Sunday, October 29, 2006

Narus Secures $30 Million for IP Traffic

Narus, a start-up based in Mountain View, California, secured $30 million in new financing for its solutions for real-time, IP traffic analysis and management. This financing includes $20 million in equity and a $10 million revolving line of credit. The funding will be used primarily to develop the next generation of NarusInsight products, and to accelerate the company's global channel initiative to support the worldwide adoption for its products.



NarusInsight is an IP traffic processing system that is capable of providing companies with the means to capture, normalize and correlate IP traffic at the speed required for carrier-class networks. In 2006, Narus filed seven patents, introduced the world's first carrier-class security algorithms based on information entropy, and developed the industry's first algorithms to classify encrypted IP traffic such as Skype.



The new funding round was led by American Capital Strategies Ltd., and included participation from existing investors including Mayfield Fund, Pacven Walden Ventures, JP Morgan Partners and NeoCarta Ventures.

http://www.narus.com









Skype
Detection: Traffic Classification In the Dark
Skype
is having a dramatic impact on carriers' revenue streams. But perhaps
more importantly, the very nature of Skype traffic is raising security
concerns, especially for large enterprise networks. Skype uses a unique
peer-to-peer technology, making it challenging for network operators to
identify, classify and manage associated traffic. This column provides an
overview of VoIP with a focus on Skype, details Skype's impact on
telecom service providers and explains how Skype traffic can be classified
and managed.

Alvarion Supports Primary Voice Services over WiMAX

Alvarion is now supporting the deliver of primary voice services over WiMAX using the latest edition of its BreezeMAX platform. Alvarion now supports V5.2 interfaces, enabling interconnection of TDM-based infrastructures. When coupled with its existing VoIP capabilities, BreezeMAX can now interface directly with both legacy and next generation voice networks.



Alvarion said the primary voice services of the BreezeMAX platform have been tested with carriers in Africa and South America, and approved as interoperable with various vendors' Class 5 switches. As a result of these trials, two operators in Africa are leveraging their TDM switches by deploying this BreezeMAX voice and data solution.

http://www.alvarion.com

Alcatel and Samsung to Develop S-Band Mobile Handsets

Alcatel and Samsung Electronics agreed to develop mobile handsets
compatible with the evolution of the DVB-H standard in the S-Band. The companies will collaborate on interoperability testing in order
to deliver a seamless end-to-end solution to operators and a high quality Mobile TV service to end-users. Both companies will support the standardization process of this solution in the DVB Forum undertaken in the DVB-SSP (Satellite Services for Portable devices) Ad-Hoc Group, and join forces to market their combined solution. In a first step, this agreement covers Europe, where the S-band spectrum is available today.

http://www.samsung.comhttp://www.alcatel.com

Siemens Expands WLAN Portfolio with Open Mobility Solutions

Siemens Enterprise Communications expanded its wireless LAN portfolio with the launch of its HiPath Wireless Manager and a new HiPath Ready Partner Program for Open Mobility Solutions. The new Open Mobility Solutions and open APIs (Application Programming Interfaces) enable the ability to add third-party solutions.



Siemens said its open approach to mobility supports an enterprise-wide strategy that centralizes mobility management with "best of breed" WLAN security products.



The HiPath Wireless Manager is a new, centralized WLAN management platform that enables the enterprise-wide management of thousands of Access Points and tens of thousands of users from a single console. Enterprises can monitor and optimize performance using enterprise-wide heat maps, statistics, alerts and reports.



A new key element of the HiPath Wireless Manager software is its Open Services Framework which facilitates the third party development of integrated converged voice, data and video applications for enterprise-wide mobility.



The new Siemens HiPath Ready Partner Program for Open Mobility Solutions is an extension of the HiPath Ready Certification Program and gives third party vendors, such as developers, systems integrators, VARs and VADs, access to open APIs to develop their own extensions to the HiPath Wireless Manager framework. The new HiPath Ready Partner Program will allow vendors to develop customized mobility solutions for their own unique business processes. Additionally, customers can be assured that these solutions have passed rigorous certification requirements so they are HiPath Ready.



Siemens has also introduced HiPath Wireless Convergence Software V4 for its WLAN Controllers and Access Points. Convergence Software V4 builds on Siemens' Open Flexible Intelligent (OFI) switching architecture that intelligently optimizes traffic routing and QoS based on application requirements driven through its new Open Services Framework. This new release also adds a number of the latest standards based enhanced voice features such as enhanced voice quality capabilities (TSPEC), improved power management and extended battery life for wireless devices (UAPSD) and intelligent roaming capabilities for greater call quality (QBSS).

http://www.siemens.com/enterprise


Avaya and Juniper Networks Extend Strategic Alliance

Juniper Networks and Avaya are extending their strategic alliance focused on enterprise networking. Juniper now plans to integrate Avaya's IP voice gateway and intelligent communications applications with the new Juniper J4350 and J6350 J-series enterprise branch routers. This is the first completely integrated solution from Avaya and Juniper that involved joint product engineering and software development by both companies.



