Nortel announced a number of enhancements to its Carrier Ethernet portfolio, including capabilities for using PBT solution to carry "triple-play" services for residential customers.
PBT, or Provider Backbone Transport, creates known paths for data traffic through an Ethernet network. It acts as a guide to channel information through the network, using pre-determined paths to carry traffic and keeping those paths open.
The Metro Ethernet Routing Switch 8600, Nortel's delivery vehicle for PBT technology, is being improved to provide greater flexibility for carriers:
- New processors will enable better performance and the ability to accommodate new services and advanced networking traffic management
- New module options for the MERS 8600 allow carriers flexibility for wider deployment scenarios
Also, the company is introducing two new additions to the Metro Ethernet Service Units 1800 portfolio, the Metro ESU 1880 and the Metro ESU 1860, which feature:
- Enhanced capabilities optimized to provide flexible options for the delivery of business services to enterprises and triple-play services for residential customers.
- Aggregation capabilities that provide new deployment options, and capacity that enables hundreds of thousands users to be served.
The new products are integrated with Nortel's Metro Ethernet Manager (MEM), which works with PBT to simplify network operations and to provide greater network control over Nortel's Carrier Ethernet solution. The enhanced MERS8600 and new Metro ESU 1800 products will be available in Q1 2008.
Nortel also announced that seven new members have joined the industry's Carrier Ethernet Ecosystem: Bay Microsystems, Broadcom, Ceterus Networks, Ethos Networks, InfoVista, JDSU, and Zhone Technologies. These new member companies join the roster of ANDA Networks, Axerra Networks, Extreme Networks, Dragonwave, Gridpoint Systems, Hammerhead Systems, Ixia, Lightstorm Networks, Meriton Networks, RAD Data Communications, Soapstone Networks, Spirent Communications, TPACK Systems and TranSwitch.
http://www.nortel.com
