 Service Deployment System to create enhanced service capabilities and offerings. The company also announced enhancements to its E-series Broadband Services Router.



As the first phase of this initiative, Juniper is introducing the new Open IP Service Creation Program with immediate availability of an open application programming interface (API) to enable applications to interact intelligently with the IP network. The SDX-300 enables dynamic application-driven control of network resources and provides intelligent service management functionality that allows providers to offer a mix of bandwidth intensive multiplay services with an assured user experience.



To date, a number of companies have built interfaces to, or software applications for, the Juniper Networks SDX-300 using its open APIs. A subset of those companies includes:

• Microsoft (Connected Services Framework)


• Siemens Shared Services LLC (IP Service Management)


• Exent Technologies (Games-on-Demand)


• RealNetworks (Media Delivery)


• Ellacoya Networks (Application Traffic Management)


• Tropos Networks (Wireless Service Control)


• IBM (Bandwidth Control)


• SeaChange International (Video-on-Demand Service Control)

Regarding the router enhancements, Juniper's E-series now supports the IETF's L2CP, a standard that enables the E-series platforms to communicate in real time with third-party platforms, such as DSLAMs, sharing critical information about access line rates, service mix types and service agreements. This open information sharing enables service providers to utilize the E-series to dynamically apply QoS and subscriber related policies from the edge to the IP core.



The E-series Broadband Services Router also now complies with Technical Report 101 (TR-101), a key deliverable of the DSL Forum to facilitate multiplay service delivery over a range of scaleable broadband access technologies. Ratified by the DSL Forum in late April, TR-101 enables service providers to evolve their DSL access networks to better support faster access rates to introduce new high-value multiplay services.

http://www.juniper.net

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Juniper and Microsoft to Enhance IPTV Infrastructure Security

Juniper Networks and Microsoft announced a global agreement to deliver high-performance security solutions that enhance protection for IP networks. Specifically, the companies are collaborating to provide IPTV network security solutions to customers of Microsoft TV IPTV Edition.



The Juniper Firewall and Firewall IDP (Intrusion Detection and Prevention) product platforms will be used to complement the Microsoft TV IPTV Edition content security mechanisms to help protect the infrastructure from malicious traffic and attacks such as worms, trojans, spyware and application layer threats. In addition, Juniper will offer various security consulting services that assist operators to assess service infrastructure vulnerabilities and design network security solutions.



The Juniper security products include:

• NetScreen-5200 and NetScreen-5400 Integrated Firewall/IPSec Virtual Private Network (VPN) appliances



• Integrated Security Gateway (ISG) 1000 and 2000 with Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDP) appliances, which provide strong access control, secure communications and network and application-level security



• NetScreen-Security Manager, which provides centralized management to control all aspects of the Juniper Networks Firewall/IPSec VPN appliances including device configuration, network settings and security policy.

http://www.juniper.nethttp://www.microsoft.com

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Level 3 to Acquire Looking Glass for its Metro Networks

Level 3 Communications agreed to acquire Looking Glass Networks, Inc., a privately held facilities-based provider of metropolitan transport services, for $165 million. The deal includes $87 million in unregistered shares of Level 3 common stock and $9 million in cash. At closing, Level 3 will also pay Looking Glass liabilities of approximately $69 million.



Looking Glass, based in Oak Brook, Illinois, provides data transport services including SONET/SDH, Wavelength and Ethernet as well as dark fiber and carrier-neutral colocation. Looking Glass' network includes approximately 2,000 route miles serving 14 major metro markets, with lit fiber connectivity to approximately 215 buildings. Looking Glass also has dark fiber connectivity to approximately 250 additional buildings.



The acquisition of Progress and ICG, and after close, of TelCove and Looking Glass will increase the number of traffic aggregation points directly connected to Level 3 fiber to approximately 5,100 in the U.S. and approximately 5,300 globally.

http://www.level3.comhttp://www.lglass.net/

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Global Crossing Launches VoIP Community Peering

Global Crossing announced VoIP Community Peering, an enhancement to its VoIP service that creates an extranet community for enterprises and their various business partners -- such as suppliers, manufacturers and distributors in a supply chain -- that experience high call volumes.