The new Juniper J4350 and J6350 J-series routers provide up to two Gigabit Ethernet performance for enterprise remote, branch and regional offices and are IP telephony-ready.
http://www.juniper.nethttp://www.avaya.com

Impsat Fiber Networks Deploys Acme Packet

Impsat Fiber Networks has deployed Acme Packet's Net-Net session border controllers (SBCs) to deliver its VoIP services for the mid and large corporate market and VoIP interconnects for wholesale services to carriers. Impsat, a leading competitive operator in Latin America, has already deployed Acme Packet's Net-Net SBCs as part of its voice network in Argentina, Brazil, Peru and the US with plans to expand further in 2007. Financial terms were not disclosed.

http://www.acmepacket.com
  • Last week, Global Crossing announced plans to acquire Impsat.

Metaswitch Supplies Core Switching at GMI 2006

MetaSwitch supplied core switching functionality during the recent Global MSF Interoperability 2006 (GMI 2006) event, which focused on the technical interoperability issues surrounding IP Multimedia Sub-system (IMS) deployments. MetaSwitch's core switching solutions were tested within the joint BT and Vodafone test facility in the UK and used to support advanced IP services that spanned the four continent network test bed. This year's GMI event marks the third MSF test program that has leveraged MetaSwitch's technology at its core.



The worldwide GMI 2006 interoperability event was led by five of the world's leading service providers, BT, KT, NTT, Verizon and Vodafone, and took place over a two-week period across four test locations, including the BT Advanced Research and Technology Centre (United Kingdom), the KT Technology Lab (Korea), NTT's Musashino Research and Development Center (Japan), and Verizon Labs (MA, USA).

http://www.metaswitch.com

SES Global and Eutelsat to Launch Satellite S-Band over Europe

SES GLOBAL and Eutelsat Communications announced a 50/50 joint venture company, which will operate and commercialize S-band satellite services over Europe for mobile video services. The S-band (2.0 and 2.2 GHz), which represents a new frequency band for both SES and Eutelsat, provides a set of frequencies optimized for supporting a wireless distribution network for mobile devices, including phones, PDAs, laptops and vehicle receivers.



Eutelsat Communications confirmed its order with Alcatel Alenia Space for an S-Band payload on its upcoming W2A satellite, which is slated for launch in 2009. Based on the Alcatel Alenia Space Spacebus 4000C4 platform, W2A's missions also comprise up to 46 transponders in Ku-band and a C-band payload of 10 transponders.



The S-band payload at 2.2 GHz on W2A will allow the delivery, for the first time, of mobile multimedia broadcast services (Mobile TV, digital radio...) directly onto user terminals over France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain or the UK.



Eutelsat plans to build a hybrid infrastructure over Europe, combining satellite and terrestrial networks, providing both universal coverage and indoor penetration for Mobile TV services. W2A's S-band payload will also enable other communications services for example, for security communications or crisis management.



Alcatel confirmed its support to Eutelsat and SES, who joined forces to deliver S-Band services, through its technology development programme, necessary for these innovative services. This solution uses an evolution of the DVB-H standard in the S-Band.

http://www.alcatel.comhttp://www.eutelsat.com

Nortel Delivers IMS-ready FMC for France's neuf

Nortel supplied the VoIP and IMS-ready technology underpinning Neuf Cegetel's "TWIN" GSM/WiFi hybrid service. Neuf Cegetel estimates users of TWIN are achieving savings of up to 30% on their mobile phone fees. Under WiFi coverage the TWIN phone automatically connects to the Neuf box or WiFi community access point and calls are made at the same price as calls from a landline phone.



The fixed-mobile convergence (FMC) solution for Neuf Cegetel includes Nortel's IMS-ready Multimedia Communication Server 5200 (MCS 5200) which seamlessly integrates voice with video, collaboration, and presence services. This solution leverages SIP to enable service providers to deliver seamless handover between cellular and WiFi technologies and create new revenue-generating opportunities for service providers.



Nortel's IMS solution is access-aware and supports 3GPP (IMS), 3GPP2 (MMD), Packet Cable 2.0 and TISPAN standards.

http://www.nortel.comhttp://www.neuf.fr

Xilinx and AXIS Offer Integrated Radio Card Platform for W-CDMA, WiMAX

Xilinx released a common digital radio system (CDRS) development platform that increases power amplifier (PA) efficiency and reduces capital and operating costs for W-CDMA and WiMAX base stations. The CDRSX development platform consists of the Xilinx W-CDMA and WiMAX digital front-end (DFE) reference designs and a flexible development board from AXIS Network Technology.