Global Crossing VoIP Community Peering provides Global Crossing VoIP Outbound and VoIP On-Net Plus customers with usage-free VoIP calling to all Global Crossing VoIP Local Service end points.



Global Crossing said VoIP Community Peering would provide the cost benefits of migrating to a full on-net VoIP solution to enterprises not implementing a private number dialing plan.



VoIP Community Peering also creates intranet communities for geographically dispersed, intra-company locations and remote office locations that prefer not to develop a centralized private corporate numbering plan. For example, a pharmaceutical company that empowers each regional division to operate independently and manages its own dial plan still experiences a significant amount of intra-location calling.



Global Crossing's pricing model currently provides customers a fixed monthly recurring charge per simultaneous session required, plus a discounted cost per minute for all calls terminating through the PSTN. With VoIP Community Peering, cost-per-minute charges are not applied if calls are destined for a national or international number served by Global Crossing VoIP Local Service.



http://www.globalcrossing.com

• Global Crossing noted that is now transporting more than 2.4 billion VoIP minutes per month, and VoIP traffic accounted for 74 percent of all voice traffic transported by Global Crossing in the first quarter of 2006. IP traffic on Global Crossing's global IP backbone increased 65 percent in 2005 and grew 26 percent in the first quarter of 2006.

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Gas Station TV Plans IPTV Service at the Fuel Pump

Gas Station TV (GSTV) announced plans to building a national digital media network offering IP-based digital television on 20" high-definition, daylight viewable LCD monitors embedded into gas pumps. GSTV will feature national ABC content such as its popular 'News You Can Use' segments, as well as local news, AccuWeather forecasts and traffic from ABC affiliates.



GSTV said it has secured partnerships with ABC, Murphy Oil USA (a "big box" gas retailer), Gilbarco (the largest manufacturer of gas retailer equipment), and Delphi Display Systems, the market leader in outdoor digital video display systems.

http://www.convergedigest.com

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Vongo Boosts Encode Rates of Web VOD Service to 1.3 Mbps

Vongo, the Internet-based video service launched by Starz Entertainment Group, unveiled a "gold" version of the service with over 1,600 movie and video selections. Based on consumer feedback, the encode rate was raised to 1.3Mbps for most selections. Improvements to the user interface include more descriptive listings of series and episodic content and better performance and search capabilities when managing and exploring content in "My Library" and "search." Vongo's price remains unchanged -- $9.99 per month for unlimited subscription downloads.



Vongo will also be introducing a library of more than 600 TV-based series and episodes to Vongo subscribers throughout the year, primarily older classicshttp://www.vongo.comhttp://www.starz.com

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AT&T Labs Joins MoCA

AT&T Laboratories has joined the Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCA), an open, industry driven initiative promoting distribution of digital video and entertainment through existing coaxial
cable in the home.



"We are evaluating MoCA technology as one option for distributing IP-based video services in customers' homes," said David Deas, vice president networks & services, AT&T Laboratories Inc.



Other MoCA members include Comcast, Cox Communications, EchoStar Technologies, and Verizon, amongst others.

http://www.mocalliance.org

• A MoCA network can transport video, voice and data to TVs, set-tops, DVRs, game boxes, WiFi repeaters and PCs at physical speeds of up to 270 Mbps homes and has been field tested across America in real world situations to deliver over a net usable 100 Mbps at greater than 97% of coax outlets.

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Tropic Networks Adds Wavelength Selective Switching to ROADM

Tropic Networks introduced its next evolution of the Reconfigurable Optical Add Drop Multiplexer (ROADM) based on its Wavelength Selective Switch (WSS) technology.



In common with both the static OADM and blocker-based ROADMs, Tropic Networks has integrated its Wavelength Tracker all-optical management technology into the WSS solution.



The launch of the WSS ROADM variant rounds out the portfolio for Tropic Networks and allows customers to mix and match solutions as required. For example, while WSS technology may be required at video distribution or other multi-degree hub sites, it may not be required at the drop sites and edge node locations.


Tropic Networks said its solution will co-exist with the current blocker-based ROADM and deliver all-optical mesh networking capabilities to both telco and cable customers.



"Tropic has been in the reconfigurable OADM market for over four years and we are now seeing WSS components maturing to a point where it makes sense to productize them into systems-level solutions. This is very similar to what the industry experienced with blockers, in that the first generation was available in the late 1990's but the components didn't really mature until 2003 when we introduced our first ROADM product. We are seeing the same cycle recur now, as the WSS prototype devices from multiple vendors mature into fully qualified production devices. Critically important is that these devices have comparable capabilities and performance that creates a stable, multi-sourced competitive supply base that can support broad deployment, but will also enable the 40G network evolution without requiring any equipment swap-outs," said Ben Bacque, VP R&D at Tropic Networks.



"We are also encouraged to see the component manufacturing processes maturing, allowing our suppliers to ship production volumes, and to continue to drive down their manufacturing costs."http://www.tropicnetworks.com

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Tropic Networks Outlines IP over DWDM Strategy

Tropic Networks, which supplies metro-regional OADM/DWDM platform, outlined an IP-over-DWDM strategy that allows third party transponders to be launched directly from the switch/router into the DWDM layer together with the associated optical management and power control that its Wavelength Tracker metro regional DWDM system delivers.



Tropic Networks' "Wavelength Tracker" technology tags each wavelength in the DWDM layer with a unique signature that tracks, monitors and reports faults -- without requiring any additional DWDM transponders. This capability even distinguishing between multiple instances of the same color traveling through the network.



Tropic said its Wavelength Tracker allows carriers to expand their optical services without adding unnecessary cost, yet still maintaining critical management capabilities.



Tropic noted that a major cable operator has been using this IP over DWDM solution in their network for over two years without a single outage.



"The strategy of launching DWDM directly from client platforms to reduce cost has been available for years in proprietary, single vendor SONET/SDH solutions., We now see the opportunity for an open architecture, multi-vendor paradigm with the focus on high-bandwidth IP service delivery. As more of the leading switch/router vendors are integrating DWDM interfaces onto their platforms we will see this strategy accelerate within our customer base. We have demonstrated, tested and deployed this IP over DWDM solution using a number of different routers that support DWDM optics, as well as having proven out our multi-vendor 40G DWDM support," said Ben Bacque, VP R&D at Tropic.

http://www.tropicnetworks.com

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Digital Fountain Debuts "ToughStream" Forward Error Correction for IPTV

Digital Fountain introduced its "ToughStream" Forward Error Correction (FEC) technology for streaming applications including IPTV and Internet TV. The technology minimizes bandwidth overhead and all-but eliminates buffering delays by recovering lost packets without requiring retransmission. Any packetized stream can be protected, independent of the type of media encoding or compression, data rate, or use of encryption.



Alternative methods for ensuring stream quality are buffering data ahead of time, which causes frustrating delays and limits the user's ability to sample numerous streams or "channel surf", and Pro-MPEG FEC, which Digital Fountain said is far less efficient.



Digital Fountain said its ToughStream provides application and equipment vendors with the easiest way to incorporate FEC technology into streaming applications. The company plans follow a licensing model similar to what Dolby developed with its audio technology.



With ToughStream, developers are presented with a simple network socket architecture. ToughStream handles all of the complexities of FEC processing and data transport. The sending application simply writes streaming packets to the socket and the receiving application simply reads streaming packets from the socket. Numerous parameters are run-time configurable, allowing for simple tuning of the optimal mix of loss protection, bandwidth usage, processing resources and quality.



Currently in broad commercial use for IPTV services offered in Japan, the DF Raptor FEC technology is incorporated in Sumitomo Electric Networks' StreamCruiser IP set-top boxes -- which are used by subscribers of Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) Corporation Communications' OCN Theater video-on-demand services and others.


http://www.digitalfountain.com

• Digital Fountain's patented DF Raptor technology has been made part of the global standard to support content delivery services over DVB-H (Digital Video Broadcasting-Handheld) wireless networks.



• The adoption of DF Raptor technology for DVB-H follows its standardization in 2005 as part of the 3GPP (3rd Generation Partnership Project) MBMS (Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service) specification for GSM-based 3G cellular networks. Because the DF Raptor FEC provides exceptional packet loss protection but can be readily supported by general-purpose processors, the technology is ideally suited for the delivery of multimedia content to mobile wireless devices.



• Modeo, which is building a dedicated multi-channel DVB-H network in the top 30 U.S. markets, has licensed Digital Fountain's "DF Raptor" forward error correction (FEC) technology. Modeo plans to incorporate the technology in its DVB-H broadcast network file delivery service.