"The market is looking for flexible, cost-effective solutions that can be used to develop initial systems and then go from concept-to-production as quickly and easily as possible," said Simon Mellor CEO of AXIS Network Technologyhttp://www.xilinx.com/esp/wireless/index.htmhttp://www.axisnt.com

Koor Considers Sale of Telrad Networks

Koor Industries announced the receipt of a number of inquiries from various entities interested in acquiring its holdings (61%) in its subsidiary, Telrad Networks. No decisions have been announced.



Telrad provides a family of products for Next Generation Networks (NGN), WiFi mesh, and FMC. The company also provides system integration, maintenance and ongoing upgrades of systems. Telrad, which was founded in 1951, is based in Israel.

http://www.koor.comhttp://www.telrad.com

Catapult Supplies 3G IMS Test System to KT

Catapult Communications has been selected by Korea Telecom (KT) to provide simulation and load testing capabilities for the addition of IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services to their existing IP network.

http://www.catapult.com

Verizon Adds 1.9 Million Wireless, 448,000 Broadband Users

Verizon reported Q3 revenues of $23.3 billion, up 25.8% from third quarter 2005, and diluted earnings per share (EPS) of 66 cents, or 68 cents per share before special items (non-GAAP measure).



Verizon Wireless is now the largest U.S. wireless carrier in terms of revenue. The company is also the largest wireless data provider based on data revenue, and it has the most retail customers -- that is, businesses and consumers directly served by Verizon Wireless.



Some operational highlights:





  • Verizon Wireless revenues were up 18.2 percent from third quarter 2005; data revenues nearly double year-over-year; EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) of 45.0 percent.


  • Verizon Wireless retail service ARPU was $51.21


  • Verizon Wireless added 1.9 million net customers, giving it a total of 56.7 million total customers, up 15.1 percent from third quarter 2005. Of these, 54.6 million were retail (non- wholesale) customers.


  • Verizon Wireless had 1.24 percent total churn; 1.15 percent retail churn; 0.95 percent retail postpaid churn during the quarter.


  • Wireline

  • There were 448,000 net new broadband connections in Q3, including 147,000 FiOS Internet customers, for a total of 6.6 million total broadband connections, up 45.1 percent from third quarter 2005. The company now has a total of 522,000 FiOS Internet customers.


  • Verizon's FTTP (fiber to the premises) network passed a total of 5.3 million premises by the end of the third quarter and is on target to pass 6 million premises by year-end. Costs to pass a premises with fiber have declined to $845 in September 2006, already lower than the company's year-end target of $850. Costs to connect a premises to fiber declined to $900 in September, toward a year-end target of $880.


  • Penetration of FiOS Internet service now stands at 14 percent across all markets.


  • Verizon added a net of 63,000 new FiOS TV customers in the third quarter 2006, compared with 35,000 in the second quarter 2006. Churn among FiOS customers remains lower than 1.5 percent per month, and costs associated with customer churn continue to be lower than anticipated.


  • Penetration of FiOS TV service now stands at 10 percent across all markets, with the service available for sale to 1.2 million premises as of the end of the third quarter.


  • FiOS represented $0.09 of total earnings dilution during Q3, up $0.02 from the second quarter, due to strong customer growth and higher video cost. Verizon now expects full-year FiOS earnings dilution to be about $0.31 to $0.32 per share, which is about $0.02 higher than the company's previous guidance.


  • Verizon now has 496,000 customers who receive a Verizon DIRECTV bundle, adding 64,000 net new customer additions in the quarter.


  • Data revenues were $4.1 billion, up 89.3 percent from third quarter 2005, including results from Verizon Business domestic and global operations.


  • Primary residential access lines decreased by 419,000 in the third quarter 2006, compared with the second quarter 2006, while Verizon added 539,000 residential broadband and video customers, including customers with DIRECTV bundles, over the same period.


  • Verizon now serves 46.0 million total domestic wireline access lines -- which also include secondary residential lines, public telephones, business lines and wholesale voice connections. This represents a 7.5 percent decrease compared with the end of the third quarter 2005.
http://www.verizon.com

Microsoft Releases Windows Media Player 11

Microsoft released Windows Media Player 11 for Windows XP, featuring seamless integration with URGE, MTV Networks Co.'s digital music service. Other key enhancements include new formats for ripping and music playback, including Windows Media Audio Professional and WAV Lossless, and improved search capabilities.

http://www.microsoft.com

Optibase and SeaChange Collaborate on IPTV

Optibase and SeaChange will extend their product interoperability in support of IPTV services. Optibase will integrate its carrier-class media gateways with SeaChange's TV Platform. The Optibase Media Gateway encodes, transcodes, transmits and recasts live video in real-time.

http://www.schange.comhttp://www.optibase.com