• Digital Fountain's DF Raptor technology is an advanced and highly flexible FEC that enables the efficient and error-free download of multimedia data files in the presence of a wide range of network impairments. The technology has been standardized by DVB as part of IP datacasting services over DVB-H and by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as a component of the Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) for GSM-based 3G cellular networks.

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ntl:Telewest Employs Brix for MPLS Core Monitoring

ntl:Telewest, the UK's largest cable operator, has selected the Brix System to monitor the quality of its MPLS core network.



ntl:Telewest's Broadnet MPLS core network serves as the foundation for the company's next-generation, IP-based services, including the recently rolled out Metnet managed Ethernet service.



Brix Networks' seamlessly integrated hardware and software products -- collectively called the Brix System -- are strategic service assurance solutions that proactively monitor IP service and application quality. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.brixnet.com

• In February 2006, Brix Networks unveiled its new "BrixVision" IPTV service assurance portfolio for giving service providers visibility into the quality of video content, the underlying delivery infrastructure, and the overall customer experience. Brix said its solution enables service providers to perform root-cause analysis to identify IP transmission versus video quality impairments, monitor end-to-end video quality, and proactively monitor and manage their subscribers' experience throughout the lifecycle of their services.

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PCCW Selects Intellon's Powerline HomePlug

PCCW, Hong Kong's incumbent telecom operator, is deploying network adapters based on Intellon's HomePlug 1.0 with Turbo ICs as a home networking solution.



PCCW claims top market share for Hong Kong's broadband market with over 800,000 subscribers, of which 550,000 customers have also signed up its IPTV service - nowTV. The Intellon-based HomePlug with Turbo adapters enable a customer-installable alternative to running new cables along floors and under rugs to connect the PCCW broadband modem to computers, digital media adaptors and IP set-top-boxes in the home.

http://www.intellon.com

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EMBARQ Logistics Signs Wave7 Optics for FTTP

EMBARQ Logistics, the deployment, distribution and logistics division of Embarq (Sprint's former local telephone division), will now include Wave7 Optic's new "universal PON" Trident7 Optical Access platform and Wave7's existing Last Mile Link (LML) Ethernet-based FTTP system as part of its product portfolio.

http://www.wave7optics.comhttp://www.embarq.com

• In September 2005, Wave7 Optics introduced its Trident7 Optical Access Platform – an advanced "universal PON" system supporting its own Ethernet-based Last Mile Link (LML) system, IEEE 802.3ah Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) and ITU-T G.984 Gigabit-capable PON (G-PON). Each of these technologies is supported on a "blade by blade" basis. The system is available as a modular OLT (optical line terminal) chassis that can installed at the central office or in the field. It features a 180 Gbps backplane and accommodates up to eighteen line cards.
  
  
  
  The Trident7 also incorporates Wave7 Optics' multi-layer QoS, integrated RF return for interactive video, 128-bit encryption and Stimulated Raman Scattering (SRS) immunity for the highest quality video.

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Metaswitch Unveils Enhanced IMS-based Solution Set

MetaSwitch announced a range of new technologies as part of its Multimedia-Enhanced Telephony Architecture (META) strategy, targeted at carriers migrating to converged multi-service networks.



The addition of Home Subscriber Server (HSS) support delivers a key component in IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) networks, to create an efficient service creation and delivery program for different services and different types of access networks. Additionally, MetaSwitch announced functionality for core trunking / tandem switching applications, enhanced operational and network management capabilities, as well as an expanded professional services program.



Carriers can now leverage standard functions defined by IMS for access to subscriber information in a Home Subscriber Server (HSS) with an open interface that enables application servers to add, retrieve and update service profile information held for each subscriber, using the IMS standard XML schema. Opening up access to external application servers in this way will enable third-party developers, including carriers themselves, to rapidly create new services that integrate seamlessly with the MetaSwitch IMS switching platform.



MetaSwitch also unveiled new core switching capabilities designed to enable carriers to collapse traditional hierarchical Class 4 / Class 5 networks to a flat network architecture based on a centralized session control function.



With support for a broad range of traditional trunking protocols, packet tandem functions and intelligent, flexible routing control, these new capabilities provide significant advantages for regional and national service providers--setting the stage for a cost-effective, revenue-based migration to IMS-based services.



In other MetaSwitch news:

• MetaSwitch has passed the six million subscriber license and two million gateway port deployment marks



• MetaSwitch has been ranked as one of the top two leading vendors in the North American Class 5 softswitch market, according to a recent report issued by Infonetics Research



• MetaSwitch is expanding its Partner Program. Vendors recently joining the MetaSwitch Partner Program include Allied Telesyn, Calix, Cordell, CustomCall Data Systems, Dash911, IBM/Micromuse, Integra5, IP Unity, Newport Networks, Mpathix, Nuera, Rodopi Software , Telesciences, and Vapps. The new program members add to the dozens of existing partner solutions from access equipment, to application servers, to OSS and billing solutions, and even wholesale Inter Exchange Carriers (IXCs).



• MetaSwitch will participate in the MultiService Forum's (MSF) GMI 2006 test event, which will bring together dozens of carriers and vendors to test the interoperability of IMS-based infrastructure components in a real-world setting.



• MetaSwitch recently completed the IBM/Micromuse Netcool certification process, which enables carriers to integrate MetaSwitch platforms into any Netcool-managed network, and ultimately allow for real-time, end-to-end network management.



• MetaSwitch has formed a partnership with TeleSciences based on the proven interoperability with TeleSciences 600i Mediation Platform and MetaSwitch's multimedia-enhanced telephony solutions. This partnership enables network operators to maximize revenues and increase customer satisfaction with accurate, blended billing across multiple wireline, mobile and cable services delivered in an IMS framework.



• MetaSwitch has built a substantial professional services organization that rivals those of major vendors for its expertise in delivering complete turnkey deployments, project management and technology consulting services. Many of MetaSwitch's larger customers are leveraging these capabilities to increase efficiency, reduce time-to-revenue for new market initiatives, or smoothly migrate hundreds of thousands of subscribers in a short time period.

http://www.metaswitch.com

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Hammerhead Announces Multi-Segment Pseudowire and Pseudowire Switching

Hammerhead Systems introduced multi-segment pseudowires and pseudowire switching functionality on its HSX 6000 Layer 2.5 Aggregation Switch, which leverages a unique Bandwidth Pooling architecture to virtualize key switch resources and eliminate stranded capacity. Hammerhead already offers Service Agile Ports that enable flexible software provisioning of any physical port for a variety of services and data rates. A Service Interworking Engine allows service providers to introduce new Ethernet-based services to their existing Frame Relay and ATM customers. The HSX 6000 offers extensive support for Ethernet (native GigE and EoS) as well as legacy services (FR, ATM, PPP, HDLC, & POS).



The company said the new pseudowire capabilities were specifically requested by a large tier 1 customer.



Hammerhead also announced its implementation of ATM PNNI to MPLS Pseudowire interworking (draft Swallow) on the HSX 6000 Layer 2.5 Aggregation Switch to provide true service interworking between next-generation MPLS networks and legacy ATM networks in a seamless, standards-based solution. Hammerhead's implementation of the draft Swallow is available today.



"To the extent that fixed and mobile service providers look to integrate legacy operations with the converged IP/MPLS core, Hammerhead's ability to offer standards-based interworking between the MPLS and ATM control planes on a single network element -- the HSX 6000 -- is a capability our customers have found to be both operationally and financially compelling," said Peter Savage, Hammerhead's President and CEO.



The IETF's PWE3 working group has addressed key issues that facilitate the use of MPLS Pseudowires as the service construct for encapsulation and mapping of a broad array of Layer 2 services over MPLS. The IETF's draft for Multi-Segment Pseudowires allows a service provider to extend Pseudowires across multiple domains and tunnels. With the introduction of Pseudowire Switching, service providers can scale connections in the access network without impacting the control plane, avoiding the typical "n2" (n-squared) mesh connectivity problem in mapping connections across a network.



Multi-Segment Pseudowires (MS-PW) also address inter-carrier interconnections, a key area of concern for service providers. By extending Pseudowires across service provider boundaries, Multi-Segment Pseudowires help address confidentiality and security requirements, and provide interworking between disparate tunneling technologies used in different networks.



Hammerhead said its implementation supports static and dynamic placement of Multi-Segment Pseudowires on the HSX 6000. Multi-Segment Pseudowires work as two or more contiguous Pseudowire segments that function as a single point-to-point virtual connection. In a MS-PW, the service provider edge connection is dynamically created by signaling, and is not configured by the end user.



In light of the recent wave of consolidation among service providers, the interconnection of various networks and network domains is an important element of streamlining operations. Pseudowires enable the mapping of Layer 2 attributes that are critical to SLA enforcement and deterministic QoS guarantees to IP flows. This facilitates the aggregation of a variety of incoming traffic from the access network to a single IP-based network core.



Hammerhead's solution elevates the technology from simple packet encapsulation into a carrier-deployable service, particularly across demarcation interfaces. Consequently, this requires call admission control (CAC) and inter-carrier routing policy. The Hammerhead implementation optimizes the number of targeted LDP sessions that are required. It enables service providers to set up Pseudowires through multiple networks, using LDP and Generic FEC within the control-plane.



Hammerhead's implementation of PNNI-Pseudowire Interworking, consistent with the IETF draft Swallow, enables service providers to migrate revenue-generating traffic resident on legacy ATM networks to the MPLS core, and facilitates the introduction of advanced Ethernet-based services to existing customers. Hammerhead is delivering its standards-based implementation on a single network element, the HSX 6000, consolidating functions that have historically required separate switches and routers with proprietary implementations.

http://www.hammerheadsystems.com

• In January 2006, Hammerhead Systems, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, closed $30 million in Series C funding, for its traffic aggregation and switching platform.



• Hammerhead's HSX 6000 is a purpose-built Layer 2.5 Aggregation Switch that features MPLS Pseudowire technology. It provides dense Ethernet aggregation, Pseudowire termination, legacy Frame Relay and ATM support, and Service Interworking. It features a "Layer 2.5" edge aggregation approach designed to integrate access services (wireline, broadband, broadband fixed wireless and 3G) that are typically based on Layer 2 connection-oriented technologies with new services that are based on Layer 3. The platform supports the migration of Frame Relay / ATM services onto MPLS backbones, so that it can be used as an aggregation platform in an Ethernet service architecture, offering native Gigabit Ethernet as well as Ethernet-over-SONET (both GFP and x.86) trunking capabilities. On the subscriber side, the HSX 6000 switch offers high-density fan-in across a range of new and legacy service interfaces, media and speeds, including Ethernet.

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MRV Upgrades Aggregation Switches for EFM Services

MRV Communications debuted a software update to its OptiSwitch 9000 (OS9000) carrier aggregation switching family, enabling a range of Ethernet in the First Mile (EFM) features.



The OS9000 product family, launched last year, is a carrier-class Metro Ethernet platform that aggregates Gigabit Ethernet links, provisions enhanced Ethernet/IP/MPLS services, and provides WDM transport. The new software enables aggregation of EFM-standard 802.3ah devices and auto-discovery of all 802.3ah enabled customer-premise equipment (CPE).



The new software enable the OS9000 to aggregate up to 24 Gigabit or Fast Ethernet-based CPE devices per system. These signals can be passed on to groomed GigE, 10 GigE, and WDM feeds and act as a second-mile transport vehicle to provider edge platforms, offering a flexible, scalable solution. Management capabilities including remote configuration, remote performance monitoring and threshold alarms, and remote loopback have also been added.



EFM OAM configuration and auto-discovery allows carriers to now configure or re-configure devices from their central office or from the software on the OS9000, eliminating both the cost of on site visits to the end customer and the hassles of self-installation. With link continuity from the central office to demarcation, services including security and QOS can now be passed through to the CPE. Previously these services were terminated and restarted adding to configuration time and expense.



MRV said its OS9000 can enable Metro Ethernet Forum-specified E-Line (point-to-point Ethernet Virtual Circuit) and E-LAN (multipoint-to-multipoint Ethernet Virtual Circuit) services that provide services tunneling and bandwidth profiles per application or subscriber.



When the E-LAN and E-Line functionality is combined with the OS9000's optional WDM module, the system can carry multiple intelligent private wavelength services and offer SLAs across a metropolitan or long distance network.

http://www.mrv.com

